false 2380275 4 <p>The Special Operations Executive was formed by Winston Churchill in 1940 to "set Europe ablaze." In the SOE women were trained to handle guns and explosives, work undercover, endure interrogation by the Gestapo, and use complex codes. In <i>The Women Who Lived for Danger</i>, acclaimed historian Marcus Binney recounts the story of ten remarkable women who were dropped in occupied territories to work as secret agents.</p><p>Once they were behind enemy lines, theirs was the most dangerous war of all, as they led apparently normal civilian lives while in constant danger of arrest. They organized dropping grounds for arms and explosives destined for the Resistance, helped operate escape lines for airmen who had been shot down over Europe, and provided Allied Command with vital intelligence. SOE women agents came from all walks of life: from the dazzling Polish Countess Krystyna Skarbek (alias Christine Granville) and the American Virginia Hall, who was from a rich Baltimore family, to Marguerite Knight, a secretary in Walthamstow. Petite Lisa de Baissac lived next to Gestapo headquarters in Poitiers playing the part of a quiet widow, while twenty-year-old student Paola Del Din was sent to find a way through the German front line in Florence. Hot-tempered Paddy O'Sullivan deflected a German officer from examining her suitcase by making a date with him, and Alix d'Unienville feigned madness when captured.</p><p>The stories of these women agents -- some famous, some virtually unknown -- are told with the help of extensive new archive material. Their exploits form a new chapter of heroism in the history of warfare matched only by their determination, resourcefulness, and ability to stay cool in the face of extreme danger.</p> 2387285 2002 The Women Who Lived for Danger: The Agents of the Special Operations Executive total:18|5:9|4:4|3:5|2:0|1:0| 18 76 47 4 5 0 false false Tue Jan 06 05:51:29 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 05:51:46 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sun Jan 13 08:33:21 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 13 08:34:38 -0800 2008
Wonderfully written, a must read!]]> 4 0 false false Thu Sep 18 20:20:49 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 18 20:23:12 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Feb 03 17:31:07 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 03 17:31:49 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Wed Nov 18 14:54:38 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 14:54:38 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Nov 18 14:39:59 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 14:39:59 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Mon Oct 26 20:17:09 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 20:17:21 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Oct 21 20:52:16 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 21 20:52:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Sep 26 10:36:55 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 10:36:55 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 14 19:03:54 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 19:03:54 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Jul 19 09:31:31 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 09:31:31 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jul 13 21:34:14 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 21:34:14 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Jul 11 14:16:52 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 14:16:52 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jun 29 20:13:36 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 29 20:13:36 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed May 20 10:02:29 -0700 2009 Wed May 20 10:02:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri May 15 18:21:48 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 18:21:48 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri May 01 20:19:58 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 20:19:58 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri May 01 08:17:46 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 08:17:49 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Mar 28 21:06:19 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 21:06:19 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Mar 26 12:04:23 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 12:04:23 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2380275