- Hardcover: 296 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan (1947)
- Language English
- ASIN: B0007JFJYQ
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 273,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a wonderful book, fully deserving both of the prize it won in 1947 and of this reissue. Writing with an elegant, light touch, Anne-Marie Walters gives one of the first and most candid accounts of the clandestine life of an SOE agent in occupied France during the Second World War. A mere twenty when she was parachuted into the South West to join the WHEELWRIGHT circuit, she was only twenty-three when the book was first published in 1946, yet throughout her narrative she tempers a young woman's élan and brilliance with a mature, objective honesty. The editor of this new edition, David Hewson, demonstrates exactly how accurate the author's account is by giving details of the real people hidden behind the pseudonyms of the original publication, as well as some useful contemporary photographs. In a postscript he outlines Walters' life after the war and also attempts to address the issue of exactly why, in August 1944, she was ordered back to Britain as 'undisciplined' by the head of her circuit, Lt. Col. George Starr. Motives in the whole affair seem very mixed. Politics definitely come into it, along with accusations of sexual misconduct, but now that the principal actors in this little wartime drama are all dead we will probably never know the full truth. What is certain is that the ebullience and courage of Anne-Marie Walters and of her fellow résistants will live on for many years yet in the pages of this marvellous memoir.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Some years ago I managed to obtain a second-hand copy of this book which I reckoned to be one of the classics of French resistance literature. It not only gives a graphic and authentic account of what it was like to be working with the resistance but also brilliant portraits of the author and the principal people she worked with. The tension at certain points equals or surpasses that of the best writers of thrillers. Now David Hewson has produced an annotated edition which fills in the gaps which the first edition, of neccesity, left unanswered together with a background of Anne-Marie Walters life. She was a most remarkable woman. I hope that new edition will introduce her to a new generation of readers.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Unknown Binding
I bought this book as it was written about the area in France I now live. It's a beautifully written account without any romancing of the subject; the experience of a twenty-year-old woman parachuted into occupied France. It has left left wanting to know more about her and her whole life.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
sheer pleasure
I'm not going to write a synopsis for this book - it has to be read! Based on actual events during WW2 it isn't so much about the fighting as many books of this genre. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. K. C. Johns
Just what I wanted !
Nice new book, lovely clean unopened copy. Such a brilliant book, inspirational; she pedalled in an old tweed suit for 100s of miles, in hot hot summer temperatures. Read more
Published 6 months ago by PW
Moondrop to Gascony
A marvellous read - especially if you're in love with the area, too. Lots is written about Northern France during this period, but this is different. Think 'Charlotte Gray'.
Published 20 months ago by Gersienne
The Second World War on the ground in rural France
The testimony of this SOE operative, written very soon after the events, is balanced and informed by David Hewson's research and notes. A fascinating and humbling read.
Published on 13 April 2010 by A. E. Jones
Moondrop to Gascony
This book is of particular interest to me & my wife as the story is set in & around the area of South West France where we have lived & worked for the past 14 years. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2010 by J. D. Greenway
A Real Wartime Adventure
This is one young woman's gripping, personal account of her role as an S.O.E. agent in wartime France. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2010 by P. Overton
An excellent book
I read this book more than a decade ago, and I've never forgotten the title. The copy I read was a tattered 1940s edition - I think I got it from a book recyclers. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2009 by smoothsoul
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