by Lynne Olson.
Hardback (6.4×9.5 inches). 429 pages. 2019.
Subtitle: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler
The WWII French Resistance has its share of myths, but this biography of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade offers a tale of smarts, persistence, and a little personal luck as she built an intelligence network called the Alliance in German-occupied France as well as Vichy-run France. She recruited all kinds of Frenchmen, from aristocracy to common laborers, to observe, record, and transmit German military activities.
Some of the most successful intel coups came from port workers, who serviced German U-boats and gathered sailing dates for transmittal to the British MI6, which had pre-war contacts that Fourcade used to get funds, guns, and radio transmitters. Another concerned artist Robert Douin who drew a 55-foot long “map” of German bunkers, positions, and unit locations that was flown out to Britain prior to D-Day (p303). Hundreds of smaller successes are recorded within the pages.
Failures occurred as well. The German Gestapo became better at radio direction detection and rounded up individuals and groups of the Alliance. At a few points in time, several key members and their documents were captured, leading to arrests of other members. Fourcade escaped just ahead of the raids many times, until she didn’t. Fortunately, she was so thin that she could squeeze through the bars and escaped. She made her way to Spain and Britain at various times, but always went back to rebuild her network.
The book contains 30 black and white photos and three black and white maps.
There’s far more to her story of loosely managing 3,000 agents, of which 600 were arrested and 438 murdered (p356), including turf battles between de Gaulle and Giraud over who runs Free French forces and internal struggles working with MI6. It’s a great read of an even more fascinating story.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
