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Patrick Marnham

Author of Wild Mary: The Life of Mary Wesley

19+ Works 888 Members 14 Reviews

About the Author

Includes the name: Patrick Marnham

Works by Patrick Marnham

Associated Works

A Bend in the River (1979) — Introduction, some editions — 3,178 copies
David Golder (1929) — Introduction, some editions — 485 copies
Bad Trips (1991) — Contributor — 233 copies
Granta 10: Travel Writing (1984) — Contributor — 88 copies
Granta 17: While Waiting for a War (1985) — Contributor — 80 copies
Granta 9: John Berger, Boris (1983) — Contributor — 43 copies

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This a complex tale well told.
In 1943 a senior leader of de Gaulle's force in occupied France was captured by the Germans and died. At almost the same time, a resistance cell supported/run by the secret service intheUK was destroyed by the SS. The book suggests that the two events are related, and are likely to have been part of a deception plan to convince the German command that an allied landing in France was imminent.
In the end, the available information is incomplete. I think the author is likely to be right, but some doubt remains.
But, regardless of the big issue, the book gives the reader an idea of the successes, and the dreadful failures of British intelligence.
In the Netherlands a wireless operator was captured by the Germans who proceeded to "run" him to fool the British. Radio messages at the time included a version of what we might now term 'two factor authentication' - an initial code, and the a second 'true identity check' in the body of the message. The captured officer omitted the second check - which should have been read as an alert that he had been compromised. The Secret Service in London instead took it as an understandable error. As a result, in the next 10 months 43 of 48 officers dropped into the Netherlands were captured by the Germans on arrival (40 of whom died in German hands), and all 544 containers of stores (weapons and explosives) flown in were captured by the Germans. Unbelievable incompetence!
Coincidentally, the same happened again at the time of the 1943 arrests in France - this time the buffoon in charge in London sent an immediate reply to the compromised officer in France telling him of his security breach and telling him that it should never happen again - clearly informing the Germans of the officer's attempt to warn of his capture.
Overall, the book is a fascinating insight into a terrible aspect of 20th century warfare.
… (more)
 
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mbmackay | 1 other review | May 24, 2023 |
I accidentally bought this book thinking it was one i needed for a class of mine (there's a fiction book entitled the same name). What I read during my delusion is what made me keep it.
 
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ennuiprayer | Jan 14, 2022 |
A very well researched and detailed analysis of how the PROSPER SOE circuit in France was betrayed together with Jean Moulin, the Gaulist resistance leader.The author makes a compelling case against the two potential culprits and those who were secretly controlling them to deceive the Germans about allied invasion plans.
 
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edwardsgt | 1 other review | Apr 28, 2021 |
Mary Wesley is descended from the Duke of Wellington and grew up a rebel. She married her first husband for escape. Her second husband, Eric Siepmann, was a writer who never managed to make any money and was feckless and bohemian. In between Swinfen and Siepmann, she had a love affair with Czech war hero, Heinz Ziegler — and possibly with his brother at the same time.
At the outbreak of WW2 she worked for MI5 breaking codes. Mary wrote about the atmosphere of the home front and how war dislocates families, and how a sense of the imminence of death loosens the inhibitions. It is a story of near-suicide and reckless courage, and tells how a passionate and headstrong woman turned her back on her privileged position and lived by her own uncompromising terms.… (more)
 
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GeneHunter | 5 other reviews | Mar 13, 2016 |

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