Elizabeth Devereaux Rochester grew up on multiple continents in a life of privilege and education and was living in Paris when the Germans invaded. Readers with particular interest in the French Resistance during WWII, and who want to know more about clandestine organizational operations behind enemy lines, will be highly engaged.įull Moon to France is a captivating account by an American woman in the SOE who became close friends with Virginia d’Albert-Lake. It was written by a Frenchman who worked with the Resistance early in the war, who helped smuggle Harry Peulevé out of France, and who trained for the SOE with Violette Szabo. In spite of its unfortunate title-based on a code phrase-this book belongs in the Hall of Fame of SOE Memoir. Nigel Perrin does justice to Harry through this dynamic and engaging book. Harry Peulevé was a love interest and possible recruiter of Violette Szabo for the SOE, and if his Bond-esque story weren’t true, it would be completely unbelievable. Spirit of Resistance belongs in the Hall of Fame of SOE Biographies. Spirit of Resistance: The Life of SOE Agent Harry Peulevé, DSO MC Maloubier’s memoir will interest anyone who enjoys uncensored and cinematic portrayals of espionage in war. This memoir is a gripping account of the SOE’s missions behind enemy lines by one of Violette Szabo’s closest partners.Bob Maloubier was quite a character, and this comes through in his narrative voice. SOE Hero: Bob Maloubier and the French Resistance Their work keeping Virginia’s story alive honors a remarkable woman. Editor Judy Barrett Litoff was introduced to Virginia’s family by journalist Jim Calio, a man who got to know Virginia personally. Spanning four notebooks, The Diary and Memoir of Virginia d’Albert-Lake was written in both real time and immediately after her liberation from the camp. It’s a rare thing to have access to the personal writings of a woman in WWII who not only participated in the Resistance, but who was also a prisoner at Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. This memoir will appeal to those who have a strong interest in clandestine military operations.Īn American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia d’Albert-LakeĮdited by Judy Barrett Litoff and Jim Calio. In 1944, Guiet parachuted with Violette Szabo’s group into Nazi-Occupied France, and not only aided with communications between the Allies on the ground and HQ in London but participated in sabotage and combat missions. Guiet, a French born American, was studying at Harvard when he was called to work as a wireless operator with both the Special Operations Executive, Churchill’s espionage organization, and its American counterpart, the Office of Strategic Services. Since fans of historical and biographical fiction are often hungry for more, here are seven recommended works of nonfiction that will leave readers in breathless awe of the dazzling courage of Virginia, Violette, and those who served in their networks.ĭead on Time: The Memoir of an SOE and OSS Agent in Occupied France These accounts were a tremendous help in understanding the minds and emotions of both the everyday and specially trained members of the Resistance. In researching the real-life superheroines Virginia d’Albert-Lake and Violette Szabo, for Sisters of Night and Fog, there were many riveting works of nonfiction by and about the women and those in their networks. Writing fiction allows authors to imagine dialogue and fill in the blank spaces left by incomplete records, but to be able to do so with authenticity, they draw heavily on memoir, autobiography, and biography. WWII novels (and historical fiction in general) can be a great way to not only get lost in a great book, but learn something along the way.From the recent declassification of archival documents, to the high stakes, to the clear delineation between good and evil in the war between Allied and Axis powers, the popularity of WWII-set fiction endures. Heller’s triumphant story is a classic work of American literature, and a fascinating read. But if he requests to be excused from duty, he runs into a violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule that states that you are insane if you willingly continue to fly dangerous missions, but asking to be removed proves your sanity-and therefore makes you ineligible to be discharged. His real problem, however, is his own army: They keep increasing the number of missions required for the men to complete their service. Set in Italy, Catch-22 is the story of bombardier Yossarian, who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |