Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris

by Alex Kershaw

The best-selling author of The Liberator brings to life the incredible true story of an American doctor in Paris, and his heroic espionage efforts during World War II

The leafy Avenue Foch, one of the most exclusive residential streets in Nazi-occupied France, was Paris's hotbed of daring spies, murderous secret police, amoral informers, and Vichy collaborators. So when American physician Sumner Jackson, who lived with his wife and young son Phillip at Number 11, found himself drawn into the Liberation network of the French resistance, he knew the stakes were impossibly high. Just down the road at Number 31 was the "mad sadist" Theodor Dannecker, an Eichmann protégé charged with deporting French Jews to concentration camps. And Number 84 housed the Parisian headquarters of the Gestapo, run by the most effective spy hunter in Nazi Germany.

From his office at the American Hospital, itself an epicenter of Allied and Axis intrigue, Jackson smuggled fallen Allied fighter pilots safely out of France, a job complicated by the hospital director's close ties to collaborationist Vichy. After witnessing the brutal round-up of his Jewish friends, Jackson invited Liberation to officially operate out of his home at Number 11--but the noose soon began to tighten. When his secret life was discovered by his Nazi neighbors, he and his family were forced to undertake  a journey into the dark heart of the war-torn continent from which there was little chance of return.

Drawing upon a wealth of primary source material and extensive interviews with Phillip Jackson, Alex Kershaw recreates the City of Light during its darkest days. The untold story of the Jackson family anchors the suspenseful narrative, and Kershaw dazzles readers with the vivid immediacy of the best spy thrillers. Awash with the tense atmosphere of World War II's Europe, Avenue of Spies introduces us to the brave doctor who risked everything to defy Hitler.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, France, War, Espionage, Biography

8 pages, Audio

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

Alex Kershaw is the author of the widely acclaimed best sellers Against All Odds, The First Wave, The Bedford Boys, The Longest Winter, The Few, #TheLiberator, the basis for the Netflix drama, and Escape from the Deep, as well as biographies of Jack London, Raoul Wallenberg and Robert Capa. His latest book is Patton's Prayer, published May 2024.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about an unsung hero is always special and Dr. Sumner Jackson went above and beyond, paid a heavy price. When the Nazis entered Paris, Dr. Sumner was the chief surgeon, he stayed when most of the other doctors resigned, leaving Paris. He and his wife, Toquette joined the French resistance and aided many in information and helping other get to safety.

I felt emotionally drained after reading this book. Reading about the Nazis actions in the four years they were in charge of Paris was horrific. The tension, wondering how long these wonderful people could escape detection while living right in the middle of the Nazi elite. What would happen to them if caught? They were not Jewish but they were collaborators and political enemies. I also never knew that when liberation was close, the Nazis herded prisoners onto prison ships.

So a hard read as most of these holocaust book are, but so glad people who had received little recognition were afforded some at the end. The book carries all the way to the war criminal trials were Summers son, who was only sixteen when his childhood abruptly ended, testifies. His son was also instrumental in the writing of this book.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many stories of courage and self-sacrifice during the Nazi occupation of Paris during WWII, many of which have been forgotten or are unknown. Author Alex Kershaw concentrates on one of these in this well-written and heartbreaking novel

Sumner Jackson, an American physician and WWI veteran, his Swiss wife, Toquette, and their son, Phillip, live in Paris, where Dr. Jackson is head surgeon at the American Hospital. The Nazi are moving closer to the city and the Jacksons have the opportunity to leave before the unthinkable happens, but refuse to do so. They realize that the skills of the doctor are needed to treat the wounded and dying French soldiers who are pouring into Paris. But the unthinkable does happen and Paris is occupied in June 1940. Since the US is still neutral, the American Hospital is safe for the moment but the Jackson's love of Paris and France moves them to continue to assist the Resistance by secreting in the hospital individuals who the Nazis are searching for.

Their dangerous situation becomes worse when the Gestapo and the SS set up headquarters on Avenue Foch, practically next door to the doctor and his family. Still they continue to work with the Resistance. In December, 1941, Hitler declares war on the US and now the Jacksons are the enemy.

This book follows their arrest and the fate of father, mother, and son as they are separated and caught in the hell of captivity. It is a story that read almost like fiction, even though history tells us of the inhumane methods used by the Nazis when dealing with prisoners. A disturbing book which is often difficult to read but highly recommended.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris was the heartbreaking tale of the horrors of Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance fighters and an American family that risked it all. Sumner Jackson was an American physician and surgeon living with his wife and young son on the exclusive and beautiful tree-lined Avenue Foch in the heart of Paris. Sumner Jackson served as a combat physician during World War I where he met and later married French nurse Toquette. During the occupation, this exclusive residential area was the center, not only for the Nazi officers, but the spies, informers and collaborators with the Vichy government. Sumner wanted to go back to America when it was still possible to leave the country but his wife, Toquette, wanted to remain in Paris so that she could be near her family. Dr. Jackson continued to operate on the many injured soldiers and prisoners-of-war at the American Hospital, where he was respected and revered. The heroism in their resistance to Hitler and the sacrifices of this family were many at this very tragic period in our history.

"Finally, de Gaulle exhorted his fellow citizens to never give up, assuring them: 'Whatever happens, the flame of French resistance must not and shall not die.'"

"The stress for many within the resistance, not just for Toquette and Sumner--who were only too aware of the growing dangers surrounding them--became too much to bear. Every shrill of the telephone, every knock on the front door, every shifty look from a stranger, might herald the end."

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real joy to read and a complete immersion into Nazi occupied Paris. There is so little that is black and white with decent people allowing horrible things to happen to save their own lives or serve their own purpose. If you are a fan of this time period in history dont hesitate to grab this book, you wont put it down.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read at least one great book this summer, I strongly suggest you pick this one. I feel as though I was transported to Paris, to Avenue Foch from the beginning of the German Occupation and stayed until the liberation-though in reality, it was only a two day stay. From the second I began to peruse the first page as I usually do when I get a new book, I could hardly put this down. Avenue Of Spies by Alex Kershaw has it all: guts and glory, horror, bravery, cowardice, greed, atrocity and heartbreak all with a backdrop of love, kindness and most of all, bravery.

Alex Kershaw's writing style is spectacularly simple but gives the reader an acute understanding of what is happening which is rare when I read history, and is a sure sign of a good writer-I have read quite a few books about WWII this year, and this book by far is my favorite-but it's not even the history that is riveting in the pages of this book-it's the story of heroes. In this tale, Kershaw recreates the German Occupation in the City Of Lights. His subject is an American, Dr. Sumner Jackson, who lived on the posh Avenue Foch with his wife, Toquette, and their boy, Phillip. Dr. Sumner was the head doctor at the American Hospital in Paris and if that wasn't enough, he chose to help in the resistance against the Nazis as did Toquette and Phillip. Even when they could have gotten out, they stayed. Even when things got perilously close in danger they didn't leave-when the noose began to tighten on Foch Avenue and they were surrounded by the enemy, they stood firm.

This book is inspirational. It could change a life. It could inspire you, dear reader, to be bigger than yourself. With the example of the human beings in the pages of this book, you could be bigger and better than ever and aspire to do good things. This is no mere history book, though the history is appallingly real, this book is more about humans at their best and their worst. This story is about real people who faced an empire and did not back down though most did. The hunger, the horror, the power the Nazis held over France was impressively strong and Paris fell with a whimper due in part by what had happened in Poland, but in the background there were people such as Sumner, his wife, Louise Marie Dissard, Violette Szabo, British Intelligence and other forces who where chipping away at the regime with the very real cost of being caught and murdered. The Gestapo and the SS had sinister ways in which to capture those in the resistance, such as the Funkspiel, where the Germans would impersonate a British spy after taking control of a their radio. In this way, and others, they were able to crack into the line of resistance fighters and gain valuable information. It was a cat and mouse game on Foch Street and the Sumners never knew when someone would turn them in or confess information after being tortured. Parisians left and right were either working for the Germans or had befriended them.

So, if you want to read a really great book-pick this one. This is an incredibly great story. I can't recommend it more. I was literally stuck to this book for two days and while I wasn't reading it, I was talking about it.

I would also suggest the Notes in the back of the book for further information and reading. I also see that Alex Kershaw has written several other books and I intend to get them. This is my great book alert for you. There is no way you would be disappointed reading about great heroes in the midst of terrifying danger in the most beautiful city in the world during one of the ugliest wars in history.

[Cynthia Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to read Holocaust and Nazi history because I keep wanting to be reminded and never to forget how brutal men can be to their fellow men. This book was different in one respect. It showed how courageous, strong, and unself serving the Resistance could be. Amazing book.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Kershaw never disappoints. He has a knack for discovering, researching, and telling rich, warm, and meaningful World War II tales. In Avenue of Spies, Kershaw writes about an American born doctor living in Paris who gave everything to help save fallen British pilots and other allied forces during the darkest hours of Nazi terror. A gripping story of a courage and heroism.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this compelling book. It was such an interesting story and while it was a lot of historic information, it was not a boring read. Alex Kershaw writes about the family of Dr. Sumner Jackson, an American physician working in Paris.

When WWII breaks out, and the Nazis invalid Paris, Dr. Sumner helps to save Allied soldiers and Jewish Frenchmen by falsifying medical documents. His family becomes part of the Resistance, and actually lives on the same street that the Nazis decide to set up their headquarters, Avenue Foch.

This book was just an amazing inspirational story. The whole Jackson family was so brave, and Alex Kershaw really made their story shine as it deserves to.

This book was a wonderful read and I recommend it to any history buff.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Avenue of Spies was a very difficult book to read. But this is a very special story, one of an incredibly heroic doctor and his family.

Dr. Sumnar Jackson was working in Paris in the 1930’s. He was a part of a group of Americans who had volunteered for the British Medical Corp. While there he met and fell in love with a Swiss nurse who was working with the French. He married Charlotte and they returned to the States.

In 1940 Toquette and Philip moved back to Paris, he was then head of the ANH and they had begun treating fallen soldiers once the Germans attacked France. They lived on the Avenue Foch, one of the most affluent streets in Paris. When Paris fell, many of the houses were vacated, some belonged to Jewish families and others were just “appropriated” by the Gestapo. They set up one of these houses as a torture center. The Jacksons are able to live alongside them and hide British and American pilots who were shot down.

This story is real, the author had personal testimony to support the life story of Dr. Jackson, including the personal recollections of the doctor’s son. The family had triumphed in it’s efforts to help the resistance and was said to be willing to do it all over again.

Many of the atrocities written about in this book have been documented before, the round up in early 1944 of citizens of the allied nations, the sadistic acts of the Nazis, how many people were imprisoned and executed.

The writing style didn’t seem to flow for me. There was a lot of information and it sometimes seemed repetitive to me.

I would recommend this book to someone who wants to learn about this unsung hero.

[Robin Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The past few years of major anniversaries for important events of World War II coupled with the passing of so many of the heroes and villains of that time have brought forth a plethora of interesting and lesser known stories from the war. Avenue of Spies tells of the occupation of Paris and the French Resistance from the perspective of an American doctor who lived in Paris and worked at the American hospital there in alternating chapters with the point of view of the Nazi and SS officers who took over most of the residences on the Avenue Foch, where Doctor Sumner Jackson also lived. The tale includes heroic deeds, nasty Nazis, and slimy collaborators, many of whom were able to thrive after the war when others whose crimes were arguably less, but whose influence and social standing were also less, were imprisoned or executed. The Germans are portrayed almost completely unsympathetically, as subhuman sadists, which is unfortunate. A more balanced portrayal might have given the book more depth. Though there were several gripping passages, as a whole, it is not of the caliber of Ben Macintyre’s work in Double Cross, or Operation Mincemeat. The material is all there, but somehow, the narrative doesn’t gel. The reader keeps waiting for the story to get off the starting blocks and it never does. This is a good title where the interest in World War II or nonfiction espionage is high, but an additional purchase elsewhere.

[Jennifer Eckel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Via-Netgallery. While I gave this only 3 stars I did like the book and would encourage WWII readers to find and read this book. It tells of an American and his European wife who aided the French Resistance in WWII right under the nose of the Nazis occupiers of Paris. How the family triumphed and would do it all over again, is proper testimony from the unsung heroes and heroines of WWII. I'm glad the story was told.
I do have issues with the writer's style. At times he is gossipy, and his use of adjectives to describe the evil sadistic, Nazis is overdone and redundant. Still when he tells on the ultimate end of the head of the Gestapo in Paris one cannot help but feel a little angry. I had to wait until the end of the story to confirm what I had long suspected the author had eye-witness and personal testimony to document the life story of Dr. Sumner Jackson. Kershaw had the personal recollections of the doctor's son. Himself a victim and survivor the Second World War, and the concentration camps.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about an American family--Dr. Sumner Jackson, his French wife Toquette, and their teenage son Phillip--who lived on Avenue Foch in Paris during World War II--a street that became synonymous with being arrested by the Gestapo, the SS, or the SD, and from there disappearing into Hitler's Night and Fog. One wonders throughout the book if and when the Jacksons will cease to be overlooked by the Nazis. Kershaw does a good job of telling their story in the context of the occupation of Paris and of France, based on extensive interviews with family members as well as other historical sources. Photos and notes at the end.

[Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Really liking Alex Kershaw right now.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advanced reading copy review Due to be published August 4, 2015

"Avenue of Spies" by Alex Kershaw is a gripping, fascinating look at life for an American family in Paris under the Nazis. Sumner Jackson was a surgeon from Maine who was working in the American hospital in Paris because his Swiss wife couldn't stand living in the USA. Their son Phillip was a typical teen-ager who was comfortable in both worlds. When the German army invaded France, Sumner decided that his job at the hospital was too important to abandon. He sent the rest of the family to their house in the country where they could be safe from the SS and Gestapo who were moving in to the residential homes on Avenue de Foch, next to the Jacksons. The tension ramps up when America enters the war and the Nazis take an interest in their neighbors on the block. It doesn't help that the Jacksons have been using Sumner's position at the hospital to help smuggle downed British pilots back to friendly territory.

The story moves along quickly in this book and it doesn't flinch from the gruesome realities of interrogation, torture and the concentration camps. It is also not sensationalist which is often the downfall of other similar books. There are periods of suspense, action, terror and disbelief that will keep you turning the pages. There are many stories of resistance from WWII and this is one of the better told ones.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting and informative book. It mostly dealt with one family (a husband, wife and their young son) who lived on Avenue Foch which just happened to be one of the richest streets of Paris during the second World War.

The father was a doctor who was instrumental in getting a lot of people out of Paris and into ally countries. His wife was instrumental in getting involved with the resistance.

Of course, there were other players in the book but these were the main ones. The story starts before Germany captures Paris and ends when Germany falls. It gives a total insight as to the inner working of the Third Reich and how some of the officers were not exactly playing by the book. I've read books that talk about the Germans coming in and taking over Paris and how they would act. But this book tells exactly what was going on behind the scenes and it gives a clearer picture about the train rides and the camps.

I would like to thank Blogging for Books and the publisher for providing me with this e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it. It's not a fun read, but unfortunately it's a factual read.

[Abelirapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read!!!!! Frightening account of very brave people!!!!

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart rending and wrenching, yet uplifting, Alex Kershaw’s account of quiet heroism transports the reader to the streets of Paris during the Nazi occupation. Sumner Jackson, an American surgeon, was living in Paris with his Swiss wife Toquette and young son Phillip when the war was imminent. Their beautiful home was located on Avenue Foch, a street which would come to be associated with unspeakable horrors in the days to come. Many neighboring homes were subsequently seized by the SS for use as Gestapo headquarters and torture chambers. Despite the chilling German presence and increasingly oppressive atmosphere, a choice was made to remain in the city where Dr. Jackson could continue his practice as chief surgeon at the nearby American Hospital. What befalls this heroic family and countless other brave souls who elect to risk joining the French resistance is chronicled here. The contrasts are many – the beauty of Paris in the spring, the sheer sadism, the appalling horrors, the ever-present terror of betrayal, the grim details of concentration camps, the unsung courage of so many! The author acknowledges that both Philip Jackson and his daughter were instrumental in bringing the book to fruition. My fascination with this genre continues! As usual, I had some difficulty keeping the names straight, but that was minor. Overall, I found Avenue of Spies absorbing and very moving!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable nonfiction of an unsung hero of World War II: Dr. Sumner Jackson, a sureon from Maine, U.S.A., and family, who aided French Resistance when the Nazis occupied France. Dr. Jackson and his family helped with "escape lines"--a sort of underground railroad helping opponents of the Nazis escape Paris and using their house as "drop-box" for the Resistance, on Avenue Foch, where sinister agencies of the Nazis were headquartered. The book details these events, also the family's betrayal, horrendous captivity and their repatriation. There were many pictures.

[Jacqueline Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of American doctor, his Swiss born wife and his french son who did not sit silent while the Germans tried to destroy France. Time and again they could have walked away as the neither of their countries was involved in the war, when they started their resistance work but they believed what was happening was wrong and did something about it. Time and again, they could have quit and up until the moment of his death, the doctor was offer an out and he refused to leave those suffering even for his own safety. I don't know if I could have done what they did, but that they did gives us all hope that when called to stand up to evil, we may all be that strong. This is a good lesson to be learned especially in these trying times.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully account of personal history. The author writes with humility so that you can comprehend the heroic resistance without being distracted by the full extent of the horrors they endured. Thank you Mr. Kershaw. We must never forget.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting to me as I have a link with the WWII heroine, Virginia Albert d' Loc, who's mentioned a number of times. She was from Dinard, France...a town that I have a personal "relationship" with. I'd heard of Virginia in 1997 and have been fascinated with her efforts of resistance during WWII ever since. This is a true story....

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Image, you’re an American doctor, married to a Swiss national, and working in Paris in the 1930s. Life is good. This is Doctor Sumner Jackson. He was part of a group of Americans who volunteered for the British Medical Corp before the US entered the “Great War”. He met and fell in love with a Swiss nurse (Charlotte Sylvie Barrelet de Ricou) who worked with the French. The married after the war and returned to the States but, Toquette (as everyone called her) missed home and her family (she was one of five).

Moving back to France meant that Jackson would have to become fluent in French and pass all of the same exams that a French medical student would. Their son Phillip was born in 1928. By that time Jackson was a respected surgeon working in the American Hospital (AHN) in Neuilly. After the Second World War broke out in 1939, he wanted to take his family back to the US, but Toquette refused. She did move out of Paris to their summer home in the Massif Central.

In 1940 during the “Phony War” Toquette and Philip moved back to Paris. Jackson was now head of surgery at the AHN, and began treating wounded soldiers once the Germans attacked France. They all thought that the Germans would be stopped before reaching Paris and that a stalemate like in WW1 would settle in. No one was prepared for the quick surrender of French forces and the Armistice that was signed creating Vichy.

The Jacksons had ground floor apartment from a friend who lived on the Avenue Foch. It was one of the fanciest streets in one of the fanciest neighborhoods. The Baron de Rothchild had a mansion down the street and many of the most important bankers and politicians also lived in the area. With the fall of Paris, many of the houses became vacant (some belonged to Jewish families and were appropriate).

At 84 Avenue Foch, the Gestapo set-up one of their torture centers and with so many other houses taken over by German officials that the street was nicknamed “Avenue Boche” (the equivalent of Kraut in French). But the Jacksons were never bothered by their neighbors.

Jackson was asked by one of his neighbors (who was part of the Resistance) if he would be willing to hide British and American pilots who were shot down. The pilots were then smuggled to the south of France and over the Pyrenees to Spain. They didn’t tell their thirteen year old son what they were doing. Each time they knew if they were caught it would mean death or at least a Concentration Camp.

In early 1944 the Gestapo began rounding up citizens of all the allied nations. They feared that they could be working as spies. But they were split up and didn’t see each other until after the war. Jackson and Philip were moved around as they Germans began to lose the war, but Toquette spent all of her time in the woman’s camp at Ravensbruk.

This is the story of quiet heroism. The Jacksons did what they felt needed to be done to fight the scourge of Nazi-ism. They felt everybody had to do their part, and that’s what they did. It’s a great story.

Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com

[Liz Estrada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, all I have to say about this book, and I know I will piss many people off, is that I wished the son of this American family had died during the war. Why? Because he became a huge big game hunter, murdering many beautiful animals for the fun of it. I guess being in a concentration camp didn't teach him much about the love of ALL lives. Or being a good "human" being. For me, the moral of the story was: just because you are put away in a concentration camp by Nazis, did not necessarily make you a good person. I am sure many pedophiles, murderers, psycopaths, thieves, corrupt assholes, etc where locked up.
The most eye opening part of the book, for me, was how many non-Jewish people were carted away; of course I knew about communists, anarchists, Russian, gays, gypsies and Republican Spaniards, but was not so aware of how many French, Americans and Brits were also put away in those camps. And how many of the French were turncoats (or should i say spineless "san-coulottes). Just goes to show you never know who you can trust. And yes, I was aware of what a coward and traitor Petain was before reading this.

[Dee Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible sale 7 hours 20 min. Narrated by Mark Deakins (A)

Another awesome book by Alex Kershaw as he spotlights the lives of courageous American Dr. Samson Jackson and Swiss-born wife and their teenage son Philip who chose to stay in Paris, France during WWII. He and other members of the American Hospital were responsible for saving hundreds of lives of downed plane survivors, members of the SOE, and the SOS and also responsible for their safe return to England. His wife agreed to use their personal home and his office as a drop box for papers being smuggled by the French Residence to London, despite the location of their house on the avenue most occupied by the German Gestopo.

Three more unknown great heroes get proper recognition for their heroic parts during the war.
I am addicted to Alex Kershaw's books. This the sixth I have read in the past two years. I highly recommend them to readers who want to learn about unrecognized heroes of WWII.

Thanks to the great review by Jill Hutchinson, this book has been my radar, and I snapped it up on a recent Audible sale. See her fine review.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This heroic story will inspire you and break your heart. An American doctor, Sumner Jackson, joins the resistance along with his beloved wife Toquette. Their Paris home is on the Avenue Foch and the Nazis have commandeered many of the nearby homes for their offices. Sumner and Toquette attempt to keep their teen-age son Phillip separate from their activities. Under the very noses of the Gestapo, the Jackson home is used for package drops, many of them being airmen and others working against the German occupation. The Nazis are relentless in rooting out all resistance and the Jackson family is eventually arrested. Their experiences as prisoners remind us of the necessity for all the war crimes trials that took place after the war was over. As you read about this family and their story, you will see connections to historical fiction titles like "The Nightingale," "The Lost Girls of Paris," and "Lilac Girls." Well researched and a fascinating read.

[Magill · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard to put my finger on what bothers me about this book. Scattered and amateurish seem harsh. Simplistic? Shallow?

A very basic narrative that did little to engage the reader or bring the characters to life. Attempts to provide background tended to wander off. Little in the way of substantive research, much of it seemed stitched together from pieces of other books, as far as I could tell from the footnotes.

At best, I have taken note of the kudos of the authors on the slipcover and made a note to avoid their books, as it simply was not spell-binding, pulse-pounding or heart-stopping. Passable, and an intro to the time and events for readers unfamiliar with the time and events. This book does not do justice to the story it wanted to tell - at least based on the tagline and the photos on the cover.

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Avenue of Spies" was a historical account of one particular family in Paris, France in the summer of 1940. The Germans have invaded France, and are now occupying Paris where the story unfolds. Dr. Sumner Jackson and his wife Toquette have been recruited as spies for the Resistance. They try to keep to son, Phillip, in the dark about their involvement in working against the Germans. But, ultimately the family has been betrayed.

The Jacksons have all been interred in Concentration Camps, including Phillip.

Mr. Kershaw writes this story in accurate detail of life for the French under The Occupation. Needless to say the Germans were not benevolent occupiers. Mr. Kershaw also describes the torture of not only the Jacksons' endured but other members of The Resistance as well.

[Jim Ogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are asked to do so little as citizens of the United States. Only a small percentage of us are called to service on the front lines of the world. This is the story of one family-- half American/half Swiss-- in France as the Nazis invade. It tells how they join the resistance and the price they eventually pay for their work. What a remarkable generation of people who are all heroes.

[Lauren Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I missed so much learning in regards to WWII. I am so glad they are writing so much non-fiction and fiction about this part of the war. This was a great book, about an amazing family.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story of Dr. Sumner and Toquette Jackson, during the occupation of Paris in WWII. The Jackson's home was on Avenue Foch, the high-end address of the upper crust of Paris. Many of the homes were taken over by Nazi's when occupation began, but the Jackson's were fortunate (or maybe unfortunate) to be able to remain in their home. As the war and espionage grew deeper, Torquette found herself helping the Resistance, meanwhile her husband was doing the same at The American Hospital.

I was hoping to love this book, however it turned out just OK for me. This is my second book by Krenshaw and I enjoyed The Envoy: The Epic Rescue of the Last Jews of Europe in the Desperate Closing Months of World War II much more. It appeared to me that there was more than enough information to write an excellent account of this true story, however parts of it seemed forced and there was a lot of repetition throughout.

Not great, just ok.