The White Mouse - The Autobiography of the Woman the Gestapo Called the White Mouse

by Nancy Wake

The Gestapo called her White Mouse. Nancy Wake, a New Zealander who became one of the most highly decorated women of WW II, here she tells her own story.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Memoir, World War II, War, Historical

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Doug Beddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally knew Nancy Wake & her 2nd Husband John when they were living in Port Macquarie & heard some of her history 1st hand, She was an amazing woman.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-written bio (which ups this in my eyes, a lot!) of one lovely hero of a girl!

Q:
But what could an inexperienced girl like myself do or hope to achieve when so many brilliant well-informed men had failed to make an impact on the outside world? © PLENTY, it turns out.
Q:
Suddenly I had one of those queer sensations one can get at times. I looked, and there he was. Our eyes met and I hesitated for a second and walked quickly away. But something pulled me back and I stood staring at him for a few minutes. It was love at first sight for us both. (c)
Q:
It was a fine, pleasant day and I soon began to feel that life was really worthwhile. (c)
Q:
Since arriving in France I’d learnt my French by trial and error. Making mistakes is the best way to learn—you’re determined not to make the same mistake again. (c)
Q:
The policeman was indeed fortunate that there were no more water jugs at hand; as it was, Stephanie hit him on the head with her handbag (and they were large that year) then disappeared through the revolving doors followed closely by the red-faced policeman. …
weather. It was the beginning of a long and deep friendship which although hectic in varying degrees was never dull or boring (c)
Q:
We were young and full of the joys of spring. (c)
Q:
The next morning I went to a recruiting office and made enquiries about joining one of the forces. They were as disorganised as I was and suggested I work in a canteen. Needless to say I was not impressed. Quite suddenly I made up my mind to return to France and to hell with the consequences. (с)
Q:
As far as the French people were concerned their joie de vivre had vanished overnight. They had Germans to the north, Mussolini to the east, the Atlantic ocean to the west, and in the south the formidable Pyrenees separating France from Spain. (c)
Q:
Furthermore, in spite of my high spirits and gaiety I would always be discreet and keep a secret. As a matter of fact once I had promised to keep one, wild horses wouldn’t change my mind. (c)
Q:
Searching an imaginary room for hidden imaginary papers has never been my forte, so I probably failed that test. (c)
Q:
But it was the psychiatrist who really got on my nerves. After all, the profession was not as popular in 1943 as it is today. He showed me a piece of paper with a big blot of ink on it and asked me what I could see. When I said I saw a blot of ink he got quite agitated and tried to put words in my mouth. He was a New Zealander. I told him he should be doing something constructive instead of wasting his time and mine. (c)
Q:
I glanced at our reports. Raymond’s was good, and there was nothing in mine which upset me; on the contrary—I read with surprise that I had been ‘good for morale’.
From then on ‘Miss Prim and Proper’ vanished forever and ‘Miss Exuberant’ resumed her rightful place. (c)
Q:
One morning at the breakfast table an American sergeant sitting opposite me passed me a small packet, saying that it was a present. Although Raymond Bachelor sitting on my right whispered in French not to accept it, I did so, thinking it was chewing gum or chocolate. I knew what a French letter meant in English, just as I knew the French name for it, but I did not know what a condom was until I opened the packet and saw three of them lying there together with the instructions.
I don’t know what reaction the American expected, especially at a breakfast table. There was silence all round me. Then I proceeded to read out the instructions, much to the amusement of everyone at our table except the American who, red in the face, left the table. I put them in the pocket of my battle dress and continued eating my breakfast. As we left the dining-hall the CO called me to one side, apologised for the behaviour of the American and offered to disembarrass me of the unmentionables. He was surprised when I declined his offer, adding that they might come in handy later on. We never saw the American again. He vanished. I feel sure he was reprimanded. (c)
Q:
Jumping from a balloon on a pitch-black night, when all is silent and the parachute takes longer to open than it does from a plane, will never be my favourite pastime. (c)

[Michael Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this book to end and I'm going to miss Nancy Wake's company. In addition to a story you won't want to put down, the book's "warts and all" candor about the French, British and Americans is refreshing. Her opinions are valid, being she was an Australian, trained in England to fight in the French Resistance.

Nancy's very humble about her adventures, considering everything she went through and her sense of humor is wicked. The death of her husband from the hands of the Nazis takes you to the depths. However, her tequila story about drinking the deceptive reporter under the table when she was 60 lifts you back up again.

It's a shame the book is out of print but used copies are can be found, especially from Australia. It's worth the effort as this book is a clear winner.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an autographed copy from this amazing lady!

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Wake wrote her autobiography years following her exploits as part of The French Resistance during World War Two.

She married a wealthy French Industrialist, Henri Fiocca, in 1939. Prior to her service in The Resistance, Nancy led a pampered life among the upper class set in Marseille.

Nancy's story is filled with many anecdotes of her life during WW2 and the many other French Resistance Fighters she fought along side.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it for its subject matter and its forthright style. The story of how an Australian woman living in France came to be an active resistance worker in WWII. The style is very brisk and blunt - it resonates as if a straightforward person were telling you about their experiences directly with no literary artifacts. Nancy becomes a real person to the reader very fast and her matter of fact way of dealing with the story is bracing.

I give it less than four stars only because this style of writing grates upon me after too long, if I were rating the story without the style it would be four stars.

[biblioceraptor]

Such a badass. And a much better role-model for young girls, cf. some people/books/characters I will not mention.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Wake died recently at 98.
I first read the Russell Braddon biography in the late 1960's.
An excellent writer.
But I was thrilled to see that the secondhand volume I had purchased several years ago was actually an autobiography. With Nancy gone I really wanted to hear HER voice - and it was as refreshingly direct and honest as I had expected.

Nancy was a stunningly beautiful young woman.
She was also gutsy, feisty, sexy, daring, fun-loving, hard drinking,
straight forward, a faithful friend ...and a killer.

She left Australia as a young woman and lived a full life in London and Paris, marrying a rich Frenchman and gathering many friends.
Having witnessed anti-semitism while visiting Austria, she was eager to do what she could when war finally broke out.

How she came to lead French Resistance groups and their exploits make up the bulk of her tale and an amazing tale it is.
Certainly NOT romanticised...Nancy calls a spade a spade.Her personal tragedies are here without self-pity.I was sorry it wasn't twice as long and sorrier when I'd finished but ever so glad I'd been there.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Wake was one tough lady. This autobiography relates Nancy's time in France during the 1930s and 1940s. She introduces a myriad of characters who played significant roles in her life. Nancy made an important contribution to the effort of the French resistance striving to drive the German invaders out of France. Nancy faced life-threatening situations with a dogged courage, a pull no punches demeanour and with staunch integrity. Nancy calls her story interesting but it is much more than that. As an autobiography, it was great to be able to read this story in Nancy's own words.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book that needs to be reissued so more people can read it. I borrowed it from my local library through interlibrary loan. Highly recommend.

[Delle Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true-life account of SOE Nancy Wake, aka The White Mouse. Reads like a thriller - my heart was pounding as Nancy set up links with Resistance workers, drove ambulances, transported black market goods, exchanged messages, came face to face with the Gestapo and was placed under arrest. Nancy Wake was tough and resourceful yet very feminine, and this book gives a 360 view of this fantastic lady, her love for her husband and dogs,and the grand lifestyle she gave up to fight. (On a purely girly note, I loved the part where, having leapt from a car in which a grenade had landed, Nancy dived back in to grab her lipstick before flingiing herself down a hillside into cover.) We also get to know some of Nancy's close colleagues, among them Bazooka, so nicknamed after his favourite weapon, and Spanish Colonel Henri Tardivat. The subject matter was difficult in places (details of torture) but the book itself was fascinating and an extremely easy read. Page turning.

[Rochelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the story is powerful and fascinating her autobiography is a struggle to read. The writing style is slow paced, full of names and facts and leaves me disinterested to keep reading.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must give this four stars - the 'gal' herself wrote it and she deserves far more than my pat on the back. It is a thoroughly lively account and certainly kept me awake once the light was off. I spent a good deal of time hoping that I might have the same gumption as Nancy Wake if it were ever called for.

Silly I'm sure, but I was so glad and slept well knowing she had survived to find someone to share her later years with.

[Judy McCarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian born Nancy Wake said "When people ask me what I'm the most proud of during my service time in the war? I always say the bike ride." The "bike ride" consisted of her riding about a total of 500 kilometers round trip across France to get a radio transmission to London about their predicament, where to make an aerial drop of arms and supplies and yes-a new radio. (Her radio operator Dennis Rake had dutifully followed protocol after a German attack on their location and buried his radio. Nancy was outraged because it was surely the one time he should have ignored his instructions from London- and she never let him forget it!!) Honestly, she should have never survived that bike ride which she did in less than 72 hours. Yet, she did. Women like her are crazy that way. Crazy in the best of ways. I mean insanely capable of enduring the unthinkable and gritting their teeth in spite of it. Crazy enough to be a lone woman with 1000's of male Maquis (French resistance groups) in the hills and valleys of France and her calling the shots mind you. Calling the shots regarding armaments and supply drops from London, organizing resistant cells, and participating in saboteur activities. I'm exhausted by 10:00 am after starting my work day at a 0600-- all from the comfort of my cushy desk and chair in my office. I could write my own book about Nancy right here in this review. But I'd rather you read her page turner non-stop autobiography. I would rather you hear in her own words how much she was in love with her French husband Henri Fiocca and how she was true to him always, even in the back hills and mountains of France surrounded by a zillion men. But you will love her and be in awe of the respect she garnered from those mighty men and their crusty tough resistance leaders. You will be inspired. You should be incredibly impressed. Her story. Her husband's. Their sacrifices. Their great losses. It's unimaginably and unbelievably all. true. How can we avoid ever having such sacrifice required of us or God forbid, our children? What can we learn from this story-that great war and what led up to it? And if we can't do that, and it happens again, can we be just like Nancy? God help us if we aren't.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

I loved this book and read it through to the end without stopping. It's a fascinating story written in the first person. By the end I feel like Nancy is a friend telling me about her time in the trenches during WWII. She is an amazing woman.

[Lea Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

One up for women's lib. What a gutsy lady! Would have like more detail about her invovement within the resistance movement in this bio.

[Paul Tidsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When courage, determination, and moral outrage were being handed out, Nancy Wake clearly got in line twice. What a life she lived.

[Sharon]

This is possibly the best book I have read. It most certainly is the top of my list in recent years.

Nancy Wake was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1912. Both of her parents were New Zealanders and she and her family settled in Sydney, Australia when she was about 2 years old. She left Australia in the 1930's, when she was in her early twenties and settled in Paris in 1934 where she worked as a freelance journalist.

Nancy Wake was a believer in freedom and understood that freedom could not be permanent. It has to be defended at all cost, even if by doing so part of our freedom has to be sacrificed. Freedom will be always in danger because, victory is not permanent. Nancy Wake had formed her opinion of the Nazis and resolved that if she could do anything to stop them she would.

Her extraordinary courage and actions with the French Resistance made her one of the most highly decorated women in the entire war. For her outstanding work during World War II she was awarded the George Medal; the Croix de Guerre with Palm and Bar; the Croix de Guerre with Star; the Medaille de la Resistance; and the American Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm; and she was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. With respect to all her medals and awards I find it surprisingly shocking that it took so long to be presented (February 2004) with the Order of Australia.

Prior to reading this book I had never heard of Nancy Wake and I strongly believe that it should be part of school curriculums. She is a role model for each of us.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. -- the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Scott Head · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an accessible memoir of a very unique woman filled with leadership skills, bravery and honesty. She was a leader of hundreds, feared by the Gestapo, and bold in her actions. I found that her escapades and daring exploits in the resistance occasionally challenged belief. Her estimation of things is frank, she is refreshingly not politically correct what-so-ever, and she is real and honest in her estimation of such holy-cows as the bad idea of homosexual warriors, the wickedness of communism, and the arrogant detachment of the high brass of just about any service. One gets a real feel for the pulse of the French people before and during WWII, the many questions about who can be trusted, the fear of betrayal, the many different loyalties, and how difficult it was for the French mind to accept occupation. What an insight to the resistance! I enjoyed this book, the people I was introduced to, and the many episodes of danger and adventure, good-natured shenanigans, and nostalgic reminiscing.

[Maria Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Wake's story is crazy, but those going in expecting this biography to be a reflection of that will be surprised. It's written very matter-of-fact in that it doesn't follow a narrative biography storytelling structure. Instead, it's Nancy recounting dates, locations, places, people, events one by one, each after the other, in an almost list-like fashion (which is part of its charm). As a journalist, I enjoyed this because it read much like a report in some instances. However, this may be frustrating for those wanting more colourful storytelling. Some of this was really frightening given the current climate, especially the lead up to the war and how young Parisians dealt with the idea of the growing Nazi regime. The world she paints in the chapters before the outbreak of WWII were some of the more fascinating segments to me - especially how resourceful she and other women were during the period. Truthfully this was a 3.5 stars but you can't add that extra half a star.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great autobiography that describes the amazing life and experiences of Nancy Wake aka The White Mouse.

Took me a while to read but I loved reading it. It felt like I was being told a story and the reading felt very personal, like a wee tête-à-tête as opposed to a full on true story fact-finding mission of information being thrown at me.

The ups were amazing and the downs were so heart wrenching. Nancy Wake was truly a marvelous force to be reckoned with who accomplished great things and helped many people. Her story is an important one to tell, as are all who took similar paths as her during this time.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of World War 2, female involvement during World War 2 or anyone who thinks she's amazing when they first hear her tale.

[David Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. She was a journalist and it shows in her conversational style. She takes the reader through sometimes terrifying or very sad events in an unemotional matter of fact fashion. She covers the prewar 3o's to the end of the war and then jumps to the 70's when she was being courted to produce a film. She uses humour liberally. I particularly liked the comment "Bruce was Australian, but he'd acquired the polish of a sophisticated European." She also has a mature view of politics. She said joining the NSW Liberal party was the biggest mistake of her life. I found this book compelling. I simply could not put it down and read it one session.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Nancy Wake = Super Cool Resistance Fighter/Socialite

Why I Read This: BIOGRAPHIES!

Review: I actually enjoyed this. It was my second Nancy Wake book, so I didn't pay as much attention as to the first one, but I like that Nancy chose random things to pay a lot of attention to. For example, you get 1 paragraph on how the Marquis she'd attached herself to escapes from thousands of German troops. But, you get, like, 6 pages on how much fun she had messing with other refugees on the trip across Spain into England.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad I read the historical fiction book about Nancy Wake, Code Name Helene, before this. She was a brave and fascinating war heroine and deserves all the accolades she’s gotten. Her autobiography is not that well written, however, and meanders along in more of a stream of consciousness manner as she recounts events and experiences and oh so many names of individuals….at least some of them were familiar from Code Name Helene.

[Bridgette · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. I cannot read this. It is not well written and she is not interesting to me. I find the narrative to be laden with names and events that are jammed in, references that often feel superfluous to what is (apparently) the central plot and a very slow slow pace. I would much prefer to read a biography of her written by someone that could write.

[Ned Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and easy to read book.
Maybe not a comparable piece of literature to a top selling thriller writer, that is not what the book is about. It is a true story of a courageous lady who risked her life repeatedly to help others in WWII France. Her business was liberating France from an angry army who desperately wanted her dead.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing a story about Nancy Wake on Mysteries at the Museum, I had to learn more. This book is definitely worth the read if you enjoy WW2 books. Nancy Wake was a BADASS. Her story is an important one. It shows how an ordinary person can step up and be a hero in the face of extraordinary circumstances. Nancy, let's meet up in the afterlife for a drink.

[Nicolle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading this book, it was intersting to find out about Nancy's life as a spy during WW2. She achieved some amazing things. Even though she was born an Aussie, she really didnt spend that much time here and much preferred living in France and England.

[Devorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!! Highly recommend.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book by an amazing woman who led an incredible life.