Monopoly X is at its most compelling and convincing in its opening chapters ... Orbanes does a terrific job of supplying details ... Vivid ... There’s an against-the-odds heroism in his opening chapters ... Alas, Monopoly X proves to be one of those books that would have worked better as a magazine article. The rest of the stories are disjointed, poorly organized and, in some cases, have very little to do with the board game.
Orbanes is not always careful about providing dates ... Gripping ... The book’s most appealing hero is Airey Neave, an Oxford grad who pulled off a thrilling, Monopoly X-aided escape from Germany’s Colditz Castle ... Orbanes makes a good case for his verdict.
Mr. Orbanes isn’t a subtle enough writer to balance all the competing information: Some narratives feel underdeveloped, some characters disappear right as they become interesting and some of his judgments are questionable ... The author isn’t a professional historian; much of the book’s material is derived from his own conversations with people who knew the participants, and there are no footnotes to help the reader identify his source for any given piece of information ... But in a way that is also the point. Monopoly’s secret history was kept secret for a reason. ... A professional historian would never have been able to find this story; it had to be written by an insider, someone who has spent many hours around the table in the company of fellow specialists who love every nuance of the game. Mr. Orbanes is certainly that, and we have him to thank for recording some truly memorable acts that might otherwise never have come to light.
Monopoly X deftly recounts the daring exploits of the men and women who waged a covert battle for the Allies during WWII ... Orbanes brilliantly sheds light on a once-hidden but crucial operation while introducing a compelling cast of real-life characters.
Thrilling ... With cinematic flair, Orbanes narrates the clandestine meetings between spies that led to the false game sets’ development ... Touch[es] on many fascinating historical tangents ... Orbanes intriguingly surfaces other ways in which games, especially Monopoly, were used for Allied spycraft ... While some of the stylishly written scenes are clearly speculative, it’s all so gripping that readers won’t mind suspending a bit of disbelief.
