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Carve Her Name with Pride
Carve Her Name With Pride is the inspiring story of the half-French Violette Szabo who was born in Paris in 1921 to an English motor-car dealer, and a French Mother. She met and married Etienne Szabo, a Captain in the French Foreign Legion in 1940. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Tania, her husband died at El Alamein. She became a FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) and was recruited into the SOE and underwent secret agent training. Her first trip to France was completed successfully even though she was arrested and then released by the French Police.
On June 7th, 1944, Szabo was parachuted into Limoges. Her task was to co-ordinate the work of the French Resistance in the area in the first days after D-Day. She was captured by the SS 'Das Reich' Panzer Division and handed over to the Gestapo in Paris for interrogation. From Paris, Violette Szabo was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp where she was executed in January 1945. She was only 23 and for her courage was posthumously awarded The George Cross and the Croix de Guerre.
On June 7th, 1944, Szabo was parachuted into Limoges. Her task was to co-ordinate the work of the French Resistance in the area in the first days after D-Day. She was captured by the SS 'Das Reich' Panzer Division and handed over to the Gestapo in Paris for interrogation. From Paris, Violette Szabo was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp where she was executed in January 1945. She was only 23 and for her courage was posthumously awarded The George Cross and the Croix de Guerre.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1956
87 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Minney
44 books5 followersRubeigh James Minney was a British film producer, journalist, playwright, editor and author. He was author of over 40 books including novels and biographies. As a film-maker and film producer, he worked with British film companies such as Gainsborough Pictures, and was invited to Hollywood by Darryl F. Zanuck. He was also a journalist in India and London, and editor of several newspapers.
[with thanks to Wikipedia]
[with thanks to Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 21, 2011
This is hagiography, not biography. Not only is Violette without flaw or fault, the book presents myth as fact, with the shoot-out at the end that didn't happen. The book also doesn't acknowledge how SOE botched things in France. This is a book of its time, written too soon after the war for truth. Still, it's an important work of WWII spy literature, but it has to be read with a mind to what is not being said.
October 7, 2012
I can't believe what a brave woman Violette Szabo was. This was the book that started me on my avid interest in SOE's of World War 2. The book was put together from true accounts of her life by close family, friends & people who came into contact with her through her work in Special Operations. The book is so descriptive & she really comes to life in the pages. I read the book many years ago & it remains my favourite book to this day.
Want to read
October 20, 2013The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life...
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life...
October 21, 2017
am ashamed to admit that I hadn't heard of Violette Szabo before I moved here to the UK. Once here, however, I was introduced to her story fairly soon, and I've admired her ever since. This biography was written fairly shortly after her death, when many of the people (those who survived, anyhow) were still around to share their memories of her.
When war broke out in 1939, Violette wanted to “do her bit,” as so many Brits did then. At first, she did war work in factories, etc., but in the end, she took a more direct role in the derailment of the Nazi war machine. As an agent in the SOE, Violette was fearless in going behind enemy lines to gather intelligence, transmit information to agents already in place, and to put it plainly, kick ass.
When I say she was fearless, I don't engage in hyperbole. There's a lot in Carve Her Name with Pride about just what was asked of her, and how well she met the challenge. She is a hero worthy of the name, and well worth one's time to discover.
There was one bit missing from the book that made me a little sad. I suppose that's the peril of watching a movie before reading the source material. I had seen the 1958 film of the same name, starring the marvelous Virginia McKenna, and a pivotal part of the story is a poem written by Leo Marks and recited so beautifully by McKenna as a code:
The life that I have, is all that I have, and the life that I have is yours
The love that I have of the life that I have, is yours and yours and yours
A sleep I shall have, a rest I shall have, yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years in the long green grass will be yours and yours and yours
I have read, and recited, this poem many times since I first learned of it, and was looking forward to reading about it in Carve Her Name with Pride. Unfortunately, it isn't mentioned here. Though it and other poems were used during WWII until better ways to encrypt were developed, it isn't a specific part of Violette's story as told here. I felt like I was missing something in not seeing it as part of the narrative. That's the power of cinema.
When war broke out in 1939, Violette wanted to “do her bit,” as so many Brits did then. At first, she did war work in factories, etc., but in the end, she took a more direct role in the derailment of the Nazi war machine. As an agent in the SOE, Violette was fearless in going behind enemy lines to gather intelligence, transmit information to agents already in place, and to put it plainly, kick ass.
When I say she was fearless, I don't engage in hyperbole. There's a lot in Carve Her Name with Pride about just what was asked of her, and how well she met the challenge. She is a hero worthy of the name, and well worth one's time to discover.
There was one bit missing from the book that made me a little sad. I suppose that's the peril of watching a movie before reading the source material. I had seen the 1958 film of the same name, starring the marvelous Virginia McKenna, and a pivotal part of the story is a poem written by Leo Marks and recited so beautifully by McKenna as a code:
The life that I have, is all that I have, and the life that I have is yours
The love that I have of the life that I have, is yours and yours and yours
A sleep I shall have, a rest I shall have, yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years in the long green grass will be yours and yours and yours
I have read, and recited, this poem many times since I first learned of it, and was looking forward to reading about it in Carve Her Name with Pride. Unfortunately, it isn't mentioned here. Though it and other poems were used during WWII until better ways to encrypt were developed, it isn't a specific part of Violette's story as told here. I felt like I was missing something in not seeing it as part of the narrative. That's the power of cinema.
June 9, 2015
This book was originally published during the 1950s, so is somewhat jingoistic in tone. However, the relative immediacy of the prose makes the reader feel as though they really knew Violette Szabo.
Yet how can anyone know the person who chose to undertake some of the most dangerous war work ever devised and then when captured withstood atrocious treatment at the hands of her enemies with courage and dignity? There are a lot of broad sweeping statements in this book as the author also struggles to convey what is almost impossible for anyone not in that position to know. There is also much guess work and inference from the author when drawing conclusions. However, while this would usually frustrate me when it comes to a work of non-fiction, in this case I think not works adequately for the books aim of celebrating an individual who gave her life for get country in the most extraordinary circumstances.
This book focuses completely on the life and personality of Violette Szabo, and is a fairly straight forward biography accordingly. A little more background information on the work of SOE would greatly enhance the narrative and improve the book as a secondary historical source. However, as already mentioned the book was written in the 1950s and it can be assumed that much of what is now known was still subject to the official secrets act at the time.
I would recommend reading this book alongside histories of SOE rather than in isolation as it gives a very particular view of SOEs work that is perhaps more suited to a Hollywood blockbuster than a truly historical analysis. But as an example of how an individual can make a difference Violette Szabo will take some beating. Her story deserves to be remembered with pride, as this book's title suggest.
Yet how can anyone know the person who chose to undertake some of the most dangerous war work ever devised and then when captured withstood atrocious treatment at the hands of her enemies with courage and dignity? There are a lot of broad sweeping statements in this book as the author also struggles to convey what is almost impossible for anyone not in that position to know. There is also much guess work and inference from the author when drawing conclusions. However, while this would usually frustrate me when it comes to a work of non-fiction, in this case I think not works adequately for the books aim of celebrating an individual who gave her life for get country in the most extraordinary circumstances.
This book focuses completely on the life and personality of Violette Szabo, and is a fairly straight forward biography accordingly. A little more background information on the work of SOE would greatly enhance the narrative and improve the book as a secondary historical source. However, as already mentioned the book was written in the 1950s and it can be assumed that much of what is now known was still subject to the official secrets act at the time.
I would recommend reading this book alongside histories of SOE rather than in isolation as it gives a very particular view of SOEs work that is perhaps more suited to a Hollywood blockbuster than a truly historical analysis. But as an example of how an individual can make a difference Violette Szabo will take some beating. Her story deserves to be remembered with pride, as this book's title suggest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2016
I believe the first and only other time I have read this book was when I was about 10 years old (a rather long time ago now) and it left a life long impression on me. I always hoped (and still do) that I could be as brave, courageous and strong as Violette when my time came (quite what I thought would happen to me, goodness knows).
This book is quite small it that means that every word counts - there's no waffle to bulk it up. I think it's worth noting that this book was written not too long after actual events. It appears the author did his best to throughly research Violette's life and interviewed as many people who actually I knew her as possible. Still, I never take one source as authority & plan to read further.
What I picked up on as an adult, that passed me by as a child was the involvement of many different nations in espionage work during the Second World War. It's only hinted at here, in reference to Violette's own training. The British recruited and trained people of all nationalities willing to go behind enemy lines and carry out reconnaissance and espionage to help win the war. The scale and depth of the preparation was surprising. I don't know why, as it was very essential.
It still upset me reading of Violette, Lillian and Danielle's treatment, torture and murders at the hand of the Nazis. Why did they do that to them? What was the point of it?
I guess the Strongest overall impression the book had on me was the waste of such young lives! How much better could the world be now if such people had lived? War puts people in to a unique pressure cooker situation. Perhaps it's only then you truly find out what you are made of. Still, such a waste!
This book is quite small it that means that every word counts - there's no waffle to bulk it up. I think it's worth noting that this book was written not too long after actual events. It appears the author did his best to throughly research Violette's life and interviewed as many people who actually I knew her as possible. Still, I never take one source as authority & plan to read further.
What I picked up on as an adult, that passed me by as a child was the involvement of many different nations in espionage work during the Second World War. It's only hinted at here, in reference to Violette's own training. The British recruited and trained people of all nationalities willing to go behind enemy lines and carry out reconnaissance and espionage to help win the war. The scale and depth of the preparation was surprising. I don't know why, as it was very essential.
It still upset me reading of Violette, Lillian and Danielle's treatment, torture and murders at the hand of the Nazis. Why did they do that to them? What was the point of it?
I guess the Strongest overall impression the book had on me was the waste of such young lives! How much better could the world be now if such people had lived? War puts people in to a unique pressure cooker situation. Perhaps it's only then you truly find out what you are made of. Still, such a waste!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2013
I had never heard of Violette Szabo before, who was a secret agent for the British and Allied Forces in WW2. She was only 23 years old when she was executed by the Nazis.
Violette was not only beautiful, she was/is a true hero. What she endured while she was a prisoner of the Germans, is unspeakable.
Even under torture by the Gestapo, she never gave her secrets away.
In the book, it is only hinted at what kind of atrocities Violette was subjected, too, and how she suffered in the concentration camp at Ravensbrück.
I am not a fan of gory details but to really understand what this young woman suffered in the name of freedom and humanity, there has to be more information what was done to her.
But the author cannot or does not want to give us more details. It is known, however, about other female secret agents who escaped concentration camps, that they suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and never could enjoy a normal life again. They just had endured too much.
This kind of information would have helped to understand better how incredible the courage and strength of Violette Szabo was.
I still give 5 points for this gripping book because it is crucial that heroes like Violette Szabo will hopefully never be forgotten. And because it highlights the important role of women in WW2.
Violette was not only beautiful, she was/is a true hero. What she endured while she was a prisoner of the Germans, is unspeakable.
Even under torture by the Gestapo, she never gave her secrets away.
In the book, it is only hinted at what kind of atrocities Violette was subjected, too, and how she suffered in the concentration camp at Ravensbrück.
I am not a fan of gory details but to really understand what this young woman suffered in the name of freedom and humanity, there has to be more information what was done to her.
But the author cannot or does not want to give us more details. It is known, however, about other female secret agents who escaped concentration camps, that they suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and never could enjoy a normal life again. They just had endured too much.
This kind of information would have helped to understand better how incredible the courage and strength of Violette Szabo was.
I still give 5 points for this gripping book because it is crucial that heroes like Violette Szabo will hopefully never be forgotten. And because it highlights the important role of women in WW2.
February 23, 2009
The book made into a film with Virginia McKenna in the star role. There is much more in this book. The story of Violette Szabo nee Bushell, who was born in Paris and grew up in England. She married a French Officer during the war, but when he was killed at El-Alamein, Violette joined the S.O.E. even though she had a young daughter.
The book tells of her training etc.,that even her own parents were kept ignorant of.
She worked on various missions in occupied France and was captured during sabotage ops post D-Day. She was just 23 when she was executed at Ravensbruck.
Alistair Maclean can't write this stuff.
The book tells of her training etc.,that even her own parents were kept ignorant of.
She worked on various missions in occupied France and was captured during sabotage ops post D-Day. She was just 23 when she was executed at Ravensbruck.
Alistair Maclean can't write this stuff.
April 26, 2015
Violette Szabo is mentioned several times in Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, 1941-1945 with the suffering Leo Marks experienced by what Violette endured as a POW. If you read Marks' book you should read Carve Her Name with Pride.
June 15, 2018
Despite its age (it was written in the 50's) it is still a great story that deserves to be told.
As an aside I recently paid a visit to the former airfield at RAF Tempsford from which many of the SOE agents, including Violette Szabo, flew out of on their way to occupied Europe. In the Gibraltar Farm Barn, in which they were equipped and potentially compromising articles removed, there is a very tasteful memorial to many of those who failed to return. In Tempsford village itself there is the official memorial to those brave people.
Lest We Forget!
As an aside I recently paid a visit to the former airfield at RAF Tempsford from which many of the SOE agents, including Violette Szabo, flew out of on their way to occupied Europe. In the Gibraltar Farm Barn, in which they were equipped and potentially compromising articles removed, there is a very tasteful memorial to many of those who failed to return. In Tempsford village itself there is the official memorial to those brave people.
Lest We Forget!
November 26, 2017
This book conveys Violette's personality beautifully in a very matter of fact way.
I found the information and detail in the book absolutely fascinating, particularly about the training she was given.
Because it was written so soon after the war it has many little stories of Violette first hand, as those that knew her as a child ,colleague, and fellow agents were available to talk to the author about her
The fact she spent much of her time in the same area of London that I grew up in also added a special interest for me.
I found the information and detail in the book absolutely fascinating, particularly about the training she was given.
Because it was written so soon after the war it has many little stories of Violette first hand, as those that knew her as a child ,colleague, and fellow agents were available to talk to the author about her
The fact she spent much of her time in the same area of London that I grew up in also added a special interest for me.
March 3, 2008
This is the World War II story of Violette Szabo. I first heard of her in the great book titled, "Between Silk and Cyanide." This young woman twice entered occupied France and from her second visit she did not return. The second time, gun in hand, she held up the advance guard of an S.S. Panzer Division, enabling a companion-in-arms to escape and she was only taken prisoner when her magazine was empty. This is a detailed and documented history of a very brave, amazing woman.
September 15, 2013
I read this book over ten years ago, but it still leaves an impression on me today. Anyone who is interested in the brave women who served as spies during WWII should definitely check this one out. Do be prepared for an emotional story and know the ending isn't a happy one. Violet was an inspiring woman, though, and one who should be remembered for her courage and valor.
February 13, 2008
This is a biography of a young woman living in Britain during WWII. She was half French and spoke it fluently. She volunteered to parachute into occupied France to help the French Resistence. She was a woman of beauty and unbelivable daring.
April 22, 2012
Violette Szabo, who having lost her french husband in the war decides to join up. She leaves her child with her parents works for the resistance and faces the horrors of war. An exceptionally brave woman.
November 20, 2016
A true heroine of WW2
I have given this book a five star rating because it is a true story, so well told, that you cheer the heroine on when she is triumphant, and cry when she is in peril. What bravery! But what a loss to her family, friends and country. A thoughtful read.
I have given this book a five star rating because it is a true story, so well told, that you cheer the heroine on when she is triumphant, and cry when she is in peril. What bravery! But what a loss to her family, friends and country. A thoughtful read.
August 30, 2017
Accurate portrayal of Violettre,s heroism. Courageous to the end.
Shame about the ankle injury. Tried to escape. Sad end. Brave lady. Executed weeks before end of war. Stunning lady wanted to act and did.
Shame about the ankle injury. Tried to escape. Sad end. Brave lady. Executed weeks before end of war. Stunning lady wanted to act and did.
November 24, 2008
Very sad, very true. A great follow up to Vera Atkins.
July 28, 2011
The story of one heroic woman outweighs everything else. To comment on style over substance would be churlish.
She should hav ebeen awarded the VC as well as the George Cross.
She should hav ebeen awarded the VC as well as the George Cross.
August 20, 2012
One to read
March 7, 2013
Great insight into the times, the start of an insight into courageous Szabo.
January 28, 2013
A great book about a couragous young woman who sacrificed all to fight nazi germany. you will be really glad that you read this book. Also see the movie
March 3, 2013
I first read this book when I was 16. That was nearly 35 years ago. It is still my most favorite book. It left a last impression.
July 21, 2014
Although I was initially unsure, I loved it. I laughed, cried and curled up my toes during times of laughter, sadness and torture. What a brave woman!
July 8, 2014
An honest and interesting account of the life of Violet Szabo. I found the text slightly confused in places as the sequence of events appeared to shift from time to time.
August 7, 2014
Enjoyable yet superficial.
August 14, 2014
Excellent book about an inspirational woman. This is one of those books that has been on my 'to read' list for about 20 years. I am only sorry I had not got round to it earlier.
October 12, 2014
A factual account of a very brave young woman.
January 24, 2016
Fantastic
Wow what a woman! She did a very courageous and determined woman, who sacrificed herself to save others for no thought for herself.
Wow what a woman! She did a very courageous and determined woman, who sacrificed herself to save others for no thought for herself.
June 21, 2016
An admired historical figure I first met in childhood.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews