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Nancy Wake
'Freedom is the only thing worth living for. While I was doing that work I used to think that it didn't matter if I died, because without freedom there was no point in living'.
Nancy Wake
In the early 1930's, Nancy Wake was a young woman enjoying a bohemian life in Paris. By the end of the Second World War she was the Gestapo's most wanted person.
As a naive, young journalist, Nancy Wake witnessed a horrific scene of Nazi violence in a Viennese street. From that moment, she declared that she would do everything in her power to rid Europe of the Nazi presence. What began as a courier job here and there, became a highly successful escape network for Allied soldiers, perfectly camouflaged by Nancy's high-society life in Marseille. Her network was soon so successful - and so notorious - that he had to flee France to escape the Gestapo who had dubbed her 'the white mouse' for her knack of slipping through its traps.
But Nancy was a passionate enemy of the Nazis and refused to stay away. She trained with the British Special Operations Executive and parachuted back into France behind enemy lines. Again, this singular woman rallied to the cause, helping to lead a powerful underground fighting force, the Maquis. Supplying weapons and training the civilian Maquis, organising Allied parachute drops, cycling four hundred kilometres across a mountain range to find a new transmitting radio - nothing seemed too difficult in her fight against the Nazis.
Peter FitzSimons reveals Nancy Wake's compelling story, a tale of an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.
Nancy Wake
In the early 1930's, Nancy Wake was a young woman enjoying a bohemian life in Paris. By the end of the Second World War she was the Gestapo's most wanted person.
As a naive, young journalist, Nancy Wake witnessed a horrific scene of Nazi violence in a Viennese street. From that moment, she declared that she would do everything in her power to rid Europe of the Nazi presence. What began as a courier job here and there, became a highly successful escape network for Allied soldiers, perfectly camouflaged by Nancy's high-society life in Marseille. Her network was soon so successful - and so notorious - that he had to flee France to escape the Gestapo who had dubbed her 'the white mouse' for her knack of slipping through its traps.
But Nancy was a passionate enemy of the Nazis and refused to stay away. She trained with the British Special Operations Executive and parachuted back into France behind enemy lines. Again, this singular woman rallied to the cause, helping to lead a powerful underground fighting force, the Maquis. Supplying weapons and training the civilian Maquis, organising Allied parachute drops, cycling four hundred kilometres across a mountain range to find a new transmitting radio - nothing seemed too difficult in her fight against the Nazis.
Peter FitzSimons reveals Nancy Wake's compelling story, a tale of an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.
297 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Peter FitzSimons
85 books492 followersPeter FitzSimons is one of Australia’s most prominent and successful media and publishing identities. His busy professional life involves co-hosting the breakfast program on Sydney's Radio 2UE, writing weekly columns for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald newspapers, appearing on Foxtel's Back Page television show and, when time permits, authoring best-selling books. A correspondent for London's Daily Telegraph as well, he is also in high demand as a guest speaker and presenter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
January 20, 2023
Nancy Wake was one of the most decorated war heroes of WW2 and her exploits are remarkable to read about. For someone who thinks she has read a lot of WW2 books I have never heard of this iconic hero so I am very glad I finally read a book about her life.
The book was written by what I can only describe as a HUGE fan as there are pages and pages of adoration and admiration, but it felt as if there was no balance to the story. Nancy was portrayed as someone that can walk on water, with no nuance or complexity.
I loved the first part detailing Nancy’s formative years in New Zeeland and Australia and I also found it fascinating to learn about the extent (and formation) of the French Resistance movement.
I think that in the hands of a more impartial author this could have been a slightly better reading experience for me.
The book was written by what I can only describe as a HUGE fan as there are pages and pages of adoration and admiration, but it felt as if there was no balance to the story. Nancy was portrayed as someone that can walk on water, with no nuance or complexity.
I loved the first part detailing Nancy’s formative years in New Zeeland and Australia and I also found it fascinating to learn about the extent (and formation) of the French Resistance movement.
I think that in the hands of a more impartial author this could have been a slightly better reading experience for me.
October 29, 2011
On August 7 this year, one of the most amazing women of our times passed away at the grand old age of 98. Nancy Wake has been claimed by both New Zealand and Australia as one of their own - by New Zealand because she was of Maori descent, born there and retained close ties with her extended family; and by Australia because she lived there from early childhood, grew up there and lived for a period of time after the war there. But she could equally be considered French for her service to France during the war, and also British because her war service was under British command, and she lived much of her later life in England. Above all however, as becomes apparent almost from the beginning of this book, she was her own person with enormous courage, enormous self-belief and enormous determination.
Peter Fitzsimons is a highly respected journalist from Australia and has written what is probably considered the definitive account of Nancy's life. I very much like the fact that one of her fellow countrymen took it upon himself to tell her story. His style is light and easy to read, and gives plenty of background to what made her the person she became. For example he goes right back to the beginning, to her birth, when the Maori midwife noticed a 'thin veil of skin which covered the top part of the infant's head, known in English as a caul.' The midwife tells Nancy's mother that it 'means the baby will always be lucky. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, the gods will look after her'. And what an omen that turned out to be.
Nancy was a very feisty child, very independent and strong willed. Not easy characteristics for her mother to deal with but major shapers of the adult she was to become. By the time she ended up in Paris in the 1930s, still only in her mid-20s, as a correspondent for Hearst Newspapers, she already had quite a life story to tell. A trip to Vienna in 1935 with some other journalists, however, became the defining moment for how the rest of Nancy's life was to turn out. After witnessing the most horrific atrocities to the local Jewish population she developed a very deep seated hatred for the Nazis, Hitler and everything they stood for. Once the war started, and France was taken over by Germany Nancy set about doing everything she could to hinder Nazi activities in France, to such an extent she ended up on Hitler's most wanted list. She was, in a word, relentless. And that is all I will say about her war exploits here, because you need to read it for yourself to fully appreciate the person Nancy was. I couldn't possibly give her story justice by 'reviewing' it, and I wouldn't dream of trying.
There are many heroes and heroines during times of war, and we also know that many do not make it, dying under extreme torture, betrayal, deprivation and atrocious circumstances. Such stories need to be told, and told regularly. In our consumer and celebrity driven society there are very few heroes/heroines for our young people to look up to, to learn from and to follow the example of. This is one such person we would all be a little richer for knowing more about.
Peter Fitzsimons is a highly respected journalist from Australia and has written what is probably considered the definitive account of Nancy's life. I very much like the fact that one of her fellow countrymen took it upon himself to tell her story. His style is light and easy to read, and gives plenty of background to what made her the person she became. For example he goes right back to the beginning, to her birth, when the Maori midwife noticed a 'thin veil of skin which covered the top part of the infant's head, known in English as a caul.' The midwife tells Nancy's mother that it 'means the baby will always be lucky. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, the gods will look after her'. And what an omen that turned out to be.
Nancy was a very feisty child, very independent and strong willed. Not easy characteristics for her mother to deal with but major shapers of the adult she was to become. By the time she ended up in Paris in the 1930s, still only in her mid-20s, as a correspondent for Hearst Newspapers, she already had quite a life story to tell. A trip to Vienna in 1935 with some other journalists, however, became the defining moment for how the rest of Nancy's life was to turn out. After witnessing the most horrific atrocities to the local Jewish population she developed a very deep seated hatred for the Nazis, Hitler and everything they stood for. Once the war started, and France was taken over by Germany Nancy set about doing everything she could to hinder Nazi activities in France, to such an extent she ended up on Hitler's most wanted list. She was, in a word, relentless. And that is all I will say about her war exploits here, because you need to read it for yourself to fully appreciate the person Nancy was. I couldn't possibly give her story justice by 'reviewing' it, and I wouldn't dream of trying.
There are many heroes and heroines during times of war, and we also know that many do not make it, dying under extreme torture, betrayal, deprivation and atrocious circumstances. Such stories need to be told, and told regularly. In our consumer and celebrity driven society there are very few heroes/heroines for our young people to look up to, to learn from and to follow the example of. This is one such person we would all be a little richer for knowing more about.
March 10, 2012
Very interesting and readable biography about a woman who became a heroine of the French Resistance during WW11. There are plenty of reviews which go into details about this book, so I won't do that here. I will mention one quibble with the writing. It sometimes falls into buffoonery. This occurs mostly at segues in the story and can be funny, but considering the topic (WW11 in occupied France) it didn't always feel appropriate - it's the kind of thing you would find in a children's book. I think the author's intention was to present a style fitting to his subject's personality: No matter what obstacles came her way she managed to overcome them with a sense of humor and/or stoicism. She was a great one for laughter and and partying with her men ("because tomorrow we could be dead"). She was able to drink any of them under the table. This, and her courage and skills, won her the respect of thousands of the men in her charge. She was quite a character.
One other issue with the book is that the only research done for it seems to be interviews with Nancy and reading of Nancy's own memoir. There was no independent research which would have made for a more rounded view of Nancy Wake.
In the end, this book is a celebration of a heroine of the French Resistance. It's easy enough to recommend. The facts of Nancy's life and work make any book about her a page-turner
One other issue with the book is that the only research done for it seems to be interviews with Nancy and reading of Nancy's own memoir. There was no independent research which would have made for a more rounded view of Nancy Wake.
In the end, this book is a celebration of a heroine of the French Resistance. It's easy enough to recommend. The facts of Nancy's life and work make any book about her a page-turner
August 7, 2020
An interesting account of another gutsy, fearless, daring female who joined the Resistance in France in 1940 after Germany invaded France. Well-written account by Peter FitzSimons who met and conducted interviews with Nancy Wake, who had also written her own autobiography in 1985. Like her contemporary, American Virginia Hall (A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell), she was horrified by the cruel, abusive treatment by the Nazi invaders and felt the need to help. FitzSimons' account begins with Nancy Wake's unhappy childhood in Australia which transforms to a desire to leave Australia as a teenager to go to Paris. The author is told that Nancy was born with a caul which was a prediction of good fortune in her life. We are reminded of this good fortune prediction by the author as Nancy's efforts in the Resistance put her in danger of capture, imprisonment, torture and death; but alas, she avoids such fate by her own intuitive skills and the help of committed comrades. Nancy could not accept a complacent life and sought out adventure and a cause even at the risk of losing her own life. In his descriptions of her escapades as told to him by Nancy, one wonders if there is some exaggeration in the telling, but the writing makes for a great biography. The author has done his homework through other sources and I think we can believe the story is an accurate telling of this woman's contributions during WWII. The book is a page-turner and I found it difficult to put the book down. It is also satisfying to see Nancy receiving many governmental awards for her contribution in defeating the Nazi invasion. We also learn of her life after the war and of her death at the age of 98. You can't miss the author's admiration for this extraordinary woman.
July 8, 2016
Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Nancy Wake gravitated to France as a young woman. There, she became a major player in the French Resistance during World War II. At the time the Germans invaded France, she was married to Henri Fiocca, a wealthy French businessman in Marseille. She used her society position and reputation as a cover for her work in the local escape network, organising for Allied servicemen to pass through a series of safehouses and be guided out of France over the Pyrenees. Her ability to maintain her cover for so long and disappear whenever the Germans thought they were getting close to identifying her led to her Gestapo nickname of "The White Mouse".
Eventually, though, the Gestapo were throwing so many resources at capturing her that Henri persuaded her to avoid the inevitable and use her own escape route to get to Britain. Once there, though, it was obvious that a quiet life was not for her while there was still a war to fight. She joined the British Special Operations Executive as an agent and parachuted back into France to join the Maquis. There, she liaised with London, organising parachute drops that supplied the Maquis with the arms and supplies to sabotage Nazi targets, training the Maquis fighters to use the weapons, and passing on information about priority targets. Never a person to stay out of the action, Nancy was often at the forefront of the sabotage and fighting efforts - she was one of the SOE's most successful agents.
It's obvious from this book that Nancy was a truly extraordinary woman: straight-talking, hard-drinking, a highly competent fighter, a leader, a person who got things done and who took no crap from anyone. She was also beautiful, and as one of her Maquis colleagues recalled, 'the most feminine woman [he] knew, until the fighting started ... then she was like five men.' She was justifiably and extensively honoured by Britain, France and the United States - though, bizarrely, never by her own country of Australia.
The book focuses on her wartime activities for obvious reasons, though it also describes her early life and briefly covers her post-war years. The author, Sydney journalist Peter FitzSimons, talked extensively with Nancy over the years before her death at the age of 98 in 2011.
While Nancy's story is amazing, and it was a treat to read about her life, the style of the book grated with me at times. It's a bit like a cross between a weekend entertainment section newspaper article and a "Boys Own" story. That has its own charm - the author knew Nancy so well and was able to show her in a fresh way - but there are too many jarring notes for real reading satisfaction. It should really be 3 and a half stars book but I can't quite bring myself to round it up.
Eventually, though, the Gestapo were throwing so many resources at capturing her that Henri persuaded her to avoid the inevitable and use her own escape route to get to Britain. Once there, though, it was obvious that a quiet life was not for her while there was still a war to fight. She joined the British Special Operations Executive as an agent and parachuted back into France to join the Maquis. There, she liaised with London, organising parachute drops that supplied the Maquis with the arms and supplies to sabotage Nazi targets, training the Maquis fighters to use the weapons, and passing on information about priority targets. Never a person to stay out of the action, Nancy was often at the forefront of the sabotage and fighting efforts - she was one of the SOE's most successful agents.
It's obvious from this book that Nancy was a truly extraordinary woman: straight-talking, hard-drinking, a highly competent fighter, a leader, a person who got things done and who took no crap from anyone. She was also beautiful, and as one of her Maquis colleagues recalled, 'the most feminine woman [he] knew, until the fighting started ... then she was like five men.' She was justifiably and extensively honoured by Britain, France and the United States - though, bizarrely, never by her own country of Australia.
The book focuses on her wartime activities for obvious reasons, though it also describes her early life and briefly covers her post-war years. The author, Sydney journalist Peter FitzSimons, talked extensively with Nancy over the years before her death at the age of 98 in 2011.
While Nancy's story is amazing, and it was a treat to read about her life, the style of the book grated with me at times. It's a bit like a cross between a weekend entertainment section newspaper article and a "Boys Own" story. That has its own charm - the author knew Nancy so well and was able to show her in a fresh way - but there are too many jarring notes for real reading satisfaction. It should really be 3 and a half stars book but I can't quite bring myself to round it up.
June 29, 2014
“Nancy Wake: A Biography of our Greatest War Heroine” by Peter FitzSimons was published in 2010. FitzSimons is an Australian journalist. Nancy Wake was the most decorated women from World War II. FitzSimons’ well-paced and compelling biography is well-documented. FitzSimons drew his research from earlier biographies such as Russell Braddon’s “Nancy Wake: the Story of a Very Brave Woman” published in 1956 and Wake’s autobiography “The White Mouse” published in 1985. FitzSimons also had many interviews with Nancy Wake as well as fellow agents, resistance fighters and Colonel Buckmaster. Buckmaster was head of the British Special operations (BSO).
Wake was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1912. The book covers her early childhood in New Zealand and Australia. After she finished school she moved to England where she learned to be a journalist. She obtained a job as a European correspondent for the Hearst Newspaper and was stationed in Paris. In the 1930’s she witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. She reports seeing roving Nazi gangs beat Jewish men and women in the streets of Vienna.
In 1937 Wake married wealthy French industrialist Henri Edmond Fiocca (1898-1943). They were living in Marseille, France when Germany invaded. Nancy became a courier for the French Resistance, then help set up the escape network to help escaping allied soldiers and Jews. The Gestapo called her “The White Mouse”. She became the most wanted person by the Gestapo with a reward for her capture. She had to escape to Britain herself where she was recruited by Colonel Buckmaster. She was trained by the British Special Operations and parachuted into Auvergne, France in 1944. She led over 7000 Maquis, equipping them with the latest arms from England, training them and leading them on assigned (BSO) attacks against the Germans. At the end of the war Wake learned her husband was tortured and killed by the Gestapo because he would not reveal her whereabouts.
FitzSimons’ narrative authentically captures the tone and atmosphere of Wake’s hazardous life. He breathtakingly describes her escapades against the Germans. Wake died in a Veterans home in England on 7 August 2011. For those of you who read German, I understand German author Michael Jurgs wrote a biography of Wake called “Nancy Wake and her fight against the Gestapo in France”. It was published October 2012. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Stephanie Daniels did a good job narrating the book and pronouncing all the French names. If you are interested in history and women in war you will enjoy this book.
Wake was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1912. The book covers her early childhood in New Zealand and Australia. After she finished school she moved to England where she learned to be a journalist. She obtained a job as a European correspondent for the Hearst Newspaper and was stationed in Paris. In the 1930’s she witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. She reports seeing roving Nazi gangs beat Jewish men and women in the streets of Vienna.
In 1937 Wake married wealthy French industrialist Henri Edmond Fiocca (1898-1943). They were living in Marseille, France when Germany invaded. Nancy became a courier for the French Resistance, then help set up the escape network to help escaping allied soldiers and Jews. The Gestapo called her “The White Mouse”. She became the most wanted person by the Gestapo with a reward for her capture. She had to escape to Britain herself where she was recruited by Colonel Buckmaster. She was trained by the British Special Operations and parachuted into Auvergne, France in 1944. She led over 7000 Maquis, equipping them with the latest arms from England, training them and leading them on assigned (BSO) attacks against the Germans. At the end of the war Wake learned her husband was tortured and killed by the Gestapo because he would not reveal her whereabouts.
FitzSimons’ narrative authentically captures the tone and atmosphere of Wake’s hazardous life. He breathtakingly describes her escapades against the Germans. Wake died in a Veterans home in England on 7 August 2011. For those of you who read German, I understand German author Michael Jurgs wrote a biography of Wake called “Nancy Wake and her fight against the Gestapo in France”. It was published October 2012. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Stephanie Daniels did a good job narrating the book and pronouncing all the French names. If you are interested in history and women in war you will enjoy this book.
November 11, 2012
Fascinating story that was so badly written that I felt no connection with character or place. I can't believe that this so called author churns out so many books and sells!
January 1, 2013
This is a four star read because Nancy Wake was a 5 star woman and her story was written by a 3 star author.
August 3, 2013
A book so saccharin, it leaves you bitter by the conclusion
If you absolutely loved this book or Nancy Wake then you're not going to like this review - so move on!
Before I now go off on my rant, I will strongly emphasise here that my review is not intended to judge nor discredit Nancy Wake or her accomplishments. I am reviewing the book, its content and my (unfavourable) reaction to it.
It goes without saying that beyond the hype and mythology surrounding Nancy Wake, she must clearly have been a fairly remarkable and unique person. Her apparent total commitment to justice, freedom and fighting the Nazis, all while risking her life are truly commendable.
But...
As you may guess from the title of my review that's about as much enthusiasm can muster for the whole story. No doubt NW did some remarkable things. But reading Peter FitzSimons' account of her life is about as subtle as an elephant in a China shop and as much fun as going to the dentist.
So I'm probably being a little harsh but this book is so incredibly 'pro-Nancy' that I found myself loathing her by the end of the novel.
Now I'm sure some readers will be thinking I'm heartless and unappreciative but consider my argument. Imagine a superwoman who can do no wrong, is right about everything, everyone agrees with everything she says. She's beautiful, wise, extremely brave and can drink (booze) everyone under the table.
So the general narrative is '... and then Nancy did this splendidly amazing thing, before drinking a horse under the table and killing a hundred armed Nazi with her bare hands for fun'.
Now multiply that same narrative by a thousand times and you pretty well have this book covered. At times I literally started muttering to myself sarcastic retorts to the story, such as 'oh of course she did', whenever another exploit had been achieved, all thanks to Nancy, or 'oh thank god saint Nancy saved the war'. Furthermore, the first half of the book (all pre-war) doesn't add enough to the story to really justify it's length and I found this part fairly boring.
Again, I emphasise the fact that this is my opinion of the book, NOT Nancy Wake herself or what she achieved. Regrettably enough for me, this book was so over-the-top in its praise of Nancy that I now personally have some doubts about the authenticity of the stories. Although it's probably sacrilege to say it I really feel no-one can possibly be that amazing at everything and I wonder if some of the exploits have been exaggerated.
So overall I cannot recommend the Peter FitzSimons version of the Nancy Wake tale. Numerous other books have been written about Nancy Wake so perhaps you might want to try them. I'd imagine her autobiography, The White Mouse might make for better reading.
As a final confession, I did go through this book as an audio-book and the narrator's style just didn't gel with me; I found her really annoying; so perhaps that also had a lot to do with my dislike for the book.
If you absolutely loved this book or Nancy Wake then you're not going to like this review - so move on!
Before I now go off on my rant, I will strongly emphasise here that my review is not intended to judge nor discredit Nancy Wake or her accomplishments. I am reviewing the book, its content and my (unfavourable) reaction to it.
It goes without saying that beyond the hype and mythology surrounding Nancy Wake, she must clearly have been a fairly remarkable and unique person. Her apparent total commitment to justice, freedom and fighting the Nazis, all while risking her life are truly commendable.
But...
As you may guess from the title of my review that's about as much enthusiasm can muster for the whole story. No doubt NW did some remarkable things. But reading Peter FitzSimons' account of her life is about as subtle as an elephant in a China shop and as much fun as going to the dentist.
So I'm probably being a little harsh but this book is so incredibly 'pro-Nancy' that I found myself loathing her by the end of the novel.
Now I'm sure some readers will be thinking I'm heartless and unappreciative but consider my argument. Imagine a superwoman who can do no wrong, is right about everything, everyone agrees with everything she says. She's beautiful, wise, extremely brave and can drink (booze) everyone under the table.
So the general narrative is '... and then Nancy did this splendidly amazing thing, before drinking a horse under the table and killing a hundred armed Nazi with her bare hands for fun'.
Now multiply that same narrative by a thousand times and you pretty well have this book covered. At times I literally started muttering to myself sarcastic retorts to the story, such as 'oh of course she did', whenever another exploit had been achieved, all thanks to Nancy, or 'oh thank god saint Nancy saved the war'. Furthermore, the first half of the book (all pre-war) doesn't add enough to the story to really justify it's length and I found this part fairly boring.
Again, I emphasise the fact that this is my opinion of the book, NOT Nancy Wake herself or what she achieved. Regrettably enough for me, this book was so over-the-top in its praise of Nancy that I now personally have some doubts about the authenticity of the stories. Although it's probably sacrilege to say it I really feel no-one can possibly be that amazing at everything and I wonder if some of the exploits have been exaggerated.
So overall I cannot recommend the Peter FitzSimons version of the Nancy Wake tale. Numerous other books have been written about Nancy Wake so perhaps you might want to try them. I'd imagine her autobiography, The White Mouse might make for better reading.
As a final confession, I did go through this book as an audio-book and the narrator's style just didn't gel with me; I found her really annoying; so perhaps that also had a lot to do with my dislike for the book.
September 7, 2015
The author begins with a quote from Anne of Green Gables, and goes on to say that it ranks with Anne of the Island as Nancy Wake’s two favorite books. Since “Anne” is very high on my list as well, I was instantly intrigued. I had read a review of Nancy Wake in which the writer complained that the author’s writing skills were lacking. I disagree, and the audio version is particularly fascinating as the narrator does a great job with the various accents! This is the biography of an Australian resistance fighter who found herself at the top of the Gestapo’s most wanted list. Nancy was living a bohemian existence, working as a journalist in Paris during the years leading up to the war. After France was occupied by the Germans she became an integral leader of the French Resistance. It’s difficult to do justice to this beautiful, hard drinking, strong minded, outspoken, fearless creature! I was mesmerized throughout, perhaps partly because her exploits were so very far beyond anything I could ever imagine undertaking.
July 31, 2011
Interesting biography, but not very well written. Nancy Wake's life certainly was eventful. She left Australia well before the war and was established in France with a French husband by the time the Germans invaded. She joined the maquis in the south of France and did some amazing things. However, the writing of this biography left me wondering - evil Nazis - yes we know that the Nazis did some horrendous things, but the emotive language does a huge dis-service to Nancy's life story. Just how objective was this version
July 29, 2020
I'm glad I read the book, having never heard of Nancy until this showed up in my recommendations. The day after I finished it one of the podcasts I listen to covered her also. Actually they did this a long time before but I'm catching up. I'm glad the author knew Nancy Wake and she helped him with the book. I'm also glad that he researched her and had other sources. This is the WWII story I would like to see.
October 13, 2011
I read this a long time ago, I have an autographed copy. Nancy Wake is an amazing lady, and her nickname by the Nazis of 'The White Mouse' tells us about the brave, dangerous things she did in the war, and how the Germans couldn't catch her, referring to her as the White Mouse, as she always got away!
September 29, 2013
I enjoyed this book so much at the start (I listened to the audible.com version), but about 3/4 of the way through, I found myself getting irritated and by the end I had pretty much lost interest. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Clearly Nancy Wake was a remarkable women, but somehow in the telling she came across as just a little too cute and a little too clever.
October 16, 2007
A brilliant story ruined by bad story telling.
December 8, 2011
Interesting though poorly written biography of an Australian woman who fought with the French resistance in WWII.
April 19, 2019
3.5★
It was really interesting to read of Nancy Wake's life fighting for the Resistance in WWII. As some of the other reviews that I read mentioned, there seemed to be an element of hero worship on the author's behalf, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the read. I haven't read any of Peter FitzSimon's books before, and was surprised by the quality of the writing. It was very easy to follow, my only complaint was his frequent use of the word "flatly" to describe how someone (normally Nancy) said something - "...she said, flatly."
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Stephanie Daniel, and that was another very enjoyable aspect. I've listened to her reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher books, and I love her accent. She is no longer alive, so won't be doing any more Phryne books :-(
It was really interesting to read of Nancy Wake's life fighting for the Resistance in WWII. As some of the other reviews that I read mentioned, there seemed to be an element of hero worship on the author's behalf, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the read. I haven't read any of Peter FitzSimon's books before, and was surprised by the quality of the writing. It was very easy to follow, my only complaint was his frequent use of the word "flatly" to describe how someone (normally Nancy) said something - "...she said, flatly."
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Stephanie Daniel, and that was another very enjoyable aspect. I've listened to her reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher books, and I love her accent. She is no longer alive, so won't be doing any more Phryne books :-(
April 20, 2017
Reduced to its essentials, the life story of Nancy Wake is fascinating. She was an amazing person who greatly aided the French resistance in WWII. However, I was put off by the juvenile writing style of the author who sounded like an awestruck teenager whose prose is riddled with ludicrous descriptions. When he likened the WWII practice of warships accompanying supply ships in convoys to a mother goose and her goslings (or something similar), I just couldn't take it any longer, and stopped short of finishing the book. Another author telling her tale [I think there is also an autobiography] would be infinitely more palatable.
February 26, 2017
I've no problem with slang being used in the recreation of a conversation but to use such language throughout the book gives it the feel of a middle school book report. I'd've tossed it early on but for the underlying story which was well worth the time. So 5 stars for the story and 1 for the telling giving us a middling 3 overall
August 8, 2011
Nancy died today. She was a remarkable women. I was very fortunate to meet her once; how lucky am I! RIP Nancy.
May 31, 2015
What should have been a really interesting biography about an amazing woman was ruined by the style of the author. It reads like a juvenile sports-hero type of airport book. What a shame!
September 2, 2020
Recent years have seen a flood of new books belatedly highlighting the role of women in espionage in World War II. Despite rampant sexism and misogyny, women did indeed fill vital roles as spies and analysts in intelligence-gathering as well as partisan activities behind enemy lines. And few women played as prominent a part as a phenomenal Australian woman named Nancy Wake (1912-2011). Her exploits in France during the war have been the subject of at least five books as well as a feature film and a TV series. The best of the books, I’ve found, is Peter FitzSimmons‘ Nancy Wake, which appeared in 2011, the year of her death at the age of 98.
An “assisted autobiography”
FitzSimmons’ book might be characterized as an assisted autobiography. It’s based in large measure on the author’s interviews with Nancy Wake, and the copyright was registered in both their names. The book appears to be a much updated version of his own biography of Wake that had been published a decade earlier. There are frequent quotes from his interviews with her.
But Fitzsimmons clearly didn’t rely only on Nancy Wake’s own war stories. He’s obviously done his homework as well, drawing on many other sources, as you might expect of one of Australia��s most accomplished journalists. A clear picture emerges of a woman who was, to use a phrase in common use today, a piece of work. She was tough—she killed one German soldier with a karate chop—prickly, profane, disdainful of fools, and at times very, very funny. She was also a hard drinker who could (and did) drink the partisans she led under the table. An SOE officer she worked with in France told the author, “I had never seen anyone drink like that ever, and I don’t think the Maquis had either. . . In my long life, it remains one of the most extraordinary things I have seen.”
Although Wake married a French millionaire and adroitly played the part of a society lady, she comes across as having been more comfortable shooting Nazis and blowing up trains and bridges than trading bon mots at cocktail parties.
This female WWII spy led thousands against the Nazis
Wake’s career as a spy began when she enlisted as a courier for the nascent French Resistance in Marseille in 1940. Over the months, her stature in the underground network grew, and her role evolved from courier to organizer. She engineered several diabolically clever and daring escapes from both French and Nazi prisons. She was known to the Maquis as “Madame Andrée,” but the Gestapo came to call her “the White Mouse” because she kept eluding their traps. She adopted the moniker as the title of her autobiography four decades later. Ultimately, Wake was responsible at least in part for moving more than a thousand downed Allied pilots, Jewish fugitives, hunted partisans, and other refugees to safety across the border in Spain.
When Wake’s Marseille-based network was betrayed by a Gestapo spy, she fled to Spain herself—on the seventh attempt, and only after six months of trying—and subsequently by ship on to England. There, she attempted in vain to join General Charles de Gaulle‘s Free French. When the French declined to allow her into their ranks, she connected with Britain’s new Special Operations Executive (SOE).
The most decorated heroine of WWII
Following months of intensive training to prepare her for combat, Wake parachuted into the mountains of central France to equip and lead a force of Maquis partisans that grew to thousands as the Allied invasion of Normandy grew near. FitzSimmons describes her as “the most decorated heroine of the Second World War” and one of the most decorated combatants of either gender, and that may well have been the case. She certainly received a lot of medals over the years—from France, the UK, the USA, and, eventually, from Australia as well. Nancy Wake was, undoubtedly, one of the most extraordinary female spies of World War II.
A British officer reported to the London Telegraph in 1945, “The greatest and most sincere compliment I ever heard paid to anyone came from one of the partisans. After a skirmish with the Germans this man came to me and said: ‘Madame Andrée has more guts than Jacques, and he’s the bravest of us all.'”
An “assisted autobiography”
FitzSimmons’ book might be characterized as an assisted autobiography. It’s based in large measure on the author’s interviews with Nancy Wake, and the copyright was registered in both their names. The book appears to be a much updated version of his own biography of Wake that had been published a decade earlier. There are frequent quotes from his interviews with her.
But Fitzsimmons clearly didn’t rely only on Nancy Wake’s own war stories. He’s obviously done his homework as well, drawing on many other sources, as you might expect of one of Australia��s most accomplished journalists. A clear picture emerges of a woman who was, to use a phrase in common use today, a piece of work. She was tough—she killed one German soldier with a karate chop—prickly, profane, disdainful of fools, and at times very, very funny. She was also a hard drinker who could (and did) drink the partisans she led under the table. An SOE officer she worked with in France told the author, “I had never seen anyone drink like that ever, and I don’t think the Maquis had either. . . In my long life, it remains one of the most extraordinary things I have seen.”
Although Wake married a French millionaire and adroitly played the part of a society lady, she comes across as having been more comfortable shooting Nazis and blowing up trains and bridges than trading bon mots at cocktail parties.
This female WWII spy led thousands against the Nazis
Wake’s career as a spy began when she enlisted as a courier for the nascent French Resistance in Marseille in 1940. Over the months, her stature in the underground network grew, and her role evolved from courier to organizer. She engineered several diabolically clever and daring escapes from both French and Nazi prisons. She was known to the Maquis as “Madame Andrée,” but the Gestapo came to call her “the White Mouse” because she kept eluding their traps. She adopted the moniker as the title of her autobiography four decades later. Ultimately, Wake was responsible at least in part for moving more than a thousand downed Allied pilots, Jewish fugitives, hunted partisans, and other refugees to safety across the border in Spain.
When Wake’s Marseille-based network was betrayed by a Gestapo spy, she fled to Spain herself—on the seventh attempt, and only after six months of trying—and subsequently by ship on to England. There, she attempted in vain to join General Charles de Gaulle‘s Free French. When the French declined to allow her into their ranks, she connected with Britain’s new Special Operations Executive (SOE).
The most decorated heroine of WWII
Following months of intensive training to prepare her for combat, Wake parachuted into the mountains of central France to equip and lead a force of Maquis partisans that grew to thousands as the Allied invasion of Normandy grew near. FitzSimmons describes her as “the most decorated heroine of the Second World War” and one of the most decorated combatants of either gender, and that may well have been the case. She certainly received a lot of medals over the years—from France, the UK, the USA, and, eventually, from Australia as well. Nancy Wake was, undoubtedly, one of the most extraordinary female spies of World War II.
A British officer reported to the London Telegraph in 1945, “The greatest and most sincere compliment I ever heard paid to anyone came from one of the partisans. After a skirmish with the Germans this man came to me and said: ‘Madame Andrée has more guts than Jacques, and he’s the bravest of us all.'”
March 14, 2025
What a brave, courageous woman. Her story is amazing. I learned so much about the French resistance during the Nazi occupation.
February 29, 2016
I'm giving it a 3/5 for the actual real-life story, NOT for the way it is written.
It's a pretty unbelievable true story of a working-class Australian girl, who runs away at sixteen, gets a job, travels to Europe, gets a qualification in London, moves to Paris, parties in Paris whilst working, meets a French guy, gets married. Meanwhile, WWII breaks out - and Nancy, the protagonist, has an avowed hatred of Nazis (understandably). So she vows to do everything she can to fight against them, and her life completely flips upside down. She works in the Resistance, eventually flees France to survive, then parachutes back in with the support of the Allies and leads large bands of French rebels (the Maquis) to stage attacks on the Nazis in France - contributing to the success of eventually kicking the Germans out of France again by the end of the war.
So, Pros: Incredible story of achievements, very impressive, especially in terms of female representation.
Cons: I didn't really connect with Nancy the character at all. I do not feel like we would have gotten along, for various reasons, unless we were both somehow engaged in battle against some Nazis. In addition, I really disliked the way the book was written...
A) There's already two books about her life - including an autobiography - so why, exactly, write a THIRD book?
B) The author adds in all these over-the-top Australian references and Australian slang - but honestly, I'm unfamiliar with most of it (and I'm at minimum 5th-generation Australian). And it's usually not particularly relevant to what is being described, and I felt that it detracted from the momentum of the story. It just seemed almost a little patronising. There's no need to put in silly Australianisms everywhere - it doesn't make it any more authentic. It just makes it frustrating to read.
C) The author provides little to no critique of any of Nancy's decisions, actions or character traits. Of course, a biographer is unlikely to heavily critique the person he is writing the book about, but she's not a goddess, mate (this, for example, is an appropriate place to insert Australian slang, because it is an informal online review, not a professional biography). Was she a very adventurous, determined war heroine? Yes. Was every decision she ever made 100% excellent? No. There's really very little moral questioning ever shown, beyond sayings like "Well, Nancy wouldn't stand for that!" or stating how much she values freedom.
D) There's this underlying attitude that one of the things that made Nancy special was that she could be "one of the men"; e.g. be extremely accomplished at "manly" pursuits such as binge drinking and swearing. Somehow, this is supposed to show how legendary Nancy was. However, I would suggest that it is a sad indictment of the underlying patriarchal mentality of our society, that in order for a woman to be considered great, she must be considered "one of the men".
I could go on further, but they were the chief concerns I had with the book. If you like war stories and don't mind stories being written in an odd way, then go ahead and read it. But if not, then probably don't. I don't mean to disparage Nancy's actual story - the essence and action of which I think is well represented within this book.
It's a pretty unbelievable true story of a working-class Australian girl, who runs away at sixteen, gets a job, travels to Europe, gets a qualification in London, moves to Paris, parties in Paris whilst working, meets a French guy, gets married. Meanwhile, WWII breaks out - and Nancy, the protagonist, has an avowed hatred of Nazis (understandably). So she vows to do everything she can to fight against them, and her life completely flips upside down. She works in the Resistance, eventually flees France to survive, then parachutes back in with the support of the Allies and leads large bands of French rebels (the Maquis) to stage attacks on the Nazis in France - contributing to the success of eventually kicking the Germans out of France again by the end of the war.
So, Pros: Incredible story of achievements, very impressive, especially in terms of female representation.
Cons: I didn't really connect with Nancy the character at all. I do not feel like we would have gotten along, for various reasons, unless we were both somehow engaged in battle against some Nazis. In addition, I really disliked the way the book was written...
A) There's already two books about her life - including an autobiography - so why, exactly, write a THIRD book?
B) The author adds in all these over-the-top Australian references and Australian slang - but honestly, I'm unfamiliar with most of it (and I'm at minimum 5th-generation Australian). And it's usually not particularly relevant to what is being described, and I felt that it detracted from the momentum of the story. It just seemed almost a little patronising. There's no need to put in silly Australianisms everywhere - it doesn't make it any more authentic. It just makes it frustrating to read.
C) The author provides little to no critique of any of Nancy's decisions, actions or character traits. Of course, a biographer is unlikely to heavily critique the person he is writing the book about, but she's not a goddess, mate (this, for example, is an appropriate place to insert Australian slang, because it is an informal online review, not a professional biography). Was she a very adventurous, determined war heroine? Yes. Was every decision she ever made 100% excellent? No. There's really very little moral questioning ever shown, beyond sayings like "Well, Nancy wouldn't stand for that!" or stating how much she values freedom.
D) There's this underlying attitude that one of the things that made Nancy special was that she could be "one of the men"; e.g. be extremely accomplished at "manly" pursuits such as binge drinking and swearing. Somehow, this is supposed to show how legendary Nancy was. However, I would suggest that it is a sad indictment of the underlying patriarchal mentality of our society, that in order for a woman to be considered great, she must be considered "one of the men".
I could go on further, but they were the chief concerns I had with the book. If you like war stories and don't mind stories being written in an odd way, then go ahead and read it. But if not, then probably don't. I don't mean to disparage Nancy's actual story - the essence and action of which I think is well represented within this book.
December 25, 2022
Nancy Wake, a high-society hostess in the south of France, became a decorated heroine of the French Resistance during World War II.
In the war, she was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers and downed airmen between 1940 and 1943 by escorting them through occupied France to safety in Spain.
She helped establish communication lines between the British military and the French Resistance in 1944 that were deemed crucial to weakening German strength in France in advance of the Allied invasion.
This book presents her story and it is fascinating.
After finishing the book, I did read that there are some doubts about the authenticity of her account, too much related to this is accompanied with the comment “(not confirmed by other sources)”
However this is a good read.
In the war, she was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers and downed airmen between 1940 and 1943 by escorting them through occupied France to safety in Spain.
She helped establish communication lines between the British military and the French Resistance in 1944 that were deemed crucial to weakening German strength in France in advance of the Allied invasion.
This book presents her story and it is fascinating.
After finishing the book, I did read that there are some doubts about the authenticity of her account, too much related to this is accompanied with the comment “(not confirmed by other sources)”
However this is a good read.
August 13, 2013
I had never heard of Australian Nancy Wake. Her adventures with the French Resistance during WW2 were astonishing. She received many military and national honours. At first, Nancy guided groups escaping to the Pyrenees, then when the Gestapo got too close, she escaped herself to England. She got bored there waiting for her French husband to show up, went to spy school in Scotland, parachuted into the French forest, and coordinated 7000 French guerilla fighters by leading raids, ordering executions, and arranging weapons drops with England.
This is non-fiction, and it is arranged chronologically. The first half of the book outlining her childhood and early years abroad is tedious, until the war starts. I thought it would make a much better novel. I have since learned that the novel Charlotte Grey is based on Nancy Wake's story, so I'll have to look that up. I wished desperately that the many chapters about her family/early life had been somehow introduced in flashbacks. I didn't think the background was worthy of so many pages (or in my case, hours, since I listened via audio book). If the war adventures had been introduced, the background to her history/character would have been more relevant and interesting. It's all out of context filling the back story ad nauseum.
Wake's war-time adventures were incredible. She was brave, fearless, and ingenious. I am absolutely certain that I would not have liked her at all, but her deeds are impressive, nonetheless!
It was tedious 'reading' but I wanted to know the whole story. My husband go so bored at the half way point (still waiting for the war!) that he gave up and just read her Wikipedia entry.
Wake died at the age of 98 in London. She had received a small pension from Prince Charles for her war service.
This is non-fiction, and it is arranged chronologically. The first half of the book outlining her childhood and early years abroad is tedious, until the war starts. I thought it would make a much better novel. I have since learned that the novel Charlotte Grey is based on Nancy Wake's story, so I'll have to look that up. I wished desperately that the many chapters about her family/early life had been somehow introduced in flashbacks. I didn't think the background was worthy of so many pages (or in my case, hours, since I listened via audio book). If the war adventures had been introduced, the background to her history/character would have been more relevant and interesting. It's all out of context filling the back story ad nauseum.
Wake's war-time adventures were incredible. She was brave, fearless, and ingenious. I am absolutely certain that I would not have liked her at all, but her deeds are impressive, nonetheless!
It was tedious 'reading' but I wanted to know the whole story. My husband go so bored at the half way point (still waiting for the war!) that he gave up and just read her Wikipedia entry.
Wake died at the age of 98 in London. She had received a small pension from Prince Charles for her war service.
August 6, 2013
I'm a sucker for WWII history and picked up this book without knowing about Nancy Wake. It turned out to be a fascinating book about an independent young woman who left Australia and ended up married to a rich French businessman in pre-war France. If the story had ended here, I would still be recommending the book for the insights into the way of life and emerging history of the time.
However, the reason for Nancy Wake's fame is that she became a member and a leader of a French Resistance group and almost instantly her life was changed from being a lady of leisure to a hardened street fighting woman. It's amazing to think that this change took place in months through daily life or death struggle.
I have to say that this was one of the most shocking books I have ever read. My jaw dropped when reading about the atrocities of the Germans occupying France. The resistance didn't hold back either in their fight to regain their country. I don't think I have ever been so traumatised by text.
The most import lessons for me were the description of the rise of Fascism. Nancy wake saw it first hand in pre-war Germany and then as it invaded her adopted home country. I think we British think we had it bad, with the "The Blitz" but half of the French were occupied and under the rule of ever watchful Gestapo and their collaborators. Communities split and the danger if you thought out of line. Scary stuff. I had so much empathy for French that I shed a tear at the "news" of the liberation of Paris.
However, the reason for Nancy Wake's fame is that she became a member and a leader of a French Resistance group and almost instantly her life was changed from being a lady of leisure to a hardened street fighting woman. It's amazing to think that this change took place in months through daily life or death struggle.
I have to say that this was one of the most shocking books I have ever read. My jaw dropped when reading about the atrocities of the Germans occupying France. The resistance didn't hold back either in their fight to regain their country. I don't think I have ever been so traumatised by text.
The most import lessons for me were the description of the rise of Fascism. Nancy wake saw it first hand in pre-war Germany and then as it invaded her adopted home country. I think we British think we had it bad, with the "The Blitz" but half of the French were occupied and under the rule of ever watchful Gestapo and their collaborators. Communities split and the danger if you thought out of line. Scary stuff. I had so much empathy for French that I shed a tear at the "news" of the liberation of Paris.
June 1, 2013
Ever heard of Nancy Wake? Well, you probably should have. She was an incredible WWII heroine. What guts this woman had. She was a native Australian who became an undercover agent and explosives expert. She did not seem to flinch at facing the most terrifying of circumstances in order to do what needed to be done. She was responsible for helping countless people get out of France before they could be taken by the Germans. She herself was caught at one point, but she never gave up, and after regaining her freedom, went right back to putting it to the Germans.
I was amazed at the courage and determination of this woman, and wonder why I had never heard of her before.
I was amazed at the courage and determination of this woman, and wonder why I had never heard of her before.
January 17, 2014
Peter Fitzsimons writes the most brilliant book, and this book is no different.
I knew of Nancy Wake, and that as the white mouse, she was a person of interest to the Germans during WW2, but I did not realise what a great hero she was to the French and the Allies during the war.
This woman was amazing and immensely brilliant, I have gained a new hero, and I love the fact that she truly had a life that is worth recording. What a gal, she was the greatest, and I love her for her panache and never say die attitude. How wonderful the world would be if more Nancy Wakes existed.
I knew of Nancy Wake, and that as the white mouse, she was a person of interest to the Germans during WW2, but I did not realise what a great hero she was to the French and the Allies during the war.
This woman was amazing and immensely brilliant, I have gained a new hero, and I love the fact that she truly had a life that is worth recording. What a gal, she was the greatest, and I love her for her panache and never say die attitude. How wonderful the world would be if more Nancy Wakes existed.
September 1, 2013
Fantastic book about a fantastic woman!
Finally someone exploring her humour and wit as well as her stoic and pragmatic way of "blinking" things to speak in Gladwellien terms...
My personal favourite in all the Wake Bio's, not written by herself, I've read.
And I can definitively not understand those who would have preferred a Bio by a Nancy hater! And loathed this book because it was written by an enthusiast who loves what he's doing and who he writes about!
Finally someone exploring her humour and wit as well as her stoic and pragmatic way of "blinking" things to speak in Gladwellien terms...
My personal favourite in all the Wake Bio's, not written by herself, I've read.
And I can definitively not understand those who would have preferred a Bio by a Nancy hater! And loathed this book because it was written by an enthusiast who loves what he's doing and who he writes about!
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