Customer Reviews

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

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I saw a documentary on the Mosquito bomber the other night and it mentioned a raid on a prison in Amiens that was quite successful. Not having heard of it and being a student of history, it intrigued me and I found this gem at my local library. I got much more than I hoped for.

This book tells an interesting and complex story about the Amiens raid, the reasons for it and the very different people involved. In 1943 the French Resistance was taking a hit from the Gestapo collaborating with treasonous locals and intelligence preparations for D-Day were being compromised. Many key members of the Resistance were captured, being tortured and awaiting execution. The resistance urgently requested a raid and the British, not wanting to bomb allies, were hesitant but soon realized a raid was the most prudent thing to do. And they did it in bold and spectacular fashion; just a day before many were scheduled to be executed.

What I enjoyed about this book is a description of the people involved and their motives. One immediately takes to the masterminds of the local resistance, feels sympathy for the petty criminals in the prison, hatred for the betrayals and you gain an appreciation for the British Mosquito crews. I especially liked how the locals outwitted the Gestapo while risking their lives daily and the lives of their families. Interesting is the portrait and stories of wartime forgers, safe crackers, shoplifters and prostitutes - truly enlightening.

One can't help but admire Flight Commander Pickard (and his remarkable sheep dog Ming) and the bravery of the war tired flight crews. And, of course, the book details the great versatility Mosquito bomber.

It was difficult to keep the story smooth as there were more than 400 prisoners in the jail (some to escape prosecution by the Gestapo on more serious charges!), each with their own interesting story but Fishman did a commendable job and writes in an easy prose. But you'll need to refer to the index to keep track of some characters. Of course more maps would have made this better but it's not a story of logistics but a story of humanity and their love of freedom. Reading how the true criminals bonded together while in the caves was surprising but there are many other surprises in this superb book.

Great great story and you'll understand more about how the French resistance operated and what life was like under German occupation in a typical French town. This should be a classic.

When history reads as narrative, one is naturally skeptical. This book reads like the best of narratives, so one is led to wonder whether plot line dominated fact. Any such concern is dispelled by Jack Fishman's Author Note and Acknowledgments. He stipulates that "Every incident depicted in this book happened...To guard against fallible memories, every statement or quote in the book was reinforced by the collaboration of others who either directly participated or witnessed, or by factual evidence. If a story couldn't be supported, I didn't use it." (pp. 436-437). What more could one ask.
This book puts one into the fabric of both the Resistants and the RAF who collaborated with the underground movement to free imprisoned freedom fighters. Their freedom was critical to the success of the D-Day landings. The author provides fascinating insights into the motivations of hundreds of French people who risked their lives to save the lives of others, and into the startling complexity of planning that goes into the countless tactical plans made during wartime. I was particularly absorbed by the descriptions of the coping strategies of the freedom fighters and the way in which military decision makers must weigh the risks of every decision. As a bonus, in an economy of words, the author is able to give all principals in his story an identity that makes their actions understandable.
By now I have read hundreds, probably thousands of books about WWII. This book has rocketed to a place in my top 10. I was sorry to put it down but grateful for the time spent with it as I have come away from it with a deepened appreciation of the sacrifices made by so many in the past so I can be free to write reviews like this.