Customer Reviews

Real Heroes of Telemark

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I haven't read Thomas Gallagher "Assault in Norway" yet, but this is the best written book about the heavy water sabotage I've read so far. And so well fitting that an outdoor specialist like Ray Mears is behind it. His general insight, research of old Allied notes and the advantage of distance in time makes it into fascinating reading. - The Hardanger Plateau is still serious business in winter, but it is almost depressing that the low temperatures that Grouse/Swallow/Gunnerside experienced seems to be rare today. (I've only experienced them twice in the area. I hope it's due to luck, not global warming.) - The Audio CD is conveniently divided into tracks of approximately 3 minutes, which makes easy to find back if you loose concentration. ...and it's a bit fascinating to hear the reader Christopher Kay struggle with Norwegian names and words, and doing the best out of it. Most of the places are still possible to find on maps while listening. Although someone could have told him that 'Telemark' is pronounced slowly, not fast. That Ray Mears seems to have shortened Hardangervidda to 'Hardanger' and not to 'Vidda' or 'The Plateau' is something most Norwegians just have to live with...

I have a friend who grew up in London during the Blitz. After talking to her about this book, she told me that she remembered well how the English had celebrated the RAF for their "glorious success" in blowing up the heavy water plant near Telemark. When I told her that the RAF glider mission had ended in torture and death for all who survived the landing, and that the story of their success was circulated to protect the Norwegian Resistance from Nazi reprisals, she said, "Then they were all the real heroes of Telemark." I highly recommend this book to WWII afficiandos as well as anyone who needs a book that will make their spirits soar.

An excellent history of The Norwegian and British destruction of the heavy water plant in Norway to prevent Germany's development of the A-bomb. Reads like prose.

In 1965 Hollywood released the film, The Heroes of Telemark, which served to entertain and educate many about the WWII events involving the production of heavy water (an essential element in the development of the first atomic bombs) in Norway and the successful actions to deprive the Germans of this important substance. However, the movie was inaccurate, incomplete and misleading. Mear's title of this book purports to put the record straight and it does so with exactness and a sense of respect and admiration for the principals. Had these heroes not succeeded, Hitler may have been able to first use atomic bombs against the Allies--especially to devastate London, and perhaps New York or Washington.

As far as most WWII historians are concerned, Norway's contribution to the defeat of the German war machine was minuscule. If mentioned at all, the contribution by the Norwegian merchant marine to transport vital supplies and personnel across the Atlantic would probably be included. The subject of this book, however, is usually given short shrift. About ten years ago Ray Mears produced a BBC documentary on the superhuman effort by eleven Norwegian saboteurs to forestall the Wehrmacht's intention of developing a nuclear bomb from the heavy water--so called because frozen heavy water will sink. He later wrote this book which factually describes all events and includes a few photographs as well. He writes "Perhaps we should let this story speak for itself--a true story of incredible courage, fortitude, daring, resourcefulness, military skill, brotherhood, self-sacrifice, patriotism and outdoormanship..." p 231. It really is a gripping story which includes all of those elements.

I haven't been able to find a DVD recording of Mear's documentary, but the maligned Hollywood version has been reissued by Sony and is available here The Heroes of Telemark

The best book on the subject...in my opinion. This book provides the best look into the complexity of the mission, and the hardships the teams endured to complete their mission. In my opinion, it would have been impossible for any other special ops force to have completed this mission, but Norwegians. In most modern military forces, there are teams trained to survive the type of climate these teams endured...but in 1942-1943, I honestly feel only Norwegians could have pulled this off. It really is an amazing story, and I give Ray Mears full credit, not only for writing this book, but also producing the BBC documentary that helped to show many of the hardships the teams endured during the mission. For more coverage on the politics behind the mission, Kurzmans book, Blood and Water is also good. Thomas Gallaghers book Assault in Norway is an exciting read, but is lacking in details of how difficult this mission really was. For anyone interested in the subject, I highly recommend reading this book as well as watching the documentary ( which can be found on Youtube )

Decent accounting. Gets into details that may not enhance story (what took place in England) where the story really centers on Norway. Otherwise, a fairly nice historical account.