Forgotten Voices of the Secret War: An Inside History of Special Operations in the Second World War - Couverture rigide

Bailey, Roderick

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0091918502 ISBN 13 : 9780091918507

Editeur : Ebury Press, 2008

Synopsis

Physical description; 382 p. : ill., ports. ; 24 cm. Subjects; Great Britain. Special Operations Executive. World War, 1939-1945 - Personal narratives, British.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

'The Gestapo kept me three days in this interrogation house. They especially wanted to know what I did after my escape, and precise things on the organisation of the SOE. And just for fun I suspect, because I had really not much to tell them, they pulled one of my toenails out...' - Robert Sheppard, SOE agent

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British organisation created early in the Second World War to encourage resistance and carry out sabotage behind enemy lines: in Winston Churchill's famous phrase, to 'set Europe ablaze'.

Drawing on the vast resources of the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive and featuring a mass of previously unpublished personal testimonies, Forgotten Voices of the Secret War is the definitive oral history of a remarkable organisation, showing how in the face of extreme danger and personal risk this select band of men and women helped tilt the conflict in the Allies' favour.

As the Second World War unfolds, we hear the voices of secret agents and HQ staff, of diplomats, aircrew and naval personnel. We learn of parachute drops into enemy territory, of code names and cover stories, of capture and torture by the Gestapo, of nerve-wracking sabotage missions, and of guerrilla fighting alongside groups as varied as the French resistance, partisans in Yugoslavia and tribes in the Burmese jungle. Throughout, lives hang constantly in the balance as seemingly ordinary people summon extraordinary reserves of daring and endurance.

Forgotten Voices of the Secret War is both an incredible account of a unique clandestine force and a fitting testament to the efforts and sacrifices of a dedicated group of courageous men and women.

Revue de presse :

"Roderick Bailey's assembly of tales deserves a warm welcome, both for readability - there is not a dull page - and for surprise: a great deal of it is unknown to [the] general public" (MRD Foot, official historian of SOE Literary Review)

"a fascinating and at times gruesome and moving read, and is an ideal introduction to the whole subject of the SOE...thoroughly recommended" (BBC Who Do You Think You Are Magazine)

"Roderick Bailey has skilfully braided their stories into a coherent narrative, and the quality of their egregious courage catches at the heart" (Spectator)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Ebury Press
• Date d'édition: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0091918502
• ISBN 13: 9780091918507
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 2
• Nombre de pages: 400