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Cycling Home from Siberia
by Rob Lilwall" It is late October, and the temperature is already -40 degrees . . . My thoughts are filled with frozen rivers that may or may not hold my weight; empty, forgotten valleys haunted by emaciated ghosts; and packs of ravenous, merciless wolves." Having left his job as a high-school geography teacher, Rob Lilwall arrived in Siberia equipped only with a bike and a healthy dose of fear. Cycling Home from Siberia recounts his epic three-and-a-half-year, 30,000-mile journey back to England via the foreboding jungles of Papua New Guinea, an Australian cyclone, and Afghanistan's war-torn Hindu Kush. A gripping story of endurance and adventure, this is also a spiritual journey, providing poignant insight into life on the road in some of the world's toughest corners.
Cycling Home From Siberia
by Rob Lilwall'It is late October, and the temperature is already -40C...My thoughts are filled with frozen rivers that may or may not hold my weight; empty, forgotten valleys haunted by emaciated ghosts and packs of ravenous, merciless wolves.'In 2004 Rob Lilwall arrived in Siberia equipped only with a bike and a healthy dose of fear. CYCLING HOME FROM SIBERIA recounts his epic three and a half year, 30,000 mile journey back to England via the foreboding jungles of Papua New Guinea, an Australian cyclone and Afghanistan's war-torn Hindu Kush.A gripping story of endurance and adventure, this is also a spiritual journey giving a poignant insight into life on the road in some of the world's toughest corners.www.roblilwall.com
Cycling is My Life
by Tommy SimpsonThe cyclist Tom Simpson is a legend. The first British world champion, the first Briton to pull on the fabled yellow jersey of the Tour de France - he brought professional cycling to a nation and inspired generations of riders. His autobiography, Cycling is My Life, was written the year before he died tragically on the barren moonscape of Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour aged just twenty-nine. Forty years on, hundreds of fans still make the pilgrimage to the windswept memorial which marks the spot where he died. In an age where each Tour de France seems more blighted by scandal than the next, Simpson's story is as relevant now as it was then. A man of contradictions, Simpson was one of the first cyclists to admit to using banned drugs, yet the dapper 'Major Tom' inspired awe and affection from the British public for the obsessive will to win which was ultimately to cost him his life. First published in 1966, Simpson's autobiography is essential reading for every dedicated cycling fan and an engaging story of the life of an iconic sportsman.
Cycling Science: How Rider and Machine Work Together
by Max GlaskinEvery July hundreds of thousands flock to the Champs-Élysées in Paris—and millions more to their televisions and computers—to witness the dramatic conclusion of the grueling three weeks of the Tour de France. There is no better measure of the worldwide love of the bicycle. But of the 1.2 billion cyclists traversing the world’s roadways and trails, few of us take the time to consider the science behind the sport. The simple process of getting about on two wheels brings us in touch with a wealth of fascinating science, and here journalist Max Glaskin investigates the scientific wonders that keep cyclists in their saddles. Cycling Science tours readers through a wide variety of topics, from tire rolling resistance and the difference between yield strength and ultimate strength, to the importance of aerodynamics and the impact that shaved legs have on speed. Each chapter explores a different subject—fundamentals, strength and stability, materials, power, aerodynamics, and the human factor—and is organized around a series of questions: What is the ideal frame shape? What is the biggest source of drag? What keeps a bicycle from falling over? How much power can a cyclist produce? Which muscles does cycling use? Each question is examined with the aid of explanatory diagrams and illustrations, and the book can be used to search for particular topics, or read through for a comprehensive overview of how machine and rider work together. Athletes have much to gain from understanding the science of their sports, and Cycling Science will be a must-read for cyclists of all stripes—professionals, recreational riders, and anyone seeking to enhance their enjoyment of cycling.
Cycling, Wine, and Men: A Midlife Tour de France
by Nancy Brook&“Charming, delightful, and enlightening . . .a constant reminder to live your life fully, forgive yourself daily, and love yourself more . . .[a] gem of a memoir&” (Amy Ferris, author of Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis). With one bounced check, Nancy Brook&’s world collapsed around her. She was charged with a felony and thrown in jail even though her husband had pilfered money out of their business account. Eventually, the charges were dismissed, but her marriage and business were over. A decade later at age forty-three, Nancy thrived as a bank vice president and single parent. Still, she couldn&’t get her dating act together. After seven break-ups in seven years, she knew it was time for a change. The cure for her dating blues? A seven-hundred-mile cycling expedition from Bordeaux to the Alps. In France, Nancy wasn&’t a corporate manager, a mother, or someone&’s girlfriend. She was reborn into a beautiful new world—without responsibilities or expectations. Cycling, Wine, and Men: A Midlife Tour de France reveals an introspective journey through post-divorce dating, single parenthood, and finding happiness and independence as an unattached woman in her prime. Nancy had thought the perfect guy would make life complete. Instead she learned that pursuing passions and fulfilling lifelong dreams created deeper fulfillment than her latest homme parfait. Experience the ride of a lifetime as Under the Tuscan Sun meets Sex and the City. &“Zippy read filled with heart and soul . . . Nancy Brook will make you shout &‘Vive la Chemin!&’&” —Suzy Gershman, author of C&’est La Vie &“Cycling, Wine, and Men is sure to inspire others to follow their bliss.&” —Theo Pauline Nestor, author of How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed
The Cyclist's Dangerous Secret (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading Grade 6)
by Aaron FinnA HERO ON WHEELS During World War II, a beloved celebrity athlete from Italy managed to save hundreds of people without ever entering a battle. Gino Bartali heroically saved lives just by pedaling his bicycle. NIMAC-sourced textbook
Cyclone: My Story
by Barry McGuiganOn a hot summer's night, in June 1985, in one of the most emotionally charged fights of all time, Barry McGuigan beat Eusebio Pedroza to become the featherweight champion of the world. An epic battle that lasted a full 15 rounds, it remains one of sport's greatest moments - watched by 27,000 spectators ringside and by a further 20 million on television around the world.Raised in the border town of Clones, Co. Monaghan, at the height of the troubles, Barry McGuigan united people across sectarian and religious divides during a difficult time in the country's political history. A Catholic, Barry married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, Sandra in 1981. An Irishman, he fought for the British title, wearing boxing shorts in the colours of the United Nation's Flag of Peace - and in place of a national anthem his musician father, Pat McGuigan would often sing a heartfelt rendition of 'Danny Boy' before a fight. Engaging and intelligent, McGuigan is a renowned and revered figure in the boxing world and beyond. In this candid autobiography, The Clones Cyclone shares his stories of extraordinary professional triumph and devastating personal tragedy.
Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir
by Cyndi LauperLegendary and iconic singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar. From her years growing up in Queens, New York, to the making of enduring hits like 'Time After Time', 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and 'True Colors', to becoming an actress, a mother, an outspoken activist and maintaining a music career that has lasted more than thirty years. After leaving her childhood home at seventeen, Cyndi took on a series of jobs: racetrack hot walker, IHOP waitress and, as she puts it, 'gal Friday the thirteenth', as she pursued her passion for music. She worked her way playing small gigs and broke out in 1983 with 'She's So Unusual' which earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist and made her the first female artist in history to have four top five singles on a debut album. And while global fame wasn't always what she expected, she has remained focused on what matters most. Cyndi is a gutsy real-life heroine who has never been afraid to speak her mind and stick up for a cause - whether it's women's rights, gay rights, or fighting against HIV/AIDS. With her trademark warmth and humour, Cyndi fearlessly writes of a life she's lived only on her own terms.
Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir
by Cyndi LauperLegendary singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Cyndi Lauper offers a personal account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar in this “moving story of an American musical original” (Kirkus Reviews).Icon Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar—from her years growing up in Queens, New York, to the making of enduring hits like “Time After Time,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and “True Colors,” to becoming an actress, a mother, an outspoken activist, and maintaining a music career that has lasted more than thirty years. After leaving her childhood home at seventeen, Cyndi took on a series of jobs: racetrack hot walker, IHOP waitress, and, as she puts it, “gal Friday the thirteenth,” as she pursued her passion for music. She worked her way up playing small gigs and broke out in 1983 with She’s So Unusual, which earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist and made her the first female artist in history to have four top-five singles on a debut album. And while global fame wasn’t always what she expected, she has remained focused on what matters most. Cyndi is a gutsy real-life heroine who has never been afraid to speak her mind and stick up for a cause—whether it’s women’s rights, gay rights, or fighting against HIV/AIDS. With her trademark warmth and humor, Cyndi fearlessly writes of a life she’s lived only on her own terms, perfect for fans of Patti Smith’s Just Kids and Billy Idol’s Dancing with Myself.
The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell
by Alec MacgillisFrom a dogged political reporter, an investigation into the political education of Mitch McConnell and an argument that this powerful Senator embodies much of this country's political dysfunction.Based on interviews with more than seventy-five people who have worked alongside Mitch McConnell or otherwise interacted with him over the course of his career, The Cynic, which will be published as an original ebook, is both a comprehensive biography of one of this country's most powerful politicians and a damning diagnosis of this country's eroding political will. Tracing his rise from a pragmatic local official in Kentucky to the leader of the Republican opposition in Washington, the book tracks McConnell's transformation from a moderate Republican who supported abortion rights and public employee unions to the embodiment of partisan obstructionism and conservative orthodoxy on Capitol Hill. Driven less by a shift in ideological conviction than by a desire to win elections and stay in power at all costs, McConnell's transformation exemplifies the "permanent campaign" mindset that has come to dominate American government. From his first race for local office in 1977--when the ad crew working on it nicknamed McConnell "love-me-love-me" for his insecurity and desire to please--to his fraught accommodation of the Tea Party, McConnell's political career is a story of ideological calcification and a vital mirror for understanding this country's own political development and what is wrought when politicians serve not at the behest of country, but at the behest of party and personal aggrandizement.
The Cynical Idealist
by Gary TilleryA radio playlist could easily follow John Lennon's "Mind Games" with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy." But comparing the two, it becomes obvious that Lennon had more in common with the great thinkers of any age than with the songwriters who were his contemporaries. Cynical Idealist reveals, for the first time, the spiritual odyssey of this extraordinary man. Out of a turbulent life, from his troubled, working-class childhood throughout his many roles -- Beatle, peace advocate, social activist, househusband -- Lennon managed to fashion a philosophy that elevates the human spirit and encourages people to work, individually and collectively, toward a better world. Like Socrates, Lennon wanted to stimulate people to think for themselves. "There ain't no guru who can see through your eyes," he sings in "I Found Out." Cynical Idealist beautifully articulates this and the other lessons John Lennon passed along through his songs and through the example of his life.
The Cypress and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas
by Hermann Seele translated by Edward C. BreitenkampWhen Hermann Seele anived in New Braunfels in 1845, the raw colony was plagued by poverty, disease, lack of food, and hostile Indians. This personal record of the Germans in Texas shows their evolution from struggling colonists to prosperous citizens. From his viewpoint of a hardworking yet imaginative pioneer, Seele presents first a history of German immigration and settlement in Texas during the nineteenth century. Next, his autobiographical writings range from a "sentimental recollection" of his first Christmas Eve in Texas to his first day of teaching in New Braunfels, from accounts of the popular singing society to murder and justice along the Comal River. In addition, Seele's romantic novel, The Cypress, is a delightful though improbable tale of a traveling botanist, a chieftain's daughter, and a savage Indian cult. Hermann Seele--farmer, lawyer, teacher, lay preacher, mayor, state representative, Civil War major, and editor--epitomizes the best of the German immigrants who established their communities as models of respectability and prosperity. When Hermann Seele anived in New Braunfels in 1845, the raw colony was plagued by poverty, disease, lack of food, and hostile Indians. This personal record of the Germans in Texas shows their evolution from struggling colonists to prosperous citizens. From his viewpoint of a hardworking yet imaginative pioneer, Seele presents first a history of German immigration and settlement in Texas during the nineteenth century. Next, his autobiographical writings range from a "sentimental recollection" of his first Christmas Eve in Texas to his first day of teaching in New Braunfels, from accounts of the popular singing society to murder and justice along the Comal River. In addition, Seele's romantic novel, The Cypress, is a delightful though improbable tale of a traveling botanist, a chieftain's daughter, and a savage Indian cult. Hermann Seele--farmer, lawyer, teacher, lay preacher, mayor, state representative, Civil War major, and editor--epitomizes the best of the German immigrants who established their communities as models of respectability and prosperity.
Cyprian the Bishop
by J. Patout Burns Jr.This is the first up-to-date, accessible study on the rule of Cyprian as the Bishop of Carthage in the 250s AD. It controversially shows that Cyprian radically enforced the primary emphasis on the unity of the church, interpreting loyalty in the community as fidelity to Christ.It uses cultural anthropology to examine the impact of Cyprian's policy during the Decian persecution. Cyprian attempted to steer the middle ground between compromise and traditionalism and succeeded by defining the boundary between the empire and the church.J. Patout Burns Jr. concentrates on social structures to reveal the logic of Cyprian's plan, the basis for its success in his time, and why it later failed. This book will be of great interest to classicists, ancient historians and sociologists as well as theologians.
Cyprus, as I Saw It in 1879
by Sir Samuel White BakerCyprus was placed under British control in 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention, which granted control of the island to Britain in return for British support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish War. Little was known about the country at the time and this work is the result of a visit by Baker, an English explorer and author, in 1879.
Cyrus Field's Big Dream: The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
by Mary Morton CowanIn this middle-grade nonfiction title, award-winning author Mary Morton Cowan explores the extraordinary achievement of Cyrus Field and one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century: laying a transatlantic telegraph cable to create instant communication between two continents. <P><P> Cyrus Field had a big dream to connect North America and Europe with a telegraph line, which would enable instant communication. In the mid-1800s, no one knew if it was possible. That didn’t dissuade Field, who set out to learn about undersea cables and build a network of influential people to raise money and create interest in his project. Field experienced numerous setbacks: many years of delays and failed attempts, millions of dollars lost, suspected sabotage, technological problems, and more. But Field did not give up, ultimately realizing his dream in the summer of 1866. <P><P>Mary Morton Cowan brilliantly captures Field’s life and his steadfast determination to achieve his dream. Back matter includes an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, source notes, and index.
Cytomegalovirus: A Hospitalization Diary (Forms of Living)
by Hervé GuibertBy the time of his death, Herve Guibert had become a singular literary voice on the impact of AIDS in France. He was prolific. His oeuvre contained some twenty novels, including To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life and The Compassion Protocol. He was thirty-six years old. In Cytomegalovirus, Guibert offers an autobiographical narrative of the everyday moments of his hospitalization because of complications of AIDS. Cytomegalovirus is spare, biting, and anguished. Guibert writes through the minutiae of living and of death—as a quality of invention, of melancholy, of small victories in the face of greater threats—at the moment when his sight (and life) is eclipsed.This new edition includes an Introduction and Afterword contextualizing Guibert’s work within the history of the AIDS pandemic, its relevance in the contemporary moment, and the importance of understanding the quotidian aspects of terminal illness.
Czars In The White House: The Rise Of Policy Czars As Presidential Management Tools
by Justin S. Vaughn Jose D. VillalobosWhen Barack Obama entered the White House, he faced numerous urgent issues. Despite the citizens' demand for strong presidential leadership, President Obama, following a long-standing precedent for the development and implementation of major policies, appointed administrators--so-called policy czars--charged with directing the response to the nation's most pressing crises. Combining public administration and political science approaches to the study of the American presidency and institutional politics, Justin S. Vaughn and José D. Villalobos argue that the creation of policy czars is a strategy for combating partisan polarization and navigating the federal government's complexity. They present a series of in-depth analyses of the appointment, role, and power of various czars: the energy czar in the mid-1970s, the drug czar in the late 1980s, the AIDS czar in the 1990s, George W. Bush's trio of national security czars after 9/11, and Obama's controversial czars for key domestic issues. Laying aside inflammatory political rhetoric, Vaughn and Villalobos offer a sober, empirical analysis of what precisely constitutes a czar, why Obama and his predecessors used czars, and what role they have played in the modern presidency.
Czech Village & New Bohemia: History in the Heartland (Brief History)
by Mark Stoffer Hunter Dave RasdalBeginning in the 1870s, thousands of Bohemians flocked to Cedar Rapids in search of a better life. Czech immigrants courageously overcame the difficult conditions of the local packinghouse and the challenge of creating a new home. They maintained a strong cultural identity with Czech music, literature and an undying dedication to family. In the wake of a devastating flood in 2008, the people of Czech Village and New Bohemia re-imagined traditional principles to forge a remarkable resurgence toward a promising future. Author Dave Rasdal travels from the Charles Bridge to the Bridge of Lions in a celebration of Czech heritage and history in Cedar Rapids.
Czeslaw Milosz: A California Life
by Cynthia L. HavenCzesław Miłosz, one of the greatest poets and thinkers of the past hundred years, is not generally considered a Californian. But the Nobel laureate spent four decades in Berkeley—more time than any other single place he lived—and he wrote many of his most enduring works there. This is the first book to look at his life through a California lens. Filled with original research and written with the grace and liveliness of a novel, it is both an essential volume for his most devoted readers and a perfect introduction for newcomers. Miłosz was a premier witness to the sweep of the twentieth century, from the bombing of Warsaw in World War II to the student protests of the sixties and the early days of the high-tech boom. He maintained an open-minded but skeptical view of American life, a perspective shadowed by the terrors he experienced in Europe. In the light of recent political instability and environmental catastrophe, his poems and ideas carry extra weight, and they are ripe for a new generation of readers to discover them. This immersive portrait demonstrates what Miłosz learned from the Golden State, and what Californians can learn from him.
D.A. Pennebaker (Contemporary Film Directors)
by Keith BeattieThis volume is the first book-length study of the extensive career and prolific works of D.A. Pennebaker, one of the pioneers of direct cinema, a documentary form that emphasizes observation and a straightforward portrayal of events. With a career spanning decades, Pennebaker's many projects have included avant-garde experiments (Daybreak Express), ground-breaking television documentaries (Primary), celebrity films (Dont Look Back), concert films (Monterey Pop), and innovative fusions of documentary and fiction (Maidstone). Exploring the concept of "performing the real," Keith Beattie interprets Pennebaker's films as performances in which the act of filming is in itself a performative transgression of the norms of purely observational documentary. He examines the ways in which Pennebaker's presentation of unscripted everyday performances is informed by connections between documentary filmmaking and other experimental movements such as the New American Cinema. Through his collaborations with such various artists as Richard Leacock, Shirley Clarke, Norman Mailer, and Jean-Luc Godard, Pennebaker has continually reworked and redefined the forms of documentary filmmaking. This book also includes a recent interview with the director and a full filmography.
D. A. Pennebaker: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series)
by Keith Beattie and Trent GriffithsThis wide-ranging and insightful collection of interviews with D. A. Pennebaker (b. 1925) spans the prolific career of this pioneer of observational cinema. From the 1950s to the present day, D. A. Pennebaker has made documentary films that have revealed the world of politics, celebrity culture, and the music industry. Following his early collaborations with Robert Drew on a number of works for television, his feature-length portrait of Bob Dylan on tour in England in 1965 (the landmark film Dont Look Back) established so-called direct cinema as a form capable of achieving broad theatrical release. With Monterey Pop, Pennebaker inaugurated the popular mode of rock concert film (or "rockumentary"), a style of filmmaking he has expanded on through a number of films, including Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Depeche Mode: 101.Pennebaker has always regarded collaboration as an integral part of his filmmaking methods. His long-running collaboration with Richard Leacock and subsequently his work with Chris Hegedus have enriched his approach and, in the process, have instituted collaboration as a working practice integral to American direct cinema. His other collaborations, particularly those with Jean-Luc Godard and Norman Mailer, resulted in innovative combinations of observational techniques and fictional aesthetics. Such films as The War Room, which was about the 1992 Democratic primaries and was nominated for an Academy Award, and the 2009 Kings of Pastry continue to explore the capacities of observational documentary. In 2012 Pennebaker was the first documentary filmmaker to be awarded an Academy Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
D-Day, Arnhem & the Rhine: A Glider Pilot’s Memoir
by Robert F. AshbyFoot soldiers, commandos, parachutists, naval seamen, bomber and fighter pilots – their varied personal experiences of the Second World War have been widely recounted, and the parts they played in the conflict are well known. But there are specialized wartime roles that have received very little attention, notably the gallant actions of the men of the Glider Pilot Regiment. That is why Robert Ashby’s rare and vivid pilot’s memoir is so valua-ble. In it he offers a fascinating insight not only into the major operations he took part in – including D-Day, Arnhem and the Rhine crossing – but into the exacting flying skills required to carry out perilous glider landings on enemy territory while under fire. His account of his hair-raising training, together with his pen-portraits of his comrades and officers, takes the reader inside the world of a ‘citizen soldier’. The glider landings at Arnhem and the intense fighting that followed are the climax of his narrative, offering us a remarkable insight into one of the most controversial Allied disasters of the entire war.
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win the Second World War
by Sarah RoseThe dramatic, untold story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victory, for fans of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE by Sonia Purnell'Gripping: Spies, romance, Gestapo thugs, blown-up trains, courage, and treachery (lots of treachery) - and all of it true, all precisely documented' ERIK LARSON, author of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY'The mission is this: Read D-Day Girls today. Not just for the spy flair but also because this history feels more relevant than ever, as an army of women and girls again find themselves in a fight for the common good'LILY KOPPEL, author of THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB 'Thoroughly researched and written as smoothly as a good thriller, this is a mesmerising story of creativity, perseverance, and astonishing heroism' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred review* * *In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was fighting. Believing that Britain was locked in an existential battle, Winston Churchill had already created a secret agency, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting. Their job, he declared, was to 'set Europe ablaze'. But with most men on the front lines, the SOE was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently declassified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There's Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE's unflappable 'queen'. Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence-laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Rigorously researched and written with razor-sharp wit, D-Day Girls is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance: a reminder of what courage-and the energy of politically animated women-can accomplish when the stakes seem incalculably high.
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
by Sarah RoseThe dramatic, untold true story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain’s elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victory in World War II“ <P><P>In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was on the front lines. To “set Europe ablaze,” in the words of Winston Churchill, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women as spies. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. <P><P>In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently declassified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. <P><P>There’s Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE’s unflappable “queen.” <P><P>Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence—laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. <P><P>Rigorously researched and written with razor-sharp wit, D-Day Girls is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance: a reminder of what courage—and the energy of politically animated women—can accomplish when the stakes seem incalculably high.
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win the Second World War
by Sarah RoseThe dramatic, untold story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victory, for fans of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE by Sonia Purnell'Gripping: Spies, romance, Gestapo thugs, blown-up trains, courage, and treachery (lots of treachery) - and all of it true, all precisely documented' ERIK LARSON, author of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY'The mission is this: Read D-Day Girls today. Not just for the spy flair but also because this history feels more relevant than ever, as an army of women and girls again find themselves in a fight for the common good'LILY KOPPEL, author of THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB 'Thoroughly researched and written as smoothly as a good thriller, this is a mesmerising story of creativity, perseverance, and astonishing heroism' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred review* * *In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was fighting. Believing that Britain was locked in an existential battle, Winston Churchill had already created a secret agency, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting. Their job, he declared, was to 'set Europe ablaze'. But with most men on the front lines, the SOE was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently declassified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There's Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE's unflappable 'queen'. Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence-laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Rigorously researched and written with razor-sharp wit, D-Day Girls is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance: a reminder of what courage-and the energy of politically animated women-can accomplish when the stakes seem incalculably high.