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Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion
 
 
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Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion [Hardcover]

Susan Travers (Author), Wendy Holden (Contributor)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)


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Book Description

June 14, 2001
It was early spring 1942, and under the pitiless sky of the Libyan desert the climax of the great siege of Bir Hakeim was about to begin. General Koenig, the commander of the Free French and the Foreign Legion in North Africa, and his two thousand troops had been surrounded for fifteen days and nights by Rommel's Afrika Corps. Outnumbered ten to one, pounded by wave after wave of Stuka and Heikel bombers, the general and his men seemed doomed. Though their situation was hopeless, they chose to reject the Desert Fox's demand for surrender. Instead, one moonless night, the French made an audacious and suicidal bid for freedom by charging directly through the German lines. Leading the way was Susan Travers.

The only woman ever to serve officially in the French Foreign Legion, there was the indomitable Englishwoman, speeding across the minefields of 'no man's land' directly towards Rommel's deadly Panzer tanks, her foot hard on the accelerator, doing her job: driving the general's car. That it was leading two thousand men in one of the great military exploits of the Second World War, the legendary mass break-out from Bir Hakeim, that it would see her hailed as the heroine of the night and eventually earn her both the Military Medal and the Legion d'Honneur, was not on her mind as the night exploded around her and German artillery lit up the desert sky. Her only thought was this: she was trying to save the life of the man she loved.

"Tomorrow to be Brave" is the story of Susan Travers's extraordinary life, from her privileged childhood in England through her rebellious youth partying her way across interwar Europe, to her rash decision to join the Free French forces at theoutbreak of World War II. In search of adventure -- and a break from her stifling upper-class world -- she could never have dreamed the pivotal role she would play. From her part in the North African campaign through her time after the war serving in the French Foreign Legion as a regular officer -- the only woman ever to have achieved this -- there was enough adventure and passion, heartbreak and heroism, to fill a hundred lifetimes. This, in her own words, is her story. It is a tale of exceptional courage against overwhelming odds and of an epic love affair played out against the backdrop of war as she risked everything for the country -- and the man -- she loved.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Englishwoman Susan Travers, aka "La Miss," now 91, was the only woman ever to serve officially with the French Foreign Legion. Travers's story begins with her lonely girlhood, spent wishing she were a boy and yearning for her military father's approval. In her late teens and 20s during Europe's decadent '20s Travers rebelled, hitting every baccarat table and aristocrat's bed she could find. When war broke out in 1939, she was ready to live out her girlhood fantasies of exotic travel and heroic service. Joining de Gaulle's Free French, she endured the mandatory nursing training and in North Africa found the work she wanted, as a front-line driver. Eventually, she became Gen. Pierre Koenig's personal driver and secret lover. She emerged a decorated hero of the bloody Bir Hakeim campaign in Libya, often referred to as the Verdun of WWII. Her (married) general's career also advanced too far for their affair to continue. In her despair, Travers joined up and became a true Legionnaire, escaping her unhappiness by immersing herself in the world of warfare. Still, "je ne regrette rien" is the message here, which may be why this prefeminist figure sounds so inspiring to modern ears. (June)Forecast: With enough review attention and the right endorsements, this action-packed romance could find its way onto many women's shelves. Its historical interest should attract students, and the saga of a woman fighting to live on her own terms could draw reading- group interest.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

At age 91, Travers decided that she could finally write the autobiography of her life and her part in the French Foreign Legion because all the principal people have passed away. Travers spent her childhood in England and eventually moved to France with her parents. In 1940, she left behind a privileged life to join the Free French. She fell in love with General Koenig of the Foreign Legion, and they ended up in Africa fighting Rommel. The only woman ever to serve in the French Foreign Legion, in 1942 Travers led a convoy of men and vehicles to freedom after being surrounded and outnumbered for 15 days. After the war, she served with the Foreign Legion in Tunisia. In 1997, she was given France's highest award for bravery, the Legion d'Honneur. Engrossing from the first page, this is a fascinating story of a young woman's bravery and heroism as well as a story of romance and heartbreak. For women's studies, biography, and history collections. Mary Salony, West Virginia Northern Community Coll., Wheeling
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Free Press; 1st Free P edition (June 14, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743200012
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743200011
  • Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to stop reading once you have started with it, January 5, 2002
By 
This review is from: Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion (Hardcover)
Wow, what a life! Let's be thankful that there were people who kept insisting that Susan Travers' story be written while she was still alive. And thanks to Wendy Holden that story makes such fascinating reading that you find it hard to believe this is the story of a real life. I did not know much about the events of the Second World War that took place in Africa. So, while having been interested in the personal story of this fascinating woman, I got quite a bit more insight into the political events of that time as well. This part is definitely Wendy Holden's second major contribution.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "legio patria nostra", December 10, 2001
By 
Hugh M Frazer (Andrews, NC USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion (Hardcover)
You read this book and ask yourself, "Is this true, did this really happen?" But of course it's true. Only an honest person could bare their soul as does Susan Travers, with the brilliantly sensitive prose of co-author Wendy Holden.

The story is spell-binding as our heroine bounces from battlefield to boudoir with breathtaking élan. So many words fall short- courageous, brave, intrepid, relentless, passionate and others- as she and her fellow Legionnaires take their stand on faraway battlefields, most notably Bir Hakeim in the desolate desert of North Africa.

But the most appropriate word to describe ajudant-chef Travers is probably "driven". She sums it up on page 267 as she bids farewell to her dying father: "I'd spent so much of my life seeking his approval that having never really obtained it, his death only left me feeling more empty. Any chance to impress him now was gone and I felt cheated".

'Tomorrow To Be Brave' is a work and a life. It speaks for itself. This woman knows herself and to herself she is true. How ironic and poignant that the "driven" hero of Bir Hakeim was in fact a driver (chauffeur) in the French Foreign Legion. Susan dodges pot-holes and pot-shots as she valiantly drives her paramour, the General, through the desert sands. She is truly an "angel of mercy" as she man-handles her ambulance in the muddy mountains of Italy.

So much history. So much romance. So much intrigue. So much honest pride. So much heartbreak. It's all there. Who needs fiction with a story like this! A little knowledge of French is helpful but read it anyway even if you don't know what "ma cherie" means.

Bon courage, La Miss. Merci!

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Passionate and perjudice, September 29, 2001
By 
This review is from: Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion (Hardcover)
This book shows quite clearly the prejudice within the hierarchy of the military, during the Second World War. Susan through sheer guts and determination overcame this with men of equal rank but continuously had to fight it not only with senior officers but also their wives. Her exploits showed her to be a woman of courage and determination. That courage was recognised by her achievement of receiving the highest medal that France had to offer. Her honour to the regiment and particularly to it's general is clearly shown as is their respect for her even though France did fail to respect her by refusing her a pension.

It is not a book for bedtime reading it is a must read for once you have picked it up you don't want to put it down.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
THE STUKAS WERE THE WORST. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
other chauffeurs, tin helmet
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Bir Hakeim, Free French, General de Gaulle, Foreign Legion, General Koenig, North Africa, Vichy French, First World War, Madame Koenig, Adjudant Travers, Commandant Arnault, Imperial War Museum, Afrika Korps, Eighth Army, Miss Penrose, Commandant Lotte, Pierre Messmer, Tony Drake, Ford Utility, Jock Columns, Second World War, Viet Minh, Western Desert, Captain Thoreau, General Catroux
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