Codename Xavier: The Story of Richard Heslop, One of SOE's Greatest Agents

by Richard Heslop

'Xavier' was Colonel Richard Heslop's field name in occupied France during the Second World War, where he skilfully ran the SOE 'Marksman' network in the Haute-Savoie/Ain area. Detailing his important contribution to Allied espionage in France, this account of his activities describes how he ingeniously orchestrated resistance groups and ruthlessly sabotaged German operations from late 1942 through to the invasion in 1944.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2014

Reviews

[Dennis Rutzou]

This is an absolute sleeper and at $4.74 is a Kindle bargain. It is also a very exciting action packed book. I happen to particularly like World War 2 spy stories as I consider that those who undertook to travel to wartime France and work undercover had a courage that was well above the norm and this one is about one of those outstanding individuals. Not only had they to battle the Gestapo and the French traitors, but the Milice wh0 were French police who were established by the Vichy regime in 1943 to fight the underground and were even more vicious that the Gestapo, worked undercover, and in uniform, ran prisons, undertook torture. The whole gamut of crimes against their own people and the SOE and they weren't just a handful as at their peak they numbered 43,000. The author Richard Heslop was a British SOE officer who after initially being imprisoned when he first landed in France, managed to get free and worked with the Maquis and managed to tie up a large force of Germans sent to apprehend them. His reflections also portray how politically divided the French were between the different political factions in their war-torn country. I won't spoil it by telling you too much, except to say read it and find out for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed as it has that 'I couldn't out it down quality.

[Dennis]

This is an absolute sleeper and at $4.74 is a Kindle bargain. It is also a very exciting action packed book. I happen to particularly like World War 2 spy stories as I consider that those who undertook to travel to wartime France and work undercover had a courage that was well above the norm and this one is about one of those outstanding individuals. Not only had they to battle the Gestapo and the French traitors, but the Milice wh0 were French police who were established by the Vichy regime in 1943 to fight the underground and were even more vicious that the Gestapo, worked undercover, and in uniform, ran prisons, undertook torture. The whole gamut of crimes against their own people and the SOE and they weren't just a handful as at their peak they numbered 43,000. The author Richard Heslop was a British SOE officer who after initially being imprisoned when he first landed in France, managed to get free and worked with the Maquis and managed to tie up a large force of Germans sent to apprehend them. His reflections also portray how politically divided the French were between the different political factions in their war-torn country. I won't spoil it by telling you too much, except to say read it and find out for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed as it has that 'I couldn't put it down quality.

[Nicholas Foster]

In describing his two SOE missions to occupied France, Richard Heslop has written what is one of the classic textbooks for his line of work. Not least because of what he learnt on-the-job in his almost disastrous first mission. He came away from that knowing that, whatever anyone else said, he would have to define his own rules for how he and those helping him should operate if they were to be successful and survive. On the basis of what Heslop achieved on his second mission, the SOE France historian MRD Foot later rated Colonel Heslop one of the three most successful SOE officers in occupied France.

The book is also a brilliant read.

[Allan Jeavons]

Amazing story.

This is an amazing story of SOE in south eastern France. I had no idea of the size of their operation with the French resistance. I would have loved to interview Richard Heslop but he died so young. A very important person in the SOE story

[Mike]

Incredible story about a British agent helping to organise the Maquis and other French resistance groups.
A must read for anyone interested in this Genre.

[Reader.2-139-846]

Outstanding, simply.

I salute and thank all the brave men, women and youngsters, civilian or military who gave any or all to defeat tyranny. Their sacrifice will NEVER be forgotten.

[Lewis Mitchell]

Great book, wish the ending had more of a summary feels like quite the cut off

[Carissa Brown]

This book is told from the point of view of Richard Heslop AKA Xavier. He was a British spy in France during WWII. His job was to coordinate supply drops for the maquis and to help with the fighting when it came near to their camps.

The book was very good it was written in a way that at times you could easily have forgotten that it was non-fiction. The hate for the German army was so heartfelt that it was easy to see why they would risk their lives on a daily basis to save a country that is not their own.

[John Follos]

8/14