The White Rabbit: The Secret Agent the Gestapo Could Not Crack

by Bruce Marshall

It became a bestseller, garnered sterling critical reviews, and inspired a film: this harrowing story of a captured British agent in World War Two, his refusal to crack under horrific torture, and his imprisonment in a concentration camp, testifies to the strength of the human spirit.  Wing Commander F.F.E. Yeo-Thomas, aka “The White Rabbit,” parachuted into France to aid the Resistance; two years later the Gestapo seized him and unleashed all their power to make him give up information…  Chilling and unforgettable.  

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Espionage, War, Biography, Military Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Cunningham Bruce Marshall, known as Bruce Marshall was a prolific Scottish writer who wrote fiction and non-fiction books on a wide range of topics and genres. His first book, A Thief in the Night came out in 1918, possibly self-published. His last, An Account of Capers was published posthumously in 1988, a span of 70 years.

Reviews

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book written about an outstanding man, Wing Commander F.F.E. Yeo-Thomas, aka The White Rabbit.
I read this in the late 1950's and remember it being a chillingly excellent story about a remarkable man.
This book is brought to mind because my GR friend, Morgan, is reading it. I will now search for a copy of an audiobook - hopefully one will be available as I would like to "read/listen" to it again.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeo-Thomas worked for British Intelligence during WWII, completing several trips into Nazi-occupied France to organize and coordinate the efforts of the various French Resistance groups. When one of his close associates was captured, Yeo-Thomas decided to go back to France and launch a rescue. His superiors didn’t want him to go—he knew too much, so if he were caught, SOE’s efforts in France would be seriously compromised. Well, he was caught. And tortured. And sent to a series of prisons and concentration camps. But he never talked. And against all odds, he survived.

Yeo-Thomas was an amazing man. He was courageous and quick-thinking, loyal to his friends, uncompromising with the Nazis. Even in the midst of horrible conditions he was able to keep up the spirits of his fellow prisoners with his inner strength, self-discipline, and determination to survive. He knew the importance of hope and dignity, and he clung tightly to those virtues.

An amazing true story. The writing was competent—nothing special, perhaps, but good enough to tell the tale. Recommended for those interested in WWII espionage and survival stories. 4.5 stars.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wing Commander F.F.E. Yeo-Thomas, aka “The White Rabbit,” was a British agent who parachuted on three occasions into Occupied France during WWII.

His job was to attempt to bring together the many and varied factions of the French Resistance under one cohesive group in order to make them more effective in their resistance efforts.

After two years he was captured by the Gestapo and eventually sent to Buchenwald where he underwent unspeakable torture.

His grueling ordeal is told in vivid descriptions and leaves one to wonder how any human being could have endured and survived such suffering, sickness and torment.

This could have been a 5* read but I was disappointed that not even one photograph of Yeo-Thomas was included and more importantly the printing of the text in this edition is so poor that it made it difficult to read. (Publication: 2000 - Orionbooks.co.uk)

[^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Marshall’s inspiring book vividly and unforgettably describes a battle of wits which is utterly unputdownable. I’d recommend it as an essential read for anyone who has read and enjoyed other books on the subject of SOE (Special Operations Executive) during WW2; especially Leo Marks, “Between Silk and Cyanide”.

Both utterly, utterly inspiring and appallingly terrifying in near equal measure, Yeo-Thomas (of RF section) told his story to Bruce Marshall. Man to man, word by word. How many meetings, how many hours? That’s not related. Marshall is extensive in his use of reported speech, both French and English, which I take to be Yeo-Thomas’ side of their actual conversation. However, whether verbatim or re-phrased, that hardly seems to matter. There is barely a pause in the action to catch breath. Yeo-Thomas’ extraordinary ‘adventures’ deeply humble those of us who have not been called to serve our country in anything like quite such a perilous manner. One can but imagine what an extraordinarily intense experience that shared conversation must surely have been for the Francophile Lt. Col. Marshall, (who had served in the British Army in both World Wars, later turning from accountancy to writing).

As such, this book has an immediacy and intimacy that present-day researchers sitting in libraries sifting through shelves and desks of books and letters can never hope to aspire to match. Yes, balanced assessments of history, which pull together a wealth of an often fascinating kaleidoscopic bias of sources do have their place; but they would come very far behind the adrenalin and zest for Life, for King, and for Country brought so startlingly to life here. Yet even that is humorously and totally debunked by the (then) recent (1952?) b/w photograph (facing the title page) of the irrepressible Yeo-Thomas; which shows him in jacket, V-neck jumper, shirt and tie, pulling a face at a fluffy white rabbit glove puppet held up on his left hand!!!

Put down PSP /X-Box for a moment. Read this book and experience the REAL thing for a change!

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Белият заек е псевдоним на Форест Фредерик Йео-Томас - таен агент от времето на Втората световна война, чиято основна цел е обединението на различни формации на съпротивата в окупираната Франция - поддръжници на Де Гол, комунисти, интелектуалци и др. Единоначалството и координираните действия на френските партизани (маки) и парамилитаристични групи има ключово значение за успеха на десанта в Нормандия (денят Д).

След предателство от двоен агент, Йео-Томас е заловен от Гестапо и измъчван, за да издаде своите приятели. Той успява да запази мълчание и малко преди освобождението на Париж е прехвърлен в концлагера Бухенвалд. Оцелява като сменя самоличността си с тази на французин, починал при експерименти със заразяване в коремен тиф и е прехвърлен в новата си роля на дърводелец (какъвто не е) в друг по-малък лагер. При поредното преместване поради наближаващия фронт Йео-Томас успява да избяга и се връща успешно до приятелските линии. Интересен факт от престоя му в Бухенвалд е споменаването на принцеса Мафалда (по-голямата сестра на царица Йоанна), която става една от многобройните жертви на престъпния режим.

[Harri]

DNF at 64/266 pages

Was reading this for research but I can't bear the way it's written. Have saved one page which has a good description I can work with, but otherwise I'm giving up on this one. Life's too short and there are other books about spies I can read for my research.

[Zora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marvelous story, but not a perfectly-written book.

Spoilers follow.

Tommy Yeo-Thomas was a French-British officer in World War II who functioned as a spy for the SOE. Several times he parachuted into France under cover of night and helped organize the resistance. Eventually, he was betrayed and captured by the SS, who tortured him for weeks, though he never broke. Through transfers into two different prisons, the level of torture ebbed and waned. Eventually he was sent to Buchenwald where things were just as bad as you know already that they were there. Though the Germans never did know his real name, they did know he was a resistance member , and he was scheduled for execution . He escaped this by submitting to being infected with typhus in one of those unthinkable Nazi medical experiments, as part of a complex ruse, and was transferred to a work detail, which was actually in many ways worse than the concentration camp.

This book is not for the faint of heart. My sister could not read this. There are about six pages which describe his being kicked in the testicles for hours upon hours by the SS , and worse. If you don't want to read about how Germans drown their captives in vats of feces, this is not the book for you. The author interviewed Tommy and though some of the recollections might be colored by selective memory, I think that much of this must be true. He was undoubtably a hero, but I finished the book thinking maybe dead would be a smarter thing to be than heroic under the circumstances. I wonder what kind of nightmares the poor man had for the decades between the war and his death.

One weird thing about the book is its use of French. You need a couple years of high school or college French to be able to read this. Bizarrely, the simple sentences are given translations while page long meeting minutes in French are not translated , leaving me only about half certain of what they said. Also, it's simply not beautifully written. The first half was a struggle, and only the riveting nature of the tale of the months after his capture made the last half of the book any more readable.

So 5 stars for the tale it relates but 3 for the execution.

Thanks to public libraries' inter library loan systems for getting this 50-year-old book to me.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across this book in the 70's whilst serving in the army, and have never forgotten it.
The hardest thing about this book is accepting it actually happened, when you read about what happened to him it is easy to believe this to be a work of fiction.

This book will haunt you for months after reading it, you will read the savagery that your fellow man is willing to inflict upon someone. Make no mistake Yeo Thomas did hold some extremely vital information regards the resistance movement in France and had he cracked under torture many hundreds of French people would of been tortured and killed. Had the gestapo an inkling of just how much he did know I dread to think how they could/would of taken his torture to the next level.

I am not sure this is the actual version I read as I do not recall the book having pages of French text in it, I do though recall Yeo Thomas saying that one of the hardest things he had to do was not to react when his torturers were discussing with each other (in German) what they were going to do to him next. You see they did not know he could speak German fluently. I have often thought about that, wondering what I would do in that exact same situation, listening to the guards coming out with more and more elaborate tortures to inflict, Sadly I do not think I could of endured anything near to what he had to and I honestly believe that not many could.

I would recommend this book or differing versions of this book to everyone, It shows a true insight into modern history and the evil that man can do if he deems the circumstances to be right.

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book as well as being an exciting account of a British WWII secret agent helping the French Resistance is a vivid account of Nazi atrocities. The secret agent Yeo-Thomas is captured by the Gestapo and finally arrives at Buchenwald to be exterminated as a spy along with others like Jews and pink triangle homosexuals. Surviving torture and using cunning along with the help of compatriots gets the British secret agent home to tell the tale. When I read this book I was astounded by the lack of value placed on lives of those the Nazis despised. The next time I hear a Holocaust denier I am personally going to punch them in the nose. There is no denying that many died under a fascist regime that created a killing machine.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story of survival and escape, I think I finished it in less than a week. Thomas was a true hero, someone who would stand apart from the crowd and do what he thought was right for his country. That he was able to survive brutal beatings by the Gestapo, and still manage to plan and execute several escapes is just amazing. More people should be aware of this inspiring story!

[C.A.I. Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. With regard to the subject, there is no doubt that Yeo-Thomas was an exceptionally brave man. To have conducted two operations to France already, before requesting another to save his friend, is pure heroism. When captured, he refused to betray his friends, and remained defiant in the face of his gaolers, at Avenue Foch, Rennes, Buchenwald, and beyond. His ordeal remains an inspiration to us all, yet the fates of his comrades at Buchenwald who weren’t so lucky stands out, even amongst the books many, many upsetting personal stories.

I have seen many somewhat critical reviews regarding the authors style and I would have to agree, particularly regarding the lack of consistency regarding translated sections (some long sections in French aren’t translated, whilst others in French and German are). However, I must admit I found the writing style intriguing, as it was much more different than other biographies I have read. The book was written soon after the war, primarily using Yeo-Thomas’s own recollections, and cannot really be compared to a modern biography which are written well removed from the subject. Marshall’s provides some commentary as well, showing his complete support for the work of the ‘White Rabbit’, but overall while I found some passages were quite removed from the action, others, such chapters on his torture and his escapes, almost breathlessly exciting. Overall thoroughly recommend.

[Dvora Treisman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a poorly-written book about a brave and interesting man who deserves better. A lot of the writing made no sense, I had to read and reread sentences and finally move on. There was overblown language and unrecognizable slang that didn't help, French and German scattered around to no purpose, some of it translated, some of it not, and useless asides. When I came to the part where Yeo-Thomas was arrested and the torture started, I started to skim and then to skip. I am already familiar with Nazis and their sadistic use of torture, and didn't need it to read it in such detail. But that allowed me to get through it quicker since it took up almost half of the book. I picked up again when he escaped from the convoy going out of the camp. That notable escape lost its punch in the way it was told with the repeated telling of his walking with great difficulty from one forest to the next, wading through rivers and streams, suffering greatly from dysentery and sores and near starvation, taking over twenty pages of droning detail. But when he finally reaches American troops, the end is abruptly wrapped up in a mere four pages and you are left sitting there waiting. Where is the dénouement? And does it ever say what happened to Brossolette?

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The White Rabbit was the code name of Wing Commander Yeo-Thomas from France. He went to Britain and was a member of RF-Section of SOE, the French section that worked closely with General de Gaulle's Bureau Central de Renseignments et d'Action (BCRA). He parachuted into France a couple of times and was responsible for setting up many of the resistance groups and getting them guns and bombs, with the help of Winston Churchill. Unfortunately, the last time Yeo-Thomas was in France he was captured and was taken by the Gestapo. Since he was a suspected spy, no type of torture was off limits. Yet he did not reveal his real name nor gave up any of his members in the resistance. He attempted escape a couple of times, sent to prison, and finally to the concentration camp Buchenwald. He escaped from Buchenwald, but was recaptured. He passed himself off as an enlisted Frenchman and was sent to a slightly better camp for POWs, Stalag XX-B. He survived the war and returned to France. This true story is quite brutal at times, but shows Yeo-Thomas' tremendous bravery, dealing with torture, but never betraying his allies.

[Arthur Berkell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Yeo-Thomas, picking up more-or-less from his departure from the SOE. Tommy is included in Leo Marks' "Between Silk And Cyanide", but in the "White Rabbit" you learn about his exploits and ultimate capture by the Gestapo. The detail of his torture and internment at the hands of the Gestapo, SS, Buchenwald, and a small assortment of other prisons describes the torture afforded him at the hands of the Germans. Indeed, it is often difficult to read because plain description of the gruesome and often sadistic torture and endless suffering he endured, eventually at long last escaping, successfully encouraging others to escape and ultimately and returning to American lines. Yeo-Thomas was indeed a hero.

The book, in addition to a biographical episode is a revealing and often horrifying look at the torture and methods used by the Germans during the war. If nothing else it puts waterboarding in perspective. Waterboarding as done by Americans is a picnic compared with what Yeo-Thomas went through - and as did so many others.

[Suzanne Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This uncompromising account of the wartime experiences of Yeo Thomas was shocking and deeply disturbing. It painstakingly describes how YT determinedly pushed into active service, bravely working in France for SOE to coordinate the disparate groups within the French resistance. He pushed relentlessly for Britain to provide them with support, even securing a meeting with Churchill to effect this.
But his world was full of those who would rather betray others to save themselves and who were stupidly reckless in maintaining secrecy and a low profile. Inevitably one day YT’s luck changes.
The writer described YT’s experiences as a POW in minute and careful detail. The level of brutality we know through history however it still has the power to shock. Such routine cruelty and violence is horrifying and all the worse because we know it didn’t end with WW2. Yet despite injury, repeated beating, starvation and the every day closeness to death, YT maintained a bravery and determination to survive that few could manage.
Inspirational account.

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on one of my trips to the second hand bookstore. A super fortunate find as this book completely blew me away.
Sometimes life really is stranger than fiction- and the true exploits of F.F.E Yeo-Thomas are so incredible it hardly does them justice to describe here.
A highly recommended read, this true story follows the journey of a British Special Operations Executive agent in the Second World War who is like the real world James Bond. He assisted the French Resistance, endured torture by the Gestapo, and escaped from a concentration camp in Germany.
You don't even have to be a WWII fanatic to pick this one up, it's such a gripping look at how the French resistance worked, what was happening with the British forces at the time (all the good and bad) and the realities of the war and struggle for freedom and humanity.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness what a book, what a hero. Truly a honour to read a book about the “White Rabbit” his sacrifice and bravery in the face of such outer evil was incredible no ordinary man could have survived this and lived to tell the tale.
I am in absolute awe of what he achieved and survived. The horror perpetrated on the inmates of concentration, labour and POW camps should never be forgotten
One sentence chilled me to the core and I quote
“ the patient lived for several days before he expired, comforted no doubt by the thought that he had died for civilization, for television, for tired housewives, four course dinners in airlines and bidets in all the best hotels”.
Where have we gone wrong, society I think has long forgotten the sacrifices made by that heroic generation!

[Fernando Delfim · Rating 3 out of 5]

“No dia logo a seguir, esse mesmo guarda matou um prisioneiro à pancada; é talvez essa a razão por que até o melhor dos Natais é inevitavelmente uma desilusão: o mundo sempre parece muito mais cruel no dia 26 de Dezembro.”

“Vamos ver a que distância conseguimos atirar este nojento animal judeu. E as gargalhadas de escárnio acompanhavam o cadáver emaciado que voava pelos ares, os braços e as pernas adejando, os olhos e a boca abertos e gélidos na morte, e ia aterrar com estrondo nas pedras, ou embatia numa árvore antes de se esmagar no solo, desfalecendo de um modo que fazia parecer que a vida o abandonava pela segunda vez.”

[truenorth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't decide between a three and a four star. At first I was bored and also a little turned off by the writing style. There are various sorta weird side comments inserted by the author from time to time that tend to sidetrack the story. But I did enjoy the tale yet in the end and found myself rooting for Yeo-Thomas.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fascinating story but I found the author's voice difficult: I didn't need his opinions on the shortcomings of the post-war world on both the capitalist and Communist sides. The switch from Boy's Own spy shenanigans in occupied France to the hero's capture and brutal interrogation before being transported to Buchenwald was shocking, too, although the horrors needed to be told.

[Maria Wasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's an inspirational true story set during WWII. Actually, it's one of my all time favourite books.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning writing to the point at which you forget that all of this misery was suffered by a real person

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story.

Not a quick easy read. A complex story to follow but so worth it.

[Fred Klein · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only way the main character would be a hero is if they include victims as heroes.

[Jemma]

Very hard to read and of course reminded me of how privileged I am. I was glad for a happy ending.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

[Rob Freedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable story of the human spirit to survive.

[Derek Osbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is a marvellous example of survival in awful conditions - if only the author wasn't so free with his personal political, ethical and religious comments it would have had more stars.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page-turner. Shocking but gripping. True story of one heroic man's experiences of WWII.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half. Fascinating story about Forest Frederick Yeo-Thomas, his service, capture, and return home as a British agent during WWII. The writing is a bit stilted—maybe that was the British style then—but the experiences of Yeo-Thomas are amazing. Also refreshing is the insight into the French resistance and their determination and courage to stand up to the Nazis invading their country. Interesting details about Britain's work to help organize and aide the Resistance, and incredible details about the work these British agents and their resistance friends did, all while undercover. Good realistic look at what spy work really is. And Yeo-Thomas's ability to withstand the torture is inspiring and exemplifies the people who take this line of work. Based on the descriptions of such awful treatment and facilities, you marveled at how he kept his wits.

Not as smoothly written as other documentarians which somewhat keeps you from feeling a more personal connection with the people, but Yeo-Thomas's story is definitely worth knowing and passing on.