The remarkable history of the women who worked for Special Operations Executive across occupied Europe
In the wake of the Nazi invasion of Europe, the tentative sparks of resistance in occupied countries were fanned by Britain's Special Operations Executive. Across the continent, SOE recruited women to "set Europe ablaze." Working as secret agents and saboteurs, these individuals bolstered resistance from within and provided much needed support and weapons. F Section's actions in France are renowned, and today some operatives have become household names. But what happened to the women who worked outside France and those who were locally recruited?
In this gripping account, Kate Vigurs tells the stories of the lesser-known women who worked across Europe, from the Netherlands to Belgium and Poland to Denmark. She explores too the lives of Jewish agents recruited in Mandate Palestine for missions in Eastern Europe. These are stories of trial and error, escape and even execution. Mission Europe examines why women were recruited, analysing their successes and contributions-and celebrates the ordinary women who did extraordinary things.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"The quintessential feature of this book is its even-handedness as the background, character and operational biography of each of these women is explored. There is no sentimentality and no heroine worship in this book. It is written with compassion."-Vin Arthey, The Scotsman
"The book . . . attempts to show the sphere of influence and profound courage of the women trained to infiltrate and serves as a timely reminder of the price of the precious freedom and democracy that we all enjoy today."-Lynn McNeil, Life & Work
"Vigurs's aim was to address an imbalance, to detail the experiences and missions of the women who worked for SOE across Europe. She has done more than this: she has brought each agent back to life."-Debbie Kilroy, GetHistory
"This remarkable account tells the important truth about women and the SOE, and deepens our knowledge and understanding of women and war. The women who populate the pages of Mission Europe are truly extraordinary, and this book is a vital contribution to the history of wartime Europe."-Sarah-Louise Miller, author of The Women Behind the Few
ldquo;Remarkable. . . . This humbling book is a salutary reminder in our current age of the precious gift of freedom, of the attempts by the Nazis to remove it by force, and of the extraordinary efforts by the bravest of the brave to fight this evil, even to the cost of their own lives. Bravo!"-Robert Lyman, author of A War of Empires
"At last a fitting tribute to the 3,200 women who served in SOE from Poland to Denmark, Belgium to Hungary. Lovingly researched, I cannot think this book will ever be bettered."-Peter Caddick-Adams, 1945: Victory in the West
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 239 mm
Breite: 163 mm
Dicke: 35 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-300-27269-7 (9780300272697)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Kate Vigurs is an independent historian, author, lecturer, and academic advisor. She is the author of Mission France and is a frequent contributor for TV, radio, and the press.
