SOE Agent: Churchill's Secret Warriors Contributor(s): Crowdy, Terry (Author), Noon, Steve (Illustrator) |
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ISBN: 1846032768 ISBN-13: 9781846032769 Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK) OUR PRICE: $18.90 Product Type: Paperback Published: November 2008 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Military - World War Ii - History | Europe - Great Britain - General |
Dewey: 940.548 |
Series: Warrior |
Physical Information: 0.23" H x 7.28" W x 9.72" (0.46 lbs) 64 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 1940's - Cultural Region - British Isles |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Osprey's study of Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents during World War II (1939-1945). On average an SOE agent would be dead within three months of being dropped in the field. Terry Crowdy tells the extraordinary story of these agents, some of whom were women as young as 22, following them through their experiences beginning with their recruitment and unorthodox training methods, particularly the unarmed combat training provided by the notorious Fairburn and Sykes partnership. As well as detailing these controversial techniques, the training chapter also covers the tough physical training course and parachute training that all recruits had to endure before being sent into occupied Europe. Crowdy also examines the SOE's unique system of codes, which included each agent composing their own poem as well as using quotations from famous pieces of literature to convey secret messages, and explores the strengths and weaknesses of this system. Full-color artwork and photographs show the innovative equipment, including the S-Phones and Eureka sets, which allowed the agent to communicate directly with pilots and other agents. Lastly, the book recounts the incredible combat missions of the SOE agents, including operations in the field with Yugoslav and Greek partisans, as well as sabotage missions ranging from blowing up bridges to the raising of full-scale partisan armies as they attempted to fulfill Churchill's directive to set Occupied Europe ablaze. |
Contributor Bio(s): Noon, Steve: - Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He's had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. He has provided award-winning illustrations for the publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration began. Steve has illustrated over 30 books for Osprey. |