The Secret Agent: The True Story of the Special Operations Executive Hardback - 2001

From the publisher

In June 1940 Britain was driven from the continent by Hitler's conquering armies. As the British stared invasion in the face, a group of unconventional warriors planned a new form of warfare -- and the Special Operations Executive was born. With a brief from Winston Churchill to "set Europe ablaze", this top-secret agency was given the dangerous task of coordinating subversion and sabotage against the enemy by all means necessary -- using disguise, deception, bribery, explosives (sometimes disguised inside objects such as a dead rat or a chianti bottle), guerrilla warfare -- and even assassination.

The intriguing details of the men and women -- many of them civilians with no qualifications or experience -- who risked their lives to fight this secret war are recounted here. Through the personal reminiscences of these courageous individuals, Secret Agent reveals the covert world of the SOE: how the operatives were recruited; the daring operations they carried out; the radio and coding systems that kept them in touch with London; and the James Bond-style gadgets designed to help them carry out their missions. Breaking their long silence, these brave survivors finally tell their own stories in their own words. More than just a war-time thriller, Secret Agent narrates the true story of this remarkable group of people and the secret war they waged behind enemy lines.