Really interesting

An interesting listen but not necessarily a bed time listen. Descriptions are graphic in places.

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5 people found this helpful

Brilliant.

loved the detail provided by the research of this remarkable story. How much owe the brave people that risked their lives during WWII.

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2 people found this helpful

Gripping and deeply poignant

I found this utterly captivating start to finish. Regardless of the real truth the SOE was remarkable and those that gave their lives were really heroic. The true story of Vera Atkins was even more mysterious than some of the SOE agents. She was remarkable and no one wholly a saint.

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Fascinating history of SOE operations WWII

This is a meticulously researched book . The author uses this biography of a key figure to delve into and document complex interactions between agencies and enemies during and after WW2. Her research leads the author to interview and meet numerous people -often descendants - from both sides . Through records , from a diverse range of worldwide sources , a compelling picture is painted of the central figure Vera Atkins, the SOE staff , the secret agents , the role of German officials and officers , resistance members , the horror of imprisonments suffered , the strangeness of the war crimes trials, and the many unanswered questions . This book spells out clearly the repeated and serious errors of judgement made by Maurice Buckminister which led to the death of many agents and resistors in France . The post war period is very well described. This is a serious book well worth reading (or listening to ) for anyone interested in WW2 in Europe . It presents a more realistic view of the role of SOE operations than that portrayed in more popular books and films . Congratulations to Sarah Helm .

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11 people found this helpful

Gripping, exceptional.

This is a book that deserves readers, in this case, listeners. Hats off to author Sarah Helm for incredible detective work involved in ferreting out the convoluted and secret history behind Vera Atkins, who virtually ran the SOE. It is unbelievably candid, Vera was a woman with many faces, but, like her or not, one has to admire the steely resolve with which she followed every lead in Europe after the war to discover the fate of SOE agents who had never returned.

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Historic Importance

A great book which has the listener amazed at the bravery of many people during the Second World War. I have gone on to read other books similar to this. This book is and incredible story of bravery and sacrifice, and one woman's plight to look after her girls even in death. It shows how lucky we are that people such as these put their lives on the line during this time of world unrest. My Nan was alive a living in London when this was taking place, it makes me feel like I have a direct connection to these events. this is a must read for anyone interested in WW2 history, and I challenge you not to be moved by this story of real events. Thanks you Sarah Helm for a fascinating listen. And thanks to Nicola Barber for making it an engaging listen that you can't pause.

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2 people found this helpful

a book everybody should read

This is a Harrowing book but should be essential reading for all.

Beautifully written and read.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent . A lesson to us all . True bravery.

Well narrated, informative, and interesting. Well spoken, with an easy listening voice.
Lots of information and content. Makes you wonder how these people endured such hardship.
We should all be grateful.

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1 person found this helpful

Terrific text

This would be a 5 star read. It is extremely well researched and written. It is also a fascinating story (a series of interwoven fascinating stories). However, as an audiobook it suffers hugely *as is increasingly the case* from the narrator being a hybrid of human actor and an AI version of that actor's voice.

That this is the case is inarguable unless you expect us to believe that the ENGLISH actress and 'voice over talent' Nicola Barber really does not know that Beaulieu is pronounced 'Bewlee' and really does think the correct pronunciation is Bow-lew.

There are a number of egregious mispronunciations of well known place names. But if you had any doubt then consider this . . . Nicola Barber is originally from London and yet seems to pronounce Streatham (Stret-ham) as Streeth-ham. There is no way that anyone from London (or the UK) would make that mistake.

I'm not so xenophobic as to rage against mispronunciations by non-native speakers. However, I do rage against a) being ripped off with robot-narrators and b) the money-grabbing attitude of the 'publishers' (does this mean Audible for these books) in saving a couple of thousand pounds by replacing an actual artist with a robot. And they can't even be bothered to QA it so allow this and weed out the mistakes. This really sucks. Such a shame.

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Shocking revelations

This was an exceptionally long story, but incredibly well researched. The revelations about incompetences of F section in SOE were sobering in particular the role of Buckmaster. But the diligence of Vera in the post war years seem to give some compensation for that. For those affected, living on after WW2, must have been really hard, if not impossible.

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