Lonely Courage: The true story of the SOE heroines who fought to free Nazi-occupied France Book

Acclaimed historian Rick Stroud provides a unique and moving narrative of the women who volunteered to be trained by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) set up by Winston Churchill in 1941 in Lonely Courage. He explains how they dropped into Nazi-held France to support various underground networks both during and after the Second World War.Although it started off small, by the time of France's liberation in 1944 around 400,000 French citizens (nearly 2 per cent of the population) were involved in the Resistance. Very early on in its creation, it was decided that women would play a vital role with 38 agents being recruited from all walks of life. They all knew France well, were fluent in the French language and were prepared to sacrifice everything to help defeat the enemy.The women trained alongside the men, learning how to disappear into the background, how to operate a radio transmitter and how to kill a man with their bare hands. Once trained they were infiltrated behind the lines by parachute or tiny aircraft that could land in remote fields. Some of the women went on to lead thousands of Resistance fighters, while others were arrested, brutally interrogated and sent to concentration camps where they endured torment and death. This book tells their story and sheds light on what life was really like for these brave, talented women.Read More