Reception
A study by Richard Stokes argues that much of the story concerning the involvement of Maskelyne in counterintelligence operations, as described in the book "Magic: Top Secret" was pure invention, and that no unit called the "Magic Gang" ever existed. Maskelyne's role in the deception war was marginal.
Christian House, reviewing Rick Stroud's book The Phantom Army of Alamein in The Independent, describes Maskelyne as "one of the more grandiose members" of the Second World War desert camouflage unit, and "a chancer tasked with experimental developments, who fogged his own reputation as much as any desert convoy".
David Hambling, writing on Wired, critiques David Fisher's uncritical acceptance of Maskelyne's stories: "A very colorful account of Maskelyne’s role is given in the book The War Magician - reading it you might think he won the war single-handed." Hambling denies Maskelyne's supposed concealment of the Suez Canal: "in spite of the book's claims, the dazzle light were never actually built (although a prototype was once tested)."
In 2002 The Guardian wrote: "Maskelyne received no official recognition. For a vain man this was intolerable and he died an embittered drunk. It gives his story a poignancy without which it would be mere chest-beating."
Read more about this topic: Jasper Maskelyne
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)
“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
“I gave a speech in Omaha. After the speech I went to a reception elsewhere in town. A sweet old lady came up to me, put her gloved hand in mine, and said, “I hear you spoke here tonight.” “Oh, it was nothing,” I replied modestly. “Yes,” the little old lady nodded, “that’s what I heard.””
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)