Page 93 - History of War - Issue 10-14

REVIEWS

THE WOMEN WHO SPIEDFORBRITAIN:

FEMALE AGENTS OF THE SECONDWORLDWAR

Author Robyn Walker £16.99 Publisher Amberley Books
Continuing the current interest in women’s romanticized characters Walker creates out of
roles in World War II – particularly those these real-life women, one can’t help but feel
lingering in the shady area of espionage adramaticnarrativeisthepriorityhere,not
and backstage machinations – this book pulling apart the story behind the legend.
from Canadian author Robyn Walker divides Most fascinating is the inclusion of French
into eight parts, each telling the story of a ResistanceagentMathildeCarré.Clearly
courageous (and sometimes treacherous) herstoryisthemostintri uin ofthemall,
female agent. Walker’s work makes for though becaus
relatively lightweight reading, but there are few Allied Forces,
corners of WWII that are genuinely dull and for imprisonment
many, this may be an new area of interest. difficult to kno
If you already know the subject, there are much of what
some familiar names among the book’s main on her charact
players. Special Operations Executive offi cers here is accura
Odette Hallowes and Violette Szabo are whether it’s cl
particularly well-known fi gures in WWII history; by the notoriou
regardless, their stories still make for intriguing public image s
reading. In Szabo’s case, whose re-telling clings accrued since
to the notion of her as a daring and beautiful in 1949.
character, it’s a stark reminder that not all war Whatever th
heroes have a happy ending. case, there’s a
Other agents included are decorated interesting – if
servicewoman Nancy Wake, Diana Rowden, necessarily ha
Sonia Butt, and Russian Allied agent Noor storybehinde
Inayat Khan. The author takes time in these women,
fl eshing out the individual stories, immersed one told with e
with details that paint of picture of wartime drama and cha
espionage to be as fearless and exciting as to make this a
detteSansomHallowesservedthe
we’d all like to imagine. However, as with the worthwhile ad OE in France in 1942 and 1943.

CHURCHILL’SSCHOOLFORSAB

Author Bernard O’Connor £9.99 Publisher Amberley Books

Subtitled The Secret Life of Brickendonbury watersuppliesatVemorkinNorway.
Manor And Rhe WWII Assassins And Saboteurs ThefamousTelemarkraids,asthey
Who Set Occupied Europe Alight,thisisa came to be known, prevented Hitler from
fascinating account of British Intelligence’s developinganuclearbombandwere
main training facility and the secret agents who arguably the SOE’s greatest contribution
graduated from it. to the war effort.
Setupnotlongafterhostilitiesbeganat Packed with first-hand accounts from
thebehestofGuyBurgess(whowould,of many of those who learnt the dark arts
course, later go on to become one of Britain’s of sabotage at the school, O’Connor
most-notorious Cold War double agents) the also weaves plenty of once top-secret
Brickendonbury facility went under the name of documents into his tale to give us an
Station 17. Although a far more prosaic moniker insight into the training, the dedication
than “Guy Fawkes school” (which Burgess had and indeed the courage required of the
initially suggested) what went on at Station 17 menandwomensentto‘setEurope
remains one of the great stories of World War II. alight’ as Churchill had ordered them to.
O’Connor’s fascinating book takes us Most of the SOE’s big names are
intoaworldofpipe-smokingchapsdevising present, with the remarkable Harry Rée,
ingenious ways to blow up railways, ships, TelemarkheroKnutHaukelidaswellas
and major engineering works in Nazi-occupied Heydrich’s ill-fated assassins Gabcik and
Europe,allfromthesafetyandsplendourofa Kubis all brought brilliantly to life. Quite
Hertfordshire stately home. But it also takes us simply, this is military history at its most
on some of the extraordinary missions Station fascinating and thrilling.
17 prepared its Special Operations Executive
agents for, including the assassination of “ What went on at Station 17 is one
SS Chief Heydrich in Czechoslovakia, the
destruction of the Peugeot factory at Sochaux of the great stories of WWII”
in France, as well as the destruction of heavy

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