Book about the Resistance

[P]

Yesterday I read an interesting article based on a soon to be published book about the network of French and Belgium people who risked, and often lost their lives, trying to help airmen escape to Spain after they had been shot down in WWII.

Thought I would like to read something about the Resistance in the SW - does anyone know of a book in English on this subject?

Paul

[Bugsy]

Google it and you'll find a lot. Here's two to start with............................

[Bob T]

I have been looking for a book like that for ages! I have picked up various books in French but cannot read them in too much detail yet, and most of them are local small books.

[Patf]

Paul - one of the books referenced by Bugbear is by Maurice Buckmaster : his network was based in the Gers, where I believe you live. In a village near Auch called Castelnau sur Auvignon. I have a book which describes his network called Le reseau Victoire dans le Gers, but it's in french . You can borrow it if you like but it's a bit heavy going. Pat.

[P]

Thanks Bugbear for the link - I did not realise that there would be so much in English..

Pat thanks also - I will pm you.

Paul

[Bugsy]

This is truly eye opening and worth a read Women in the French Resistance

[cigalechanta]

"Rescuing the Children" by  Vivette Samual

[Patf]

Is that a recently published book, Cigale? I wonder if it's available from Amazon. Pat.

[Mike1958]

There is a famous crossing into Spain here in the mountains around Luchon called the Port de Venasque that the resistance used to help escaped airmen etc flee their German captors. The start point is a place called the Hospice de France where there is a monument to the efforts of the resistance.

If you search using a mix of Hospice de France, Resistance etc you may have some luck.

Regards,

Mike

[Tag]

Try ' Marianne in Chains' by Robert Gildea, outstanding on  resistance to the Germans and what it really meant.. ISBN 0-333-78230-5, published in 2002

[Blanche Neige]

I have just ordered "Never tell your name" by Josie Levy Martin, as a Jewish child she was hidden in a school in Angouleme.

She was in the Charente-Maritime two weeks ago promoting her book (translated into French). I went along to one of her conference / interviews, it was interesting to hear her speak and to actually meet her. After the war at the age of nine she went to the USA with her parents, so after all these years speaking French was difficult for her. Also at this meeting I met the Rabbi who is head of the French society for the Jewish people who were interned or deported. He was amazing, aged 95, he had travelled from Paris with his son to attend and speak at this meeting.

 

I will report back when I have read the book. [:)]

BTW Josie Levy Martin said how much she had liked reading "Suite Francaise".

 

[Blanche Neige]

Re. "Never tell your name"

 

One thing niggled me and that was all the American phrases in the English version however the writer has lived in the U.S. for most of her life so I suppose I should have expected this. Otherwise an interesting read and I especially liked the last few chapters where she describes how she adapted to life after the war.

 

 

[rockstitch]

Hi, Try ordering this book from Play.com it's called SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE by NIGEL PERRIN The life story of SOE agent HARRY PEULEVE' DSO MC. This is a very interesting read and is based mainly on a triangle from Brive, Bordeaux and Cahors, although he operated in many other parts of France before being captured.

Regards Sam

[Bob T]

[quote user="rockstitch"]Hi, Try ordering this book from Play.com it's called SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE by NIGEL PERRIN The life story of SOE agent HARRY PEULEVE' DSO MC. This is a very interesting read and is based mainly on a triangle from Brive, Bordeaux and Cahors, although he operated in many other parts of France before being captured.

Regards Sam[/quote]

Thanks for the information. I bought the book and could not put it down! It lasted 3 days and now I am reading it again.

I would be interested in finding some of the locations in the book, places like where the German convoy was ambushed near Montignac would be worth a look.

[Piperade]

Try here for a start for an excellent description of the Comet Line:

http://home.clara.net/clinchy/neeb2.htm

I would highly recommend "Little Cyclone", the book written about Andree de Jongh by the late Airey Neave (who escaped from Colditz himself).

[PNM]

Love and War in the Pyrenees by Rosemary Bailey would be my recommendation. This charts the efforts of a few brave people who organised escapes. The efforts of the Quakers are highlighted and it also relates the harrowing tale of the hundreds of Spanish refugees fleeing Franco who perished on the beaches of Argeles sur Mer, (now a popular tourist spot).

[just john]

[quote user="Bob T"] places like where the German convoy was ambushed near Montignac would be worth a look.
[/quote]

Which Montignac would that be?, 12 listed in Michelin, including 3 in Dordogne and 2 in Charente . . .

[mint]

Sh...hh JJ, did your house in Montignac belong to the German commandant who was known as the Beast of the Charente?[:P]

[Weedon]

A book I found interesting is Home Run by John Nichol and Tony Rennell ISBN 978 0 141 02419 6. It contains a collection of stories about soldiers and shot-down airmen who evaded capture to try to get back from Nazi occupied Europe to Britain. Some made it...some didn't.

At the back of the book is a list of published sources which is good information for locating other books.

[just john]

[quote user="sweet 17"]Sh...hh JJ, did your house in Montignac belong to the German commandant who was known as the Beast of the Charente?[:P][/quote]

No . . . but it is now[:P][:P]