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The Silver Hand
An Unlikely Spy
From the bestselling author of Horrible Histories, named 'the outstanding children's non-fiction author of the 20th century' by Books For Keeps____________________This exciting historical adventure brings the Second World War to life! World War II has begun. Brigit has been evacuated to Wales from her home near the aeroplane factories of Coventry. But when it's revealed that her father is German, Brigit runs away to join her mother in a very special training camp, where Churchill is building a secret army of spies and saboteurs known as the Special Operations Executive.Brigit and her mother soon find themselves on the front line in Nazi-occupied France, where they search for double agents and meet with danger at every turn in their efforts to support the French resistance. But no-one will suspect Brigit is a spy, will they? After all, who would suspect a child?Featuring characters from The Silver Hand, this page-turning adventure sheds new light on the Second World War and will have readers gripped from start to finish.____________________'Bubbling with wit, language play and robust dialogue....just the right mix of ingredients to trigger young readers' interest in all things historical.' Books For Keeps'An entertaining and enlightening wartime tale, told with Deary's trademark wit and imagination.' Culturefly
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2019
6 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Terry Deary
828 books834 followersA former actor, theatre-director and drama teacher, Deary says he began writing when he was 29. Most famously, he is one of the authors of the Horrible Histories series of books popular among children for their disgusting details, gory information and humorous pictures and among adults for getting children interested in history. Books in the series have been widely translated into other languages and imitated.
A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CiTV for a period in 2002.
The first series of a live-action comedy sketch show of the same name was shown on CBBC in 2009 and a second series is due.
Terry is also known widely throughout children and adult reading groups alike for his True Stories series (see below for series list).
He received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. His numerous accolades also include the Blue Peter "Best Nonfiction Author of the Century" Award in the U.K.
-Wikipedia
A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CiTV for a period in 2002.
The first series of a live-action comedy sketch show of the same name was shown on CBBC in 2009 and a second series is due.
Terry is also known widely throughout children and adult reading groups alike for his True Stories series (see below for series list).
He received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. His numerous accolades also include the Blue Peter "Best Nonfiction Author of the Century" Award in the U.K.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 17, 2020
An excellent war story for middle grade and beyond - particularly liked the information about Churchill’s SOE and the extracts from his speeches. An inspiring leader who inspired the British people to fight the Germans with bravery and resolve. Good lessons about treating people with dignity and respect without giving in to prejudice or racism. Brigit and her French mother Aimee and German father are great examples of people who behaved well in the face of others disdain and bad treatment.
April 28, 2024
Oh dear lord this was terrible. I wasn’t expecting anything very realistic, but this wasn't even a fun romp. Brigit was so anachronistic and unlikeable that I actively wanted her to get caught by the Gestapo. (Only of course, when she does run into them she is obviously soooo clever she runs rings around them…)
You see, Brigit is Not Like Other Girls. When her classmates are reading comics on the bus, Brigit pulls out The War of the Worlds. Her “wise smile” and wisecracks were so irritating, I just could not. This is how she reacts to the police taking her father away to an internment camp:
Mock childish??? SHE IS A CHILD. How is this relatable? Wouldn't any normal child be scared and confused and -- given her gender and class and the era -- show more respect to an authority figure in a time of war? And when she ends up at an SOE training camp, she's just as rude to the sergeant in command there, even though she should be grateful they didn't just kick her out for, y'know, being a literal child. She thinks to herself that the sergeant will need "careful handling" like she's so superior. But the annoying thing is, in the world of this book, this repulsive child IS superior. She's the fastest to complete an obstacle course despite competing against adults -- both men and women -- who are bigger and stronger than she is. It's so unbelievable.
To be fair, all the characters were caricatures. Brigit was just the worst. There was never any tension because she was too smart, and several steps ahead at all times. Her plans never fail, even when they're as stupid as:
THERE IS A WAR GOING ON. In reality, I doubt anyone would let a strange child wander around a factory asking pointed questions...
To top it all off, there was no emotion -- which is something I expect from any story set during WW2, no matter how young the audience. This book does a disservice to all the genuine SOE agents who did incredible things for the war effort, often at the cost of their own lives. (The average life expectancy of an SOE wireless operator in occupied France was just six weeks.)
You see, Brigit is Not Like Other Girls. When her classmates are reading comics on the bus, Brigit pulls out The War of the Worlds. Her “wise smile” and wisecracks were so irritating, I just could not. This is how she reacts to the police taking her father away to an internment camp:
The sergeant’s eyes bulged as dangerously as his waistcoat buttons. ‘You’re half-German, little girl. If I had my way we’d be locking you up with your father.’
Brigit clapped her hands in front of her nose in a mock-childish glee. ‘Ooooh, would you, big man? I’d like that.’
Mock childish??? SHE IS A CHILD. How is this relatable? Wouldn't any normal child be scared and confused and -- given her gender and class and the era -- show more respect to an authority figure in a time of war? And when she ends up at an SOE training camp, she's just as rude to the sergeant in command there, even though she should be grateful they didn't just kick her out for, y'know, being a literal child. She thinks to herself that the sergeant will need "careful handling" like she's so superior. But the annoying thing is, in the world of this book, this repulsive child IS superior. She's the fastest to complete an obstacle course despite competing against adults -- both men and women -- who are bigger and stronger than she is. It's so unbelievable.
To be fair, all the characters were caricatures. Brigit was just the worst. There was never any tension because she was too smart, and several steps ahead at all times. Her plans never fail, even when they're as stupid as:
‘What if I pretend to be a pupil at the college? I could say I was doing a project on rubber and wanted the factory to tell me about how it works?’
THERE IS A WAR GOING ON. In reality, I doubt anyone would let a strange child wander around a factory asking pointed questions...
To top it all off, there was no emotion -- which is something I expect from any story set during WW2, no matter how young the audience. This book does a disservice to all the genuine SOE agents who did incredible things for the war effort, often at the cost of their own lives. (The average life expectancy of an SOE wireless operator in occupied France was just six weeks.)
August 12, 2019
The story begins in England at the beginning of the Second World War. Brigit Furst is the daughter of Aimee and Marius, who we met and shared their adventures in "The Silver Hand". Brigit's father is German, he's a doctor and has lived in England for many years but that doesn't stop Marius being interned and Brigit being bullied.
After running away during the chaos of evacuation Brigit meets up with her mother at a very special training camp where Churchill is building a secret army of spies and saboteurs known as the Special Operations Executive. Aimee is half French and still speaks the language fluently. After completing all the training, Aimee and Brigit are dropped by plane in Northern France to stay with Aimee's mother and start a local resistance group, but will anyone suspect Brigit is a spy? She's only a child.
Lots of adventures follow with many references to "The Silver Hand" and Brigit, Aimee and the local villagers trying to stop the German advance.
As it says at the beginning of the story they all "Did their bit"
Terry Deary peppers the book with Churchill's speeches and quotes and this great adventure sheds new light on the S.O.E. and the Second World War in time for the 70th Anniversary of the outbreak of war in September 1939.
I really enjoyed this story, and as it's written by Terry Deary you know that it's going to be factually correct. It also made me think about how "Walls have Ears" and the S.O.E. would work with social media and the internet in the 21st century. It does work as a standalone book, but I managed to get "The Silver Hand" from the library and read that first.
"An Unlikely Spy" was given to me by the publisher for a unbiased and frank review.
After running away during the chaos of evacuation Brigit meets up with her mother at a very special training camp where Churchill is building a secret army of spies and saboteurs known as the Special Operations Executive. Aimee is half French and still speaks the language fluently. After completing all the training, Aimee and Brigit are dropped by plane in Northern France to stay with Aimee's mother and start a local resistance group, but will anyone suspect Brigit is a spy? She's only a child.
Lots of adventures follow with many references to "The Silver Hand" and Brigit, Aimee and the local villagers trying to stop the German advance.
As it says at the beginning of the story they all "Did their bit"
Terry Deary peppers the book with Churchill's speeches and quotes and this great adventure sheds new light on the S.O.E. and the Second World War in time for the 70th Anniversary of the outbreak of war in September 1939.
I really enjoyed this story, and as it's written by Terry Deary you know that it's going to be factually correct. It also made me think about how "Walls have Ears" and the S.O.E. would work with social media and the internet in the 21st century. It does work as a standalone book, but I managed to get "The Silver Hand" from the library and read that first.
"An Unlikely Spy" was given to me by the publisher for a unbiased and frank review.
October 20, 2024
The story begins in England at the beginning of the Second World War. Brigit Furst is the daughter of Aimee and Marius, who we met and shared their adventures in "The Silver Hand". Brigit's father is German, he's a doctor and has lived in England for many years but that doesn't stop Marius being interned and Brigit being bullied.
After running away during the chaos of evacuation Brigit meets up with her mother at a very special training camp where Churchill is building a secret army of spies and saboteurs known as the Special Operations Executive. Aimee is half French and still speaks the language fluently. After completing all the training, Aimee and Brigit are dropped by plane in Northern France to stay with Aimee's mother and start a local resistance group, but will anyone suspect Brigit is a spy? She's only a child.
Lots of adventures follow with many references to "The Silver Hand" and Brigit, Aimee and the local villagers trying to stop the German advance.
As it says at the beginning of the story they all "Did their bit"
Terry Deary peppers the book with Churchill's speeches and quotes and this great adventure sheds new light on the S.O.E. and the Second World War in time for the 70th Anniversary of the outbreak of war in September 1939.
I really enjoyed this story, and as it's written by Terry Deary you know that it's going to be factually correct. It also made me think about how "Walls have Ears" and the S.O.E. would work with social media and the internet in the 21st century. It does work as a standalone book, but I managed to get "The Silver Hand" from the library and read that first.
"An Unlikely Spy" was given to me by the publisher for a unbiased and frank review.
After running away during the chaos of evacuation Brigit meets up with her mother at a very special training camp where Churchill is building a secret army of spies and saboteurs known as the Special Operations Executive. Aimee is half French and still speaks the language fluently. After completing all the training, Aimee and Brigit are dropped by plane in Northern France to stay with Aimee's mother and start a local resistance group, but will anyone suspect Brigit is a spy? She's only a child.
Lots of adventures follow with many references to "The Silver Hand" and Brigit, Aimee and the local villagers trying to stop the German advance.
As it says at the beginning of the story they all "Did their bit"
Terry Deary peppers the book with Churchill's speeches and quotes and this great adventure sheds new light on the S.O.E. and the Second World War in time for the 70th Anniversary of the outbreak of war in September 1939.
I really enjoyed this story, and as it's written by Terry Deary you know that it's going to be factually correct. It also made me think about how "Walls have Ears" and the S.O.E. would work with social media and the internet in the 21st century. It does work as a standalone book, but I managed to get "The Silver Hand" from the library and read that first.
"An Unlikely Spy" was given to me by the publisher for a unbiased and frank review.
December 28, 2025
An Unlikely Spy sees Terry Deary, the legendary author of Horrible Histories, apply his signature wit and fast-paced storytelling to a thrilling World War II espionage adventure. When Brigit’s German father is interned and she is evacuated from Coventry, she runs away to find her mother, only to discover she is training with Winston Churchill’s secret army, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Soon, Brigit and her mother are dropped into Nazi-occupied France, where Brigit’s youth becomes her greatest asset as a spy.
Deary’s research shines through, bringing the daring world of the SOE and the French Resistance to vivid life with accessible detail and plenty of suspense. Brigit is a clever, resourceful, and thoroughly engaging heroine, and the story balances high-stakes danger with Deary’s trademark humor and sharp dialogue. It’s a page-turning adventure that educates as it entertains, shedding light on a fascinating and often overlooked chapter of history.
Perfect for young history buffs, adventure seekers, and anyone who loves a story where the most unlikely hero can make the biggest difference.
Deary’s research shines through, bringing the daring world of the SOE and the French Resistance to vivid life with accessible detail and plenty of suspense. Brigit is a clever, resourceful, and thoroughly engaging heroine, and the story balances high-stakes danger with Deary’s trademark humor and sharp dialogue. It’s a page-turning adventure that educates as it entertains, shedding light on a fascinating and often overlooked chapter of history.
Perfect for young history buffs, adventure seekers, and anyone who loves a story where the most unlikely hero can make the biggest difference.
February 7, 2023
I loved this book. Brigit finds herself being evacuated to Wales with another school, her father is captured as an enemy alien, and her mother is being sent across to France to lead the resistance. Brigit is looked after by a kind but at the same time nasty Reverend and has to make a quick getaway. All the while, her mother is on a bus that stops at the town where Brigit is living, and they run away together.
Overall, I say 5 stars and I definitely recommend reading it.
Also, for readers who enjoyed this book, there is another one called the Silver Hand also by Terry Deary, which is the story of Aimee in WW1
Overall, I say 5 stars and I definitely recommend reading it.
Also, for readers who enjoyed this book, there is another one called the Silver Hand also by Terry Deary, which is the story of Aimee in WW1
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2024
This is a good book for young readers. The language is plain and simple. I can see how a teacher could use the book to teach history and also point out how figures of speech could be used to paint a landscape.
I enjoyed the story and the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. I also liked that the chapters are quite short. I learned more about the Special Operations Executive and their work in France, which was interesting.
However, the book didn’t have much depth. I felt like the characters could have been a bit more complex and interesting.
I think this book would be a great read for a child aged between 9 and 15, not sure whether I would recommend it to an adult.
I enjoyed the story and the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. I also liked that the chapters are quite short. I learned more about the Special Operations Executive and their work in France, which was interesting.
However, the book didn’t have much depth. I felt like the characters could have been a bit more complex and interesting.
I think this book would be a great read for a child aged between 9 and 15, not sure whether I would recommend it to an adult.
September 3, 2019
The story sounded promising and I was intrigued because I knew it was something I wouldn't have read when aged 9-12. I'm a bit of a history nerd and it was interesting to read about an aspect of the war that I had little knowledge on. Brigit was an inspiring character with plenty of wit, intelligence and determination. She never backed down in the face of danger and was ever so determined to do her bit. The story of her spy journey, was enjoyable and interesting and I felt myself not wanting the story to end.
July 25, 2020
Terry Deary's book AN UNLIKELY SPY is full of action and adventure. Brigit's mother Amiee was a spy for Britan in World War One and now in World War Two, Britan needs her again this time to help then French Resistance a secret group of French men and woman to put an end to Nazi rule in France. will Brigit find secrets that could win the war?
Great for 10-14-year-olds.
Great for 10-14-year-olds.
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July 11, 2023Enjoyable so far. But a bit confused as to why it is currently 1941 in the book yet they have twice referenced a historical event ( the massacre at Oradour sur Glane) which didn't happen until June 10th 1944.
But all the same, a fun read. My 12 year old daughter read it first and said I should read it too.
But all the same, a fun read. My 12 year old daughter read it first and said I should read it too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2019
I think this book must have been written for young people
But I still enjoyed it
But I still enjoyed it
December 31, 2020
Very humorous, interesting and informative.
November 13, 2022
it was as good as I feel a child’s book can be
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews