Women Who Lived for Danger: Behind Enemy Lines During WWII

Huge Disappointment

I became interested in this subject many years ago after reading Ken Follett's Jackdaws. Using Shelfari I selected this book. I was sorely disappointed

During WWII, Churchill developed a program entitled the Special Operational Executive which recuited young, attractive women with exellent language skills to undertake special assignment behind enemy lines. The program eventually served as the model for the establishment of America's CIA program. The book opens briefly by discussing the recruitment and training process then highlights the careers of ten women. During WWII 50 women were sent into Nazi occupied France and fifteen were captured and sent to concentration camps. Of those fiftenn only three survived.

My gripe with the book: it didn't focus on the women's careers. It focused on their sex lives. How can you describe Christine Granville as "one of SOE's brvest and longest serving agents, " (pg 5) and then not enummerate her heroics? Instead Binney obsesses about how men fell in love with her at first sight, the complicated marriage of a fellow spy, and the long term affair with another spy. I realize this is part of her story but I wanted to read about her career.

I will keep my eye out on another book on the subject. This just didn't satisfy my curiosity.