- Hardcover: 328 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; First Edition edition (5 Jan 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002177862
- ISBN-13: 978-0002177863
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.7 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 826,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The story of secret service treachery in the Second World War. It describes how the head of MI6, piqued by Chruchill's setting up of SOE as a rival sabotage and intelligence organization, devised a trap, using a double agent, Henri Dericourt, to destroy the whole of SOE's intelligence network in France. As a result nearly 1,000 men and women were arrested, hundreds of whom died in concentration camps.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read this book after watching a BBC Timewatch programme that was based on
the book.
Both were shocking.
Unfortunately, the excellent Timewatch programm is no longer available in any form; but the book is.
The book deals with the now well known betrayal of SOE's largest circuit in occupied France; the 'Prosper' circuit.
The betrayal resulted ultimately in the death of almost every member of the circuit, the names of whom, now that their stories have finally been told, have become the most famous of all of SOE's agents.
It seeks to apportion responsibility for what occurred; and ultimately makes allegations that MI6 and it's Deputy Head Claude Dansey were directly involved in the betrayal.
Marshall goes into considerable detail to justify these (very grave) claims.
He tries to unravel the story of who did what, and when, in occupied France prior to, and at the time of the betrayal. Many of the accounts by various participants conflict. And one is left with a big question mark.
One character above all stands out; Prosper's air despatcher Henri Dericourt.
Dericourt's friendly relationship with Karl Boemelberg, the Head of the S.D. Counter Intelligence Service in Paris was known of both in SOE HQ, and by the Deputy Head of MI6, Sir Claude Dansey: but Dericourt was kept in his post; one the most important posts in all of S.O.E.'s French networks.
WHY?
Dericourt's prime task was to arrange details of the arrival and departure of all Prosper agents, information which he shared with his friend Boemelberg; a charge he freely admitted to when called back to London for questioning.
During his absence the arrests began which would decimate the Prosper organisation.
But in London at S.O.E. no action was taken, and Dericourt was allowed to return to France to carry on his work !!
After the war Dericourt was tried by a French court (Militaire Tribunal de Paris) in May 1948.
He was aquitted, mainly on the 'extraordinary evidence' given by S.O.E witnesses Maj.Nicholas Boddington; deputy to the Head of S.O.E. that Boddington; with the full agreement of the S.D. had been allowed to visit Dericourt in France to discuss S.O.E. matters; and return safely to London with no fear of arrest. An arrangement had been made between Dericourt and the S.D.
Clearly very high up members of the leadership of S.O.E and of the S.D. were in cahoots.
But the agents at the sharp end were, for obvious reasons, not let into the secret!
The result was a tragedy of the first order in which the bravest of men and women were betrayed by their leaders.
Marshall's book has now been somewhat superceded by the publication of 'Dericourt the Chequered Spy' by Jean Overton Fuller.
This book goes into VERY great detail, and one needs to be somewhat of an expert to follow the twists and turns of Miss Overton Fuller's quest for the truth.
I have also reviewed this book.
(See all my reviews)
the book.
Both were shocking.
Unfortunately, the excellent Timewatch programm is no longer available in any form; but the book is.
The book deals with the now well known betrayal of SOE's largest circuit in occupied France; the 'Prosper' circuit.
The betrayal resulted ultimately in the death of almost every member of the circuit, the names of whom, now that their stories have finally been told, have become the most famous of all of SOE's agents.
It seeks to apportion responsibility for what occurred; and ultimately makes allegations that MI6 and it's Deputy Head Claude Dansey were directly involved in the betrayal.
Marshall goes into considerable detail to justify these (very grave) claims.
He tries to unravel the story of who did what, and when, in occupied France prior to, and at the time of the betrayal. Many of the accounts by various participants conflict. And one is left with a big question mark.
One character above all stands out; Prosper's air despatcher Henri Dericourt.
Dericourt's friendly relationship with Karl Boemelberg, the Head of the S.D. Counter Intelligence Service in Paris was known of both in SOE HQ, and by the Deputy Head of MI6, Sir Claude Dansey: but Dericourt was kept in his post; one the most important posts in all of S.O.E.'s French networks.
WHY?
Dericourt's prime task was to arrange details of the arrival and departure of all Prosper agents, information which he shared with his friend Boemelberg; a charge he freely admitted to when called back to London for questioning.
During his absence the arrests began which would decimate the Prosper organisation.
But in London at S.O.E. no action was taken, and Dericourt was allowed to return to France to carry on his work !!
After the war Dericourt was tried by a French court (Militaire Tribunal de Paris) in May 1948.
He was aquitted, mainly on the 'extraordinary evidence' given by S.O.E witnesses Maj.Nicholas Boddington; deputy to the Head of S.O.E. that Boddington; with the full agreement of the S.D. had been allowed to visit Dericourt in France to discuss S.O.E. matters; and return safely to London with no fear of arrest. An arrangement had been made between Dericourt and the S.D.
Clearly very high up members of the leadership of S.O.E and of the S.D. were in cahoots.
But the agents at the sharp end were, for obvious reasons, not let into the secret!
The result was a tragedy of the first order in which the bravest of men and women were betrayed by their leaders.
Marshall's book has now been somewhat superceded by the publication of 'Dericourt the Chequered Spy' by Jean Overton Fuller.
This book goes into VERY great detail, and one needs to be somewhat of an expert to follow the twists and turns of Miss Overton Fuller's quest for the truth.
I have also reviewed this book.
(See all my reviews)
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been reading around SOE for a long time and, as one might expect when dealing with anything involving MI 5 and 6 on the periphery, I don't think the truth will ever be clear to us. Mysterious fires burning files occur and people contradict each other constantly. One expects errors of memory and intelligence cover ups. The more one reads, the more one sympathises with the poor operatives in the field - how did they get their work done when so much political in-fighting was going on at home among ambitious seniors?
I read this book with deep interest and was pretty well convinced by its argument but then read "Derricourt, the Chequered Spy", the latter a masterpiece of diligent research in my view. "Derricourt.." more or less destroys "All the King's Men" if one believes it. Sometimes I wish I had never looked for truth in all this controversy. It is impossible to find in my view and I am left feeling naive and realising that then, just as now, where there are people there is skullduggery.
I still can't make a proper judgement. All I can say is read both and seek others if you wish to form a reasonable opinion.
The more I read, the more I respect the bravery of the agents, working and looking over their shoulders for the Gestapo.
I read this book with deep interest and was pretty well convinced by its argument but then read "Derricourt, the Chequered Spy", the latter a masterpiece of diligent research in my view. "Derricourt.." more or less destroys "All the King's Men" if one believes it. Sometimes I wish I had never looked for truth in all this controversy. It is impossible to find in my view and I am left feeling naive and realising that then, just as now, where there are people there is skullduggery.
I still can't make a proper judgement. All I can say is read both and seek others if you wish to form a reasonable opinion.
The more I read, the more I respect the bravery of the agents, working and looking over their shoulders for the Gestapo.
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