Operation Heartbreak

Author: Cooper, Duff

Classic fiction (pre c 1945)

Published on 5 February 2026 by Penguin Books Ltd (Penguin Classics) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 160 pages
196 x 129 x 11 | 124g

'Not a word is wasted in this gem of a 1950 novel, inspired by the secret wartime plan' The Times A moving reimagining of the man at the heart of Operation MincemeatWilliam Maryngton has just one dream: to fight for his country, as his late father did. Devoted and honourable, he knows no fear – yet somehow, he always misses the battle; too young for the First World War, too old for the Second. Operation Heartbreak follows Willie’s life, through youthful idealism, love affairs and disappointed hopes, until, finally, he gets the chance to make a difference. Duff Cooper’s bittersweet novel, inspired by the real events of Operation Mincemeat, is a poignant tale of dreams of glory, and what it means to be true.

‘Supremely moving ... Its ending is as unexpected as it is affecting’ Wall Street Journal