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Churchill's Secret Agent: A Novel Based on a True Story
Based upon Max Hardonniere's own experience as a covert operative during World War II, this is the story of a young man whose acquaintance with Prime Minister Winston Churchill would lead to him being recruited and trained as a spy who would fight his own war from behind enemy lines.
496 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 29, 2011
I am changing my review because I met with Max and Linda at the Unitarian Universalist book club meeting at the beginning of the July. We had a great discussion with the author and his wife. Maybe this info will help those who have read this book:
The publishers had the authors make this book into A Novel Based on a True Story, but it was cleared up at our meeting that all but the last page and a half are true. Churchill did not come to meet Max in the hospital. Max never saw Churchill after his missions were over, a regret he said he has to this day. 17 chapters were edited out, there were many more missions Max was involved in. Max's name was changed to Marc in the book, and all other names were changed other than those of famous individuals, who Max did know and did have the personal relationships with as described in the book. Max found out his father was half-Italian, thus the spelling of his last name, and his connection to the Vatican and the Pope. He felt that truly was a miraculous connection, because it did allow himself and others involved to save so many Jewish children. Throughout his life, Max was very deceived by his father, and finding out later that his ancestry/ethnicity was other than he (Max) had previously known was a blow to him. All of the description of the incidents of Max's capture and torture were true, and he suffers to this day from the torture and also from the injury of being shot in the knee. I asked Max about his very literal description of different types of food and drink throughout the book, and he said he truly remembered food and what he ate from a very young age, because he was introduced to food at young age and spent much time in the kitchen. He came from a wealthy family, and was very lucky to be exposed to types of food most people would not have access to. He learned to become a chef and later became an executive chef and ran a restaurant here in the US. Some of the food "remembered" may have been fictional, but he remembered much of what he actually had partaken of :) I hope this helps some of you. I LOVED meeting Max and Linda and found them to be warm, personal and so receptive to their readers! I hope my recollections due them justice.
The publishers had the authors make this book into A Novel Based on a True Story, but it was cleared up at our meeting that all but the last page and a half are true. Churchill did not come to meet Max in the hospital. Max never saw Churchill after his missions were over, a regret he said he has to this day. 17 chapters were edited out, there were many more missions Max was involved in. Max's name was changed to Marc in the book, and all other names were changed other than those of famous individuals, who Max did know and did have the personal relationships with as described in the book. Max found out his father was half-Italian, thus the spelling of his last name, and his connection to the Vatican and the Pope. He felt that truly was a miraculous connection, because it did allow himself and others involved to save so many Jewish children. Throughout his life, Max was very deceived by his father, and finding out later that his ancestry/ethnicity was other than he (Max) had previously known was a blow to him. All of the description of the incidents of Max's capture and torture were true, and he suffers to this day from the torture and also from the injury of being shot in the knee. I asked Max about his very literal description of different types of food and drink throughout the book, and he said he truly remembered food and what he ate from a very young age, because he was introduced to food at young age and spent much time in the kitchen. He came from a wealthy family, and was very lucky to be exposed to types of food most people would not have access to. He learned to become a chef and later became an executive chef and ran a restaurant here in the US. Some of the food "remembered" may have been fictional, but he remembered much of what he actually had partaken of :) I hope this helps some of you. I LOVED meeting Max and Linda and found them to be warm, personal and so receptive to their readers! I hope my recollections due them justice.
January 30, 2011
I really enjoyed Churchill's Secret Agent. I really hated to put it down, especially in the middle of one of his spy missions. Then, when he had returned to England to rest before his next assignment, I was eager to know what would happen. This man was remarkable, and it seems from his book that he was involved in several very important missions that greatly helped the Allies win WWII.
Although the book's pace varies, so did Max's pace of life vary. I tend to get keyed up in the tense situations I read about, so I enjoyed the relaxation in England between assignments. The book read more like short stories than a single novel, which I didn't mind in this case. It was an effective presentation of Max's activities during WWII.
Because there were so many missions he was on, the details were at times skimpier than I would have liked. As it was, the edition I read was a standard-sized paperback and had over 450 pages! Either details or missions had to be left out. All in all, this was a very enjoyable adventure story, and I am proud that Max is now an American citizen, so that we can claim him as "one of our own"! He lived a remarkable life and accomplished the near-impossible more than once. We will never know how many lives he saved, but I suspect the number is considerable.
If you like "spy" stories, try this book. It is a good one.
Although the book's pace varies, so did Max's pace of life vary. I tend to get keyed up in the tense situations I read about, so I enjoyed the relaxation in England between assignments. The book read more like short stories than a single novel, which I didn't mind in this case. It was an effective presentation of Max's activities during WWII.
Because there were so many missions he was on, the details were at times skimpier than I would have liked. As it was, the edition I read was a standard-sized paperback and had over 450 pages! Either details or missions had to be left out. All in all, this was a very enjoyable adventure story, and I am proud that Max is now an American citizen, so that we can claim him as "one of our own"! He lived a remarkable life and accomplished the near-impossible more than once. We will never know how many lives he saved, but I suspect the number is considerable.
If you like "spy" stories, try this book. It is a good one.
January 19, 2012
This was an incredible true story. Ciampoli was a real-life James Bond minus the adultery and arrogance. It shows the huge sacrifice that some people made for freedom from the Nazis. I highly recommend this book!
May 23, 2019
I like books that take a true story and novelize the story, but the difference in this book is a novelized memoir. A book that captivated me from the first sentence when I picked it up from the public library.
There were a lot of things that I didn't know about Winston Churchill.
Each chapter is pretty well a unique mission and not necessarily built upon from the previous tasks, but the author's memory and detail grab hold of you and compel you to find out what transpires on these missions.
While reading this story, you learn a lot about WWII and the partisans and spies that gave the lives for a better free world for the next generations.
As I am the third generation of Holocaust survivors, it was an impressive read for me.
If you are a buff for WWII and like stories base on true stories, this book is undoubtedly for you.
There were a lot of things that I didn't know about Winston Churchill.
Each chapter is pretty well a unique mission and not necessarily built upon from the previous tasks, but the author's memory and detail grab hold of you and compel you to find out what transpires on these missions.
While reading this story, you learn a lot about WWII and the partisans and spies that gave the lives for a better free world for the next generations.
As I am the third generation of Holocaust survivors, it was an impressive read for me.
If you are a buff for WWII and like stories base on true stories, this book is undoubtedly for you.
January 12, 2018
Oh, sorry, I was sleeping. This is easily the most boring spy book I've ever tried to read. I say 'tried' because I gave up after 150 pages. I assumed the missions would get more exciting as the agent gained more experience, but it is not the case.
This book should be called, Churchill's French Chef. The protagonist shares more about his daily meals than he does the dangers or intricacies of his missions. I guess that should be expected since he went on to become a chef after the war.
Not to take away from the important work that Max Ciampoli may have done during the war, I was totally disappointed in his book.
This book should be called, Churchill's French Chef. The protagonist shares more about his daily meals than he does the dangers or intricacies of his missions. I guess that should be expected since he went on to become a chef after the war.
Not to take away from the important work that Max Ciampoli may have done during the war, I was totally disappointed in his book.
January 16, 2011
This is a personal, true story and because I know the author and his wife, it is particularly poignant to me. It is the only book that they will write, Max being well into his 80s.
The content is enjoyable, often surprising, and each chapter stands alone, so it's easy to pick up and put down. Also
Pleasant reading in these stressful times; the right mixture
of historic action thriller, with lots of famous personalities, saving the world from evil.
There is a somewhat jejeune quality woven through
the stories, especially in the summation of each, but it's part of the book's charm.
The content is enjoyable, often surprising, and each chapter stands alone, so it's easy to pick up and put down. Also
Pleasant reading in these stressful times; the right mixture
of historic action thriller, with lots of famous personalities, saving the world from evil.
There is a somewhat jejeune quality woven through
the stories, especially in the summation of each, but it's part of the book's charm.
September 23, 2013
use this with my Men and Masculinities class. Have them read it and write an essay on whether THEY could do what Max did if this country was invaded - then I Skype Max into class with Linda and they talk with my seniors. Excellent!
December 30, 2010
I won this through a First Reads Drawing! Thanks!
The book is ok. It is a good book to pick up and read between books or a book to read in short sittings. The book's biggest flaw is that it goes back and forth between "Fiction" and a memoir of the author's experience being a secret agent during WWII. Most of the book is more a grandfatherly recollection than anything else. The stories in the book are attention grabbing, but...
Here are my two biggest buts:
I had difficulty believing some of the stories because the age of the main character (17-21) and the level of maturity and cunningness displayed throughout the missions. It was also difficult to believe that the author had the personal connections to the celebrities and notables mentioned in the book and the way they do whatever a youth asks them to do without question.
During the telling about a mission, the author will include the name of a restaurant he ate at; the food that was served; and the name of the server/chef/host/owner involved. This is where the book "jumps the shark". If I was on a mission to save Jewish children or get vital German tactical information, and this happened in 1942, I doubt that I would remember what I ate while involved in something of that level of importance and something that happened decades ago.
The book is ok. It is a good book to pick up and read between books or a book to read in short sittings. The book's biggest flaw is that it goes back and forth between "Fiction" and a memoir of the author's experience being a secret agent during WWII. Most of the book is more a grandfatherly recollection than anything else. The stories in the book are attention grabbing, but...
Here are my two biggest buts:
I had difficulty believing some of the stories because the age of the main character (17-21) and the level of maturity and cunningness displayed throughout the missions. It was also difficult to believe that the author had the personal connections to the celebrities and notables mentioned in the book and the way they do whatever a youth asks them to do without question.
During the telling about a mission, the author will include the name of a restaurant he ate at; the food that was served; and the name of the server/chef/host/owner involved. This is where the book "jumps the shark". If I was on a mission to save Jewish children or get vital German tactical information, and this happened in 1942, I doubt that I would remember what I ate while involved in something of that level of importance and something that happened decades ago.
June 12, 2013
I cannot find any documentation of any truth in relation to the main character's activities outside of this poorly written tale. Yet he claims to have been the central hero in many instances. I have never read a book with a main character with an ego the size and scope of....well, this universe and beyond. Poorly written (this cannot be repeated too often) and unbelievable even for a work of fiction. The character's self-glorifying, Mother-Teresa-Meets-James-Bond descriptions of his every (unbelievable) action is absolutely horrifying. Halfway through, I continued reading to see if it was leading up to a joke. Unfortunately, trying to read this from the first to last page is the only joke, and it is played upon the reader. Do not buy. If you receive this book as a gift from a well-meaning, but unknowing friend, don't even open it. And don't even bring it to a book donation. Do the world a favor and find it a new home in your nearest dumpster.
August 10, 2017
This is based on the author's unbelievable wartime experience---and I say unbelievable in the literal sense of the word. It has the sort of grip on reality that I recall from reading Pippi Longstocking as a child, I just literally can't believe most of the stories the author relates. He seems universally loved by all he meets, and it seems he was the entire British intelligence effort himself. There are glaring factual errors ("Canada was trying, like the USA, to stay neutral"--not true, Canada declared war on Germany on 10 Sept 1939 and the first troops left Halifax on the 16 Sept), and even the things that can't easily be checked really strain the limits of reasonable belief. Ciampoli is a superspy who reported only to Churchill and never to anyone else in Allied Intelligence, complete with an unlikely rugby star's build (5'11 and 225 lbs, at the age of 19), and who somehow never managed to learn even basic English in 4+ years of working for the British, including regular stays at Churchill's estate. In addition to a father-son closeness to Churchill himself, we're expected to believe he had intimate ties to the likes of Josephine Baker, Jean Cocteau, General Patton, and Maurice Chevalier. We're also expected to believe that he could single-handedly deliver a baby while hiking in the Pyrenees, diagnose the electrical problems of a two-man Italian submarine, and that he persuaded the pope to write counterfeit baptismal certificates for thousands of French Jewish children. The fact that this book is written at essentially a Grade Four reading level, suggests that the Pippi Longstocking comparison is really quite appropriate--although entertaining and fast-moving, it's partly enjoyable just because it's so ludicrous.
April 4, 2024
Infuriating! Do NOT buy!
It's a pack of lies. The gall of this guy, taking credit for so many things he was never a part of! Operation Gunnerside!? Are you freaking kidding me?!
How was this book published as an autobiography and NOT fiction!? What an absolute load of crap. Did no one verify any of this? This is documented history!!!!
He put himself at the center of some of the biggest operations during WWII. Are we really to believe he had the run of Winston Churchill's country estate while the PM was in London? Oh, and that Churchill would give this guy spending money out of his own pocket? "Mon petit" my right foot.
He wouldn't give specific dates or names unless, of course, he was name-dropping: Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, General Patton, etc. Of course, they all wanted to pay for things, and he was best of friends with most of them.
He clearly didn't know the difference between the SS and the Gestapo, and there is NO freaking way that an officer in the German army would be able to dictate anything to an SS officer!
He had an audience with the Pope and was able to get thousands of forged baptismal records from the Vatican, was solely responsible for spreading the lie that the Allies were going to land in the south of France, Churchill personally requested his rescue from prison by Countess Hannah von Bredow, it was his plan (above eveyrone else's) that was used at the Battle of Authion, and he also helped deliver bombs that were going to be used in an assassination attempt on Hitler
What a rat! There were REAL men and women who put their lives on the line, and many of them lost those lives to rid this world of Hitler and his evil. He should be ashamed of himself. Disgusting.
It's a pack of lies. The gall of this guy, taking credit for so many things he was never a part of! Operation Gunnerside!? Are you freaking kidding me?!
How was this book published as an autobiography and NOT fiction!? What an absolute load of crap. Did no one verify any of this? This is documented history!!!!
He put himself at the center of some of the biggest operations during WWII. Are we really to believe he had the run of Winston Churchill's country estate while the PM was in London? Oh, and that Churchill would give this guy spending money out of his own pocket? "Mon petit" my right foot.
He wouldn't give specific dates or names unless, of course, he was name-dropping: Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, General Patton, etc. Of course, they all wanted to pay for things, and he was best of friends with most of them.
He clearly didn't know the difference between the SS and the Gestapo, and there is NO freaking way that an officer in the German army would be able to dictate anything to an SS officer!
He had an audience with the Pope and was able to get thousands of forged baptismal records from the Vatican, was solely responsible for spreading the lie that the Allies were going to land in the south of France, Churchill personally requested his rescue from prison by Countess Hannah von Bredow, it was his plan (above eveyrone else's) that was used at the Battle of Authion, and he also helped deliver bombs that were going to be used in an assassination attempt on Hitler
What a rat! There were REAL men and women who put their lives on the line, and many of them lost those lives to rid this world of Hitler and his evil. He should be ashamed of himself. Disgusting.
February 7, 2020
An engaging story from start to finish. Telling his adventures in novel format makes it feel like Ciampoli is sitting across the kitchen table recounting his stories to you personally. I appreciated the fact that at the end of a chapter he would tell what happened to the people involved, if he knew. Reading of his adventures during the war made me appreciate anew the sacrifices that were made by those brave men and women to defeat the Nazis.
July 7, 2021
I was amazed by how readable and enjoyable this was for a historical fiction book written about World War II. The young man is brave and amazing beyond belief, but people in this era did a lot to help people escape from the Nazis. It made me sad at the end when the dad make a crack at him that at least the bullet didn't get him in the back running away. Such a low blow for all that the young man did to help the war effort.
October 19, 2024
I loved this book. It's a true story about this young man who worked for Churchill as a spy in World War Two and it was told by him. It reads more as a memoir than a novel but was still excellent. There were many amazing things in there and as a historical fiction author, I put the book in the reference section of my personal library because there was so much I could use for ideas.
December 23, 2017
Do not expect great writing. This is not Baldacci or Child. Reads more like an autobiography or memoir, which is basically what this is. However, an exciting read. A new viewpoint of WWII. Amazing to me what some people have endured. Heroes, all.
October 3, 2019
At the begining the book was really interesting, then as i progressed the book started to be a little bit boring, all in all nice book about world war 2.
March 10, 2020
I have issues with this book, too many to list, but I’ll be gentle...
This is a bit of an overinflated telling of a story.
This is a bit of an overinflated telling of a story.
August 10, 2021
I found the writing somewhat dry and simplistic. True story of a young Frenchman recruited to be a spy for England in WWII.
February 17, 2023
Interesting aspect of WW11, highlighting the French Resistance and a teenaged young man doing undercover work for Churchill. A little gruesome, but glad I read it.
January 25, 2014
This is probably about 2 1/2 stars but I'm gonna go up rather than down.
I started reading this book back in September and finally quit because I couldn't get into it. I had a number of complaints against it.
1 - The writing is quite poor. The first 250 pages read like a travel log. There is very little plot or character development and so many questions were left unanswered.
2 - How on earth does a young man, 17-21 years of age (the protagonist), have such far reaching contacts? He knows everyone who is possibly important: celebrities, military leaders, owners of hotels or restaurants. And his memory is impeccable. Places he visited when he was 4 or 5, and would return to for a mission, he would say he had an intimate knowledge of and thereby his knowledge made him indispensable.
3 - He is ridiculously full of himself. He knows everyone and everything, including who can be trusted and who can't, he's like the mortal version of Hercules with his physical strength, and has mental and strategic prowess beyond the capacity of military men far his senior in both age and experience.
4 - Too many of these stories seem remarkably far fetched to be even remotely close to true. It's like James Bond on steroids.
So why err on the side of a three-star review? The last 100 pages sucked me in. It was during this time that he finally becomes human, he finally makes mistakes, the story finally has some detail and development. I'd never read it again (and am not sure how many people I'd recommend it to) but those last 100 or so pages made the story interesting.
I started reading this book back in September and finally quit because I couldn't get into it. I had a number of complaints against it.
1 - The writing is quite poor. The first 250 pages read like a travel log. There is very little plot or character development and so many questions were left unanswered.
2 - How on earth does a young man, 17-21 years of age (the protagonist), have such far reaching contacts? He knows everyone who is possibly important: celebrities, military leaders, owners of hotels or restaurants. And his memory is impeccable. Places he visited when he was 4 or 5, and would return to for a mission, he would say he had an intimate knowledge of and thereby his knowledge made him indispensable.
3 - He is ridiculously full of himself. He knows everyone and everything, including who can be trusted and who can't, he's like the mortal version of Hercules with his physical strength, and has mental and strategic prowess beyond the capacity of military men far his senior in both age and experience.
4 - Too many of these stories seem remarkably far fetched to be even remotely close to true. It's like James Bond on steroids.
So why err on the side of a three-star review? The last 100 pages sucked me in. It was during this time that he finally becomes human, he finally makes mistakes, the story finally has some detail and development. I'd never read it again (and am not sure how many people I'd recommend it to) but those last 100 or so pages made the story interesting.
September 29, 2011
The book is called "A novel based on a true story" on the front cover. It is difficult to understand what that means. It is somewhat unsatisfactory as a novel since it is episodic and lacks an overarching theme. It is somewhat unsatisfactory as both a novel and a memoir since the main actor, Max himself, shows only momentary glimmers of feeling and those seem an afterthought. As a series of adventures reported in a rather journalistic style, the book isn't bad. But it does seem to be missing the depth of feeling that would really make it come alive. In addition, Max comes across as an awfully arrogant young man who seemed to think that he was in charge of everyone around him most of the time. The exceptions are when he is busy telling us about all the people who regarded him as a son! The best thing about the book is that is does not portray anyone as a mere stereoptype but shows good and bad in all sorts of people. We Americans tend to use a broad brush and think every German was a Nazi and inhumane and virtually every French man a bold partisan. This book does show a man who is capable of seeing individuals. It is interesting. I wish it was a pure memoir, not being sure what aspects are fictionalized bothers me. I recommend it despite its shortcomings for those interested in the Second World War especially. I got this book as a Goodreads first read giveaway for which I am grateful.
December 15, 2010
Had just finished reading the first six titles in W.E.B. Griffin's Men at War series and thought this would be an interesting contrast when I spotted it in the Goodreads Giveaway list. Entered the Giveaway and was lucky enough to win a copy (Thanks again Giveaway program!).
An interesting, engaging, quick read, like a batch of short stories instead of a continuing narrative. "Marc" is an interesting character whose responsibilities increase over the years with each mission. If fleshed out with more description and interpersonal exchanges the book includes enough adventures for a series. The Free French partisans who carried out the operations had to have been brave people, but the reader doesn't get to know them. The Men at War series had a broad cat of characters, focused on the beginnings of the American OSS (predecessor to the CIA), and took place in a variety of locations, including England and Eastern Europe. In contrast this book focuses on operations carried out in France or French-owned territory for the most part, with a bit of diversion into Switzerland, and relates the exploits of a single agent, seemingly under the sole direction of Prime Minister Churchill.
July 8, 2012
(Betty)The author was born in 1922 and is now in his 90"s and is reminiscing about his war efforts during World War II. He was born in France and loved his country dearly. After a difficult but very interesting childhood, he wanted to volunteer to do something that would help his beloved France. At an early age he became a secret agent for Winston Churchill. The book tells about some of his escapades and his development during the time of the war. I thought of it as an autobiography and was amazed at the facts that he could remember - such as what meals he consumed during the different events. In 1986 he became an American citizen and led a successful life as an Executive Chef, Designer Yacht Dealer, and Class Car Dealer at different time traveling from New York to the West Coast.
The writing style was not as wonderful as Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken", but it was a very interesting book.
(Bill) This is a story about a young French collage student that had becomes a very close friend of Churchill and became his special agent and spy to do super secret assignments. The setting is during the Second World War. The hero in this book had lots of hair raising exploits where he always made the correct decisions and everything came together correctly, in the end. It was a fun read, but not one I would keep in my library.
April 8, 2011
I had two main problems with this book: it was very disjointed, and the writing bordered on abysmal.
The action ebbed and flowed maddeningly. Either the authors go on and on for pages about a certain meal, or describing a house or a horse or somesuch; or, they fly through action sequences and leave you wondering what just happened. There will be alot of build up to a certain mission, then the next thing you know the mission is over and you aren't quite sure how it went or what happened. You're told it was successful, and Marc is on his way back to Churchill's, but you're still wondering what exactly happened.
The writing style was also very bland. The descriptions and dialog were simplistic, almost painfully so. All too often we are told instead of shown.
And I realize that the main character later becomes a chef, but did we really need to know what exactly he ate for every single meal, as well as how it was prepared? A few of these descriptions would have been pleasant, but having to read them on every page got tedious.
I did like some things about the book, enough to give it 3 stars. It was entertaining and held my attention enough to finish it.
The action ebbed and flowed maddeningly. Either the authors go on and on for pages about a certain meal, or describing a house or a horse or somesuch; or, they fly through action sequences and leave you wondering what just happened. There will be alot of build up to a certain mission, then the next thing you know the mission is over and you aren't quite sure how it went or what happened. You're told it was successful, and Marc is on his way back to Churchill's, but you're still wondering what exactly happened.
The writing style was also very bland. The descriptions and dialog were simplistic, almost painfully so. All too often we are told instead of shown.
And I realize that the main character later becomes a chef, but did we really need to know what exactly he ate for every single meal, as well as how it was prepared? A few of these descriptions would have been pleasant, but having to read them on every page got tedious.
I did like some things about the book, enough to give it 3 stars. It was entertaining and held my attention enough to finish it.
August 8, 2019
I deeply appreciate this book. The story is in the details which give the book life. Max includes recipes from his limited options. He features of the terrain that he had to overcome to complete missions, and he adds well-articulated descriptions of the characters with whom he encountered. Those details not only add definition but assist in aiding his memory. The missions are unique and differ with each chapter. For me, it was a personalized tale novelizing other WWII stories such as Giles Milton’s well researched Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare among others. The novel's authenticity reads like a spy flick.
The only downside is the lack of sources. Because Ciampoli reported only to Churchill and worked alone on most missions, it is impossible to find many references that confirm his story. One can still appreciate the work and sacrifice that he made to defeat evil. And I would like to point out that the man has physical and emotional scars from all he went through, including the torture he received. I would recommend reading to find how he survived at the hand of the Nazis.
The only downside is the lack of sources. Because Ciampoli reported only to Churchill and worked alone on most missions, it is impossible to find many references that confirm his story. One can still appreciate the work and sacrifice that he made to defeat evil. And I would like to point out that the man has physical and emotional scars from all he went through, including the torture he received. I would recommend reading to find how he survived at the hand of the Nazis.
December 11, 2010
I feel like the writing in this book was a little disjointed at times - I felt like a lot of dialogue felt forced. But overall, this was a fantastic book that was incredibly hard to put down. The story moved quickly (though at times I wish there was more continuity at times - sometimes it felt a little jumpy). This is an incredible story - apparently based on a true story - and I'd love to know which parts were true, and which parts were fiction.
If this had been written by a Steve Berry or a Clive Cussler, there would have been a lot more detail, and the book probably would have been about 6 volumes long. That said, each of the chapters could have been blown out with a lot more detail, but the overall narration led to the quick pace of the book. I don't feel like this book ever dragged.
All in all, a great read! Even though it's fiction, it does make me think of and respect the risks ordinary people took to defeat the Axis powers in WWII.
Oh, and I forgot to note - I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
If this had been written by a Steve Berry or a Clive Cussler, there would have been a lot more detail, and the book probably would have been about 6 volumes long. That said, each of the chapters could have been blown out with a lot more detail, but the overall narration led to the quick pace of the book. I don't feel like this book ever dragged.
All in all, a great read! Even though it's fiction, it does make me think of and respect the risks ordinary people took to defeat the Axis powers in WWII.
Oh, and I forgot to note - I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
July 18, 2012
I finally finished reading this book! When I bought it I thought it would be just my type as I am fascinated with history of both world wars. This is classified as a novel based on a true story and was published in 2010 long after the end of the war so it is understandable that it is called a novel and yet it is clearly being told first person by the man described in the biography at the end of the book. I'll admit I was disappointed with this book which us why it took me so long to finish it. As other reviewers have noted, the author, a retired chef, spends way too much time describing meals and tends to have not enough detail of what events he participated in. At one point he commented on a certain action he took during a time when Canada and the US were not yet involved in the war. This bothered me as Canada declared war officially only one week after Britain did.This was an ok book. but definitely not one of the best I've read describing events of the time.
September 1, 2012
I was so looking forward to reading this as World War II espionage is a favorite genre of mine. However, this book was written in a non-fiction tone rather than the novel it professed to be, by which I mean, it jumped from one incident to another without much development of character, plot or setting. Each chapter is a different mission and none are given the time or pages to go into much depth. I wanted more- a lot more- from each story and was left with little more than a what happened scenario. This proved to make the incidents seem less than important as there was little dramatic buildup or suspenseful development. I put it down more than once to start another book and would go back to it wanting to finish it, but having a difficult time. I finally did get to the end, but it did not offer much more than the sum of its parts.
February 6, 2012
I went to see the authors, Max and Linda Ciampoli, at a presentation a couple of months ago. It was so fascinating to listen to them! This book is really a true story of Max and some of his missions acting as a spy during World War II. The only thing that has been change are some of the names. The stories are all true. Max told us many stories, so I was expecting different stories in the book, but many were the same I had heard from his mouth, so the book was a bit of a let-down for me. It was still a good read, though. To me, it was really a tribute to all the French and German underground workers who fought against the Nazis and saved so many people. Definitely a part of history you don't seem to hear too much about.
August 12, 2021
For the first time, I have rated a book with more than 1 star despite not finishing it. The reason why, because I appreciated the effort and it left me entertained in parts.
This book draws you in believing that it is a novel, and after a round-trip flight where I trudged through because it was all I had, I can certainly confirm it isn't. The book is merely a series of vignettes about the author and his "actions" during the war. (I quote actions, because none of these tasks seem historically verifiable). Overall it leaves you with a sense of wondering what would have happened if they had just written an actual novel based on true events rather than the grandparent retelling structure it actually is.
I abandoned the book upon touching down on the runway and won't be returning.
This book draws you in believing that it is a novel, and after a round-trip flight where I trudged through because it was all I had, I can certainly confirm it isn't. The book is merely a series of vignettes about the author and his "actions" during the war. (I quote actions, because none of these tasks seem historically verifiable). Overall it leaves you with a sense of wondering what would have happened if they had just written an actual novel based on true events rather than the grandparent retelling structure it actually is.
I abandoned the book upon touching down on the runway and won't be returning.
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