Afternoon everybody. I hope you are all well. I have yet to start exploring the world of WW2 Spies and SOE etc and would love some advice on where to start my reading and viewing. With so many books and documentaries, Can you recommend some books and if possible some documentaries available on YouTube to get me started? Do you have a personal favourite? A must read or watch! It's such an interesting topic and I'm very excited to be finally getting around to learning all about it. Always very grateful for your time and advice. Thank you. Ross
Perhaps begin with the official SOE history by Mackenzie, St Ermins Press and then follow up with which area particularly grabs your interest either on the lines of resistance in specific countries, particular operations or other aspects of SOE like training, communications, codes and cyphers, special devices or propaganda. Anything by MRD Foot is worth reading, 'Now it Can be Told' is a great early film, shot in 1945 using two actual SOE agents in the main leads. The best TV documentary in my opinion was the one produced by the BBC in the mid 1980's with lots of interviews with SOE personnel, sadly it has never been released on DVD or VHS as far as I'm aware. Although a book by MRD Foot was produced in conjunction with the series, just called 'SOE'. Leo Marks' 'Between Silk and Cyanide' is an entertaining read related to his development of SOE codes but perhaps not 100% reliable. Lee
Title: SOE in France: An Account of the Work of the British Special Operations Executive in France 1940-1944 (Paperback) Author: M. R. D. Foot There many other sites for books on SOE, below is just one of them: Special Operations Executive (SOE) Books Would suggest you go to someone such as Abebooks and search using term SOE - its a big subject. TD
Great book, but let's not get hasty with the paperback edition. The first edition hardback is a lovely book and comes with several fold-out charts and it's own map-holder with four separate maps tucked in:
