D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II

by Sarah Rose

The dramatic, untold true story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency to sabotage the Nazis and pave the way for Allied victory in World War II.

In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was fighting. Churchill believed Britain was locked in an existential battle and created a secret agency, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharp-shooting. Their job, he declared, was "to set Europe ablaze!" But with most men on the frontlines, the SOE did something unprecedented: it recruited women. Thirty-nine women answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. Half were caught, and a third did not make it home alive.

In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently declassified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the story of three of these women. There's Odette Sansom, a young mother who feels suffocated by domestic life and sees the war as her ticket out; Lise de Baissac, an unflappable aristocrat with the mind of a natural leader; and Andrée Borrel, the streetwise organizer of the Paris Resistance. Together, they derailed trains, blew up weapons caches, destroyed power and phone lines, and gathered crucial intelligence—laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Stylishly written and rigorously researched, this is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance, in which women continue to play a vital role.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

There is more than one author with this name.

Sarah Rose is a journalist and author of D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis and Helped Win World War II, and the critically acclaimed For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History.

She was a news columnist at the Wall Street Journal, and her features have appeared in Outside, Departures, The New York Post, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appetit, The Saturday Evening Post, and Men’s Journal.

Sarah is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I requested a review copy of this book, I thought I was going to get a historical fiction novel. It turns out this is a nonfiction book. I was a little upset with myself as I love historical fiction, but do not read many nonfiction titles. Having an intense interest in reading a book about D-Day, I decided to read it anyway.

This book has mixed reader reviews so far. My review is mixed as well, but certainly more positive than negative. In general I really liked it, mainly because I learned more from this book than the average amount I learn from at least a half dozen historical fiction novels. The narrative is centered on the French Resistance and particularly focuses on five of the thirty-nine women who made up first SOE (Special Operations Executive)-administered training class for women agents in Great Britain. Of these thirty-nine individuals, half were caught, and a third never made it home. The author has done a Tremendous (yes, with a capital T) amount of research to put his book together. I was very impressed! I also loved the fact that there was an epilogue, letting us in on what ultimately happened to the major players. I must say the courage, the heroics, and the humanity of our main characters while under constant threat from the Nazis is mind-boggling. It bothers me that I’m not sure I could be as brave as they were or willing to sacrifice like they did.

My main criticism is that this was a long read for me. Not because the book is long, because it’s not—particularly since the last 30% is made up by footnotes. It was long to me because there is no dialogue and it is almost strictly “tell, not show.” There are also so many facts and words that I wanted to absorb and expand by googling details and definitions, which always slows things down (but, I admit, in a good way). It is therefore what I would call a concentrated read, not something to whiz through quickly. I also missed not really being able to get into the heads of the main characters as is so often the case in nonfiction reads—that blunts some of the emotional aspects that I like in a book.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and recommend it for a well researched overview of some of the ins and outs of D-Day and an excellent depiction of the lives of some of the incredible women who helped France regain it’s freedom. It also opened me up to the possibility of reading more nonfiction. I will just have to go in with the mindset that it will not likely be a speedy read, at least for me.

Thank you Net Galley, Crown Publishing, and author Sarah Rose for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and compelling story about the women spies who influenced the outcome of D-Day. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

1942 was not a good year for the Allies during World War II. They were losing. There isn’t much that could be done at home in Britain because all the men are out fighting. Winston Churchill creates the Special Operations Executive (SOE), training spies in skills necessary to help win the war.

The SOE didn’t have many men to choose from, again given that most were already battling in the war. Therefore, women are chosen and trained. Thirty-nine women, in fact.

Leaving their families behind, the women travel to France. Half of them are caught, while a third are killed.

D-Day Girls is a beautifully-rendered nonfiction work. This book tells the stories of three of these remarkable women. Odette Sansom, a young mother looking for a way out of the house and traditional roles, Andree Borrel, an organizer of the Paris resistance movement, and Lise de Baissac, a wealthy aristocrat.

These exceptional women did the things that spies do. Blowing up weapons’ caches, shutting down trains, and collecting intelligence; all helping put things in place for the D-Day invasion, which was a day known as a huge victory and a turning point for the Allies.

Overall, D-Day Girls was an exceptionally well-researched novel of strong women with a compelling story and an enthralling writing style. Sarah Rose builds gradual tension making this book hard to put down. I’m grateful for this effort documenting the unique contribution of these formidable women to the war.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheeelreader..com

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book will sell well to general readers. It shouldn't. It's disorganized and messy, and both condescends to its readers and lacks essential information on its topic. Author Sarah Rose makes sweeping generalizations about France and its citizens during WWII; misstates historical facts; engages in inaccurate and sometimes offensive hyperbole; and has apparently done little research into the role of women in war, women in WWI, or the history of war in general. She refers to figures in the book by their first names, which diminishes them in contrast with the leaders: she gives Hitler his self-appointed titles, though. She characterizes figures in the book with no documentation to do so: is this person really "sniveling," was this one "no longer fecund" and why do those things matter? She uses outdated and unacceptable ethnic terms--"gypsy" comes to mind--and uses other inappropriate or incorrect words that an editor should have caught ("snarked," "fulsome," others). I'd like to read a good book on the work of women--who, no matter how young, were not "girls"--in the French Resistance in France during the war, but this definitely isn't it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review

The women's fiction market has been filled since January with the stories of female protagonists who participated in special operations during WWII. In fact many of my ARCs have been on this specific topic.

So this April non fiction release provides readers with the background history they need to answer those burning questions. A lot of research has been put into the novel and author, Sarah Rose does her utmost to paint the picture of the political, economical, amd cultural atmosphere during the WWII era. She gives us the story of three specific women and discusses their journey as part of the SOE. These women went through hell and it was obvious through the book how strongly Sarah Rose felt towards their stories being passed on to a wider audience.

However, I had a really hard time getting through the book because a lot of the information wasn't exactly new for me. That is in part because I have read A LOT of history during this time period. But no doubt readers that are looking to jump into this time period will be fascinated.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAVE ALL
So many risked all to ensure victory 75 years ago in Normandy. D-DAY GIRLS tells the utterly compelling tale of female agents — members of Churchill’s Secret Operations Executive — who blew up weapon supplies and power lines, derailed trains, and sabotaged the Nazis with cunning, bravery and chutzpah to advance the Allied cause.

THEIR DUE
Meticulously researched and lovingly written with an eye to giving these courageous women their due. And what a cover!

Pub Date 23 Apr 2019.

Thanks to the author, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#DdayGirls #NetGalley

[Jennifer Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible read. Not only are the women spies fascinating and their journeys brave and compelling, but the writer really engages the audience with background tales and details about where they were in the bigger picture of the war. Tension runs high. I found it difficult to put this one down.
A must for history lovers, and a terrific read for fans of historical fiction.

[Katie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

What peaked my interest when I first heard about this book was that it featured women who risked their lives to help win World War 2. I love reading these type of non-fiction books because it feels like for far too long the role women played in the war was largely ignored. It's nice that as more and more these books are published, these heroic women are finally getting some recognition.

Even though I have read quite a few non-fiction books featuring women during the war, almost all of the ones I have read have been about American women. So it was good change of pace for me to see just how tough and strong European women were during this period of history. The book mainly follows three women who were recruited as spies which at the time was pretty much unprecedented. Let's face it, most people back then thought the ways women could contribute to the war effort was by knitting scarves or tending to wounded soldiers. Women willing to risk their lives to help win the war was a hard concept for many people to grasp.

This book provided a good starting off point for learning about these courageous females although I wouldn't say it was my favorite WW2 read. It is a decent read though so if the topic interests you, I recommend giving this one a look.

Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free review copy from the publisher.

In his The Secret War: Spies, Codes and Guerrillas 1939-1945, the always-opinionated historian Max Hastings argues that field intelligence agents in WW2 contributed only marginally to the Allied victory. Regarding the Special Operations Executive, Churchill’s creation, he remarks: “Most accounts of wartime SOE agents, particularly women and especially in France, contain large doses of romantic twaddle.”

Hastings’s comment struck a nerve with Sarah Rose and she objects as a woman and a journalist. In her Author Note, she says that “twaddle matters” and is the stuff of human experience. As a woman (not a journalist), I think Rose gets it all wrong for a number of reasons. She seems to take Hastings’s remark as disrespectful to the women SOE agents, which is not at all what it was intended to convey. She is also in denial that there are many books and films about WW2 agents in France that are romanticized. I also think that Rose is so defensive about Hastings’s assertion because she has written a work of “romantic twaddle” herself.

Of course the story of the SOE agents in France captures the imagination. Of course we should be impressed by the bravery of the women who volunteered to go behind enemy lines, knowing they risked capture, torture and death. But Rose’s book is written superficially and with much emphasis on the personal, especially the agents’ romantic attachments.

Rose’s narrative is all over the place. It’s never clear what her organizing principle is, if there is one. She jumps from place to place and agent to agent, not giving a full picture of anybody and leaving us wondering why she included some agents and left out others. She repeats points and she puts thoughts in these women’s heads that she often doesn’t source in her notes.

Although Rose’s writing is easy to read, there are several occasions when she misuses words (e.g., anodyne and fulsome), and constructs puzzlingly self-contradictory sentences, such as when she is trying to describe the German soldiers occupying Paris as being so much better clothed and fed than the natives, but in the same sentence she also describes the soldiers as being hollow-eyed. Huh?

Considering that this is a book that doesn’t seem to know what it’s about, I suppose it’s not surprising that the title and cover belie the book’s contents. The cover shows a beret-wearing woman bicycling through a deserted bombed-out city, as fighter planes fill the sky. When I first saw the graphic-novel look of the cover, it made me wonder if this is supposed to be a young adult book, but it isn’t. On top of that, the depiction makes no sense at all. These SOE agents did bicycle, but it was to create an impression they were just locals going about their daily errands. The woman on the cover has a freaking rifle slung over her shoulders. Out in the open. In the daytime. Argh!

I don’t want to pile on, but I also object to the book’s title. Why, oh why, does Ms. Rose have to call them “D-Day Girls”? These were women, not girls. Ms. Rose wants to give them their due, so why would she allow them to be trivialized in the title and the comic-book looking cover? She notes in the book that they referred to themselves as girls, but that was then and this is now. Also, referring to them in the context of D-Day implies that they did nothing until late in the war, when they were working in the field years earlier and most of the book describes events unrelated to D-Day.

Maybe Ms. Rose had no control over the title or the cover art—I sure hope not—but a book with that title and that cover sure looks like the dreaded “romantic twaddle.”

There are so many better books out there about the SOE and its agents.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from Crown, who I say thank you to.

This book was so well written that it seemed like a novel instead of a history of the SOE, the branch in charge of this group of agents.

Rose focused specifically on a unlikely group of women that became secret agents for Britain during the Second World War.

Rose gives us a taste of what the agents lives were like before they joined the SOE. And during the narrative of this book she was direct and to the point making the story more compelling.

After reading this I found more books available about the SOE from https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk.

“D-Day Girls” has inspired me to be on the lookout for more books about women who were involved with the SOE. Thank you to Sarah Rose for writing this intriguing book.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating volume of ten short accounts of the women agents ,who infiltrated France and other parts of Europe, of the Special Operations Executive, which was formed by Winston Churchill in 1940 to 'set Europe ablaze'
Trained to use weapons, fluent in French, trained to pose as chic Parisiennes by night and country woman by the day, these valiant, beautiful, dedicated and intelligent women endured, danger, deprivation, torture and sometimes death at the hands of the Gestapo, SS and SD as well as the French collaborationist police, and contributed greatly to the war effort of Britain to defeat Nazism
Gripping and informative. Some really interesting facts about espionage during World War II.The author conducted interviews and used the official documents which adds authenticity to this volume.

He recounts that it was the 'highly intelligent sensitive'women who endured torture best, not the 'tough guys'.
People who had been tortured revealed that it was the 'smaller things' such as puling out of death or nails, not the beatings, hangings by the wrists, electric shocks or near drownings, which made them semi-conscious after a time.
Most agreed if you could endure the first quarter of an hour without talking you probably wouldn't talk at all.

The biographies of such women as Christina Granville, Violette Szabo, Noor Inayat Khan and Paola Del Din, what motivated them, what made them effective as agents and what they endured is a valuable\ insight into understanding both the espionage during the Second World War and the role of espionage in that war.
In today's fight against terror and Islamo-Nazism, the heroism of new men and women will be required and revealed
Carve their name in gold

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative non-fiction that tells the stories of female spies during WWII who played a role in the preparations for the D-Day invasion by Allied forces. Thirty-nine female agents were recruited and trained by British Intelligence to work undercover in Nazi-occupied France. Sarah Rose focuses on five, including Odette Samson, Andrée Borrel, Lise de Baissac, Yvonne Rudellat, and Mary Herbert. The author tells the true story of their courage, risk-taking, and harrowing experiences.

We learn about their rigorous training, perilous missions, and the obstacles they faced. This book offers a perspective on the often-overlooked roles of women in espionage during World War II. Sarah Rose has obviously done extensive research and has included interviews and oral histories, which are sometimes the only way to find out about what happened to these women. She writes in a manner that allows readers to empathize with their struggles and triumphs.

They parachuted into occupied France, sabotaged bridges, derailed trains, shut down utilities, delivered arms, collected intelligence, distributed propaganda, and supported the French Resistance in many ways. The book not only explores the tactical aspects of their missions but also examines emotional and psychological challenges. Rose provides an epilogue that lets the reader know what ultimately happened to each woman.

I had a few quibbles with the writing style, especially in the first half. It occasionally went into “melodrama mode” and used colloquial terminology, which I found odd in a book of non-fiction. Perhaps this was the result of relying on oral histories? The author hits her stride in the second half, which tells an engrossing story of how the separate experiences of the five women ultimately came together to aid in the preparations for the D-Day landings. The men are also mentioned in terms of contributions, but they are not the focus of the book.

This book is a worthy addition to the stories of World War II. Though I have read extensively about this time period, I never get tired of learning more about courageous people who decided to step up at great personal risk to do whatever they could to fight Hitler’s evil regime.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II by Sarah Rose is the dramatic, true story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency created to sabotage the Nazis and pave the way for Allied victory in World War II.

In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was fighting. Churchill believed Britain was locked in an existential battle and created a secret agency, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharp-shooting. Their job, he declared, was "to set Europe ablaze!" But with most men on the frontlines, the SOE did something unprecedented: it recruited women. Thirty-nine women answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. Half were caught, and a third did not make it home alive.

In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently declassified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the story of three of these women. There's Odette Sansom, a young mother who feels suffocated by domestic life and sees the war as her ticket out; Lise de Baissac, an unflappable aristocrat with the mind of a natural leader; and Andrée Borrel, the streetwise organizer of the Paris Resistance. Together, they derailed trains, blew up weapons caches, destroyed power and phone lines, and gathered crucial intelligence—laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Stylishly written and rigorously researched, this is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance, in which women continue to play a vital role.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly interesting historical account of the Allies female spies working undercover in Nazi-occupied France. I liked the discussions of their clever methods, and the different colorful personalities involved. I found again how the spy game is dangerous and deadly. Of course many of the women spies/saboteurs were never recognized for their heroic efforts. I also learned about what Vichy France was during the war. All in all, the book held my attention on an important topic.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I wouldn't bother to review a book like this, but since I was gifted a copy a few months before release I figured I should do one anyway so that people can decide whether or not to purchase it.

This is not a life-changing book. There is nothing in here that is ground-shattering or will significantly add to the mountains of things we know about World War II. In fact, most of the facts presented by this book have done better elsewhere. Instead, we get to listen to the opinions of Sarah Rose, who really hates France and anything French people do, but it fine with it when British people do the same things.

For a history book, this one is "okay." Unfortunately, the author often mixes up fact, speculation, and opinion, without really separating the three. She narrates the story and tells what the characters are thinking and feeling as if they absolutely thought and felt those things, despite there being no evidence for it. She takes the lives of real men and woman and dramatizes them to the point where they cease to have been real, but are now fictional heroes and heroines. And if you don't really care about historical fact and prefer entertainment, this will probably be a great read for you. But I wonder how the actual women who existed would feel seeing their stories presented in this way. I wonder if Sarah Rose cares.

Even the name of this book says, "I'm writing this book to take advantage of a trend." Ever since Radium Girls was released we've been given a huge slog of "_______ Girls" books. Not women, girls, because it makes sense to infantilize them in a book that claims to be advocating for them. The title of the book really makes no sense, because almost nothing the "girls" in the book do has anything to do with D-Day. But us ignorant, stupid Americans only care about D-Day and only care about girls, so that's what it's named. The title absolutely oversells the actions of this women and makes their efforts to be something that it isn't, all in the name of selling the book, making money, and gaining fame off the backs of women like me who really DO want to read about women in history who did great things.

People are going to want to praise this book because the idea behind it is noble and good. But to me, it isn't enough just to write history books that feature women. I want these books to be well-researched, historically accurate, and unembellished. I believe that female readers of history books deserve to be treated like male ones, and not condescended to or told that, "You're a woman so I wrote this book so an idiot like you will be entertained by it!" There are plenty of authors out there that can do this, but not this one. Anyone can write a history book and shove their opinion on it. I have higher standards, and any lover of history books should too.

I rated this book as a 2 because "It's ok" is really the most generous reaction I can give it.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

D-Day Girls is impossible to put down. It tells the remarkable stories of a group of phenomenal, courageous women in WWII. Highly recommended.

[Natali Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is meant to be non-fiction is actually fiction based upon the courage of the true heroines. This is a disjointed, murky telling that simply if fiction purporting g to be 'the true story'.

The truth of the incredibly brave women has ben defiled by Sarah Rose.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am trying really hard to read more non-fiction as this is probably my least favorite genre. This new release caught my eye, and I found it read like a novel. Focusing on the country of France after it had been invaded by Hitler and divided into two parts: occupied and Vichy (ruled by Charles de Gaulle until the Nazis took it over in Nov 1942). Britain knows that overtaking the Nazis in France is key to winning the war. Every available man has been drafted into the army, but the British forces know they need to develop a resistance force among the French who are anti-Nazi. So they begin to look at the possibility of parachuting trained female spies behind the lines to work to form resistance groups and develop those already in place. The first three who complete their training and are dropped into France are: Andrée Borrel a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who has escaped to England, Odette Samson, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the Special Operations Executive Branch (SOE) as her ticket out of domestic life and into adventure, and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE's unflappable queen. This book follows these three women, the French resistance members they recruit, and the British military personnel as well as SOE male recruits from their drop into France in 1942 until the D-Day Invasion and its aftermath. Well written, excellently researched, this was a non-fiction read that definitely brought this time period in France to life.

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book as I had not read much about the subject before, but it was an utter disappointment. It reads like it was thrown together as many facts are inaccurate and others "facts" are strictly opinion. The book itself is very unorganized. 

I cannot honestly recommend this book to anyone.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The spies who armed the resistance, sabotaged the Nazis, and helped win World War 11

This is a dramatic true account of extraordinary women recruited by Britain who helped win the day on June 6, 1944 and pave the way for Allied victory.

Drawn from declassified files, diaries and oral histories, as per her notes, Ms. Rose did intensive research and has written a story of five remarkable women. These courageous women are Andrée Borrel, Odette Sansom, Lise de Baissan, Yvonne Rudellat and Mary Herbert. It is also the story of fearless men who worked by their side: Francis Suttill, Gilbert Norman, Peter Churchill and Claude de Baissic. Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence. Some never made it home.….

France and Environs 1940-1944.

Interesting:

A most heavy read, this account is a fascinating and important story not only of the women who worked as spies but also of the members of the resistance in France and the SOE (Secret Operations Executive) Office whose agents played key roles in the D-Day invasion. Sara Rose takes us on the dangerous journey they had to face in enemy territory.

Not so much:

It is a hard book to get into, the narrative lacks some cohesion and something is lost in the way it is told. The story jumps from event to event, from person and person sometimes using their code names other times their real names all this with little warning. I found this distracting and mostly confusing. It also reads like it was thrown together, much unorganized, more like a history professor’s lecture notes, a person that wants to say a lot but doesn’t have time to do so. Staying focus was a challenge and I wanted to abandon this book many times but I persevered wanted to know who would make it home….

In Conclusion:

Writing a non-fiction is a daunting task. Ms. Rose has nevertheless provided us with an overall picture of the war and has supplemented her words with a lively bibliography at the end. This book is an addition to the WW11 histories and not meant to be an easy and quick read.

I stay on the fence on this one.

I received this ARC from Crown Publishing via NetGalleys for my thoughts

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

The following is based on review of an Advance Readers Copy:

I stopped reading this book about 100 pages in. I wanted to like it--I really did! However, the author chose to rehash certain points ad nauseam. I understand that male military attitudes toward women tend to be chauvinistic but Grove brought up the same points of it so often that it interrupted the interesting parts about what the women were achieving.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.49 stars

There was a lot of interesting information in this book, but it was so poorly organized that it was hard to keep track of all the different people and their stories. Still worth a read or a listen as a starting point on the subject.

[Nilo0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی دوسش داشتم.
سرشار از اطلاعات دقیق و حقیقی با 9 شخصیت واقعی اصلی و شخصیت‌های واقعی دیگه.
دخترانی که در بریتانیا برای واحد اجرایی عملیات ویژه برای روز دی آموزش دیدند که وارد فرانسه شن و گروه‌های مقاومت تشکیل بدن.
زنانی که به دلیل کمبود نیروی مرد در جنگ، برای اولین بار به کار گرفته شدند و حتی بعد از جنگ هم به درستی مورد تجلیل قرار نگرفتند چون غیرنظامی بودند و اطلاعاتشون محرمانه بود.
تا قبل از این کتاب چیزی درباره جنگ در فرانسه و فرانسه اشغالی و آزاد نمی‌دونستم و این کتاب اطلاعات خیلی زیادی بهم داد.
اگه به موضوع جنگ علاقه دارید این کتاب رو حتما بخونید.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was just very dry and dull for me. I think the key with books about spies is to write it in a way that can keep readers on the edge of their seats, even though they know the end result already. This book made it seem like these women were just doing this for kicks and giggles and had some weird adventures. I also wasn't a big fan of the impromptu WWII history, which drew attention away from the book. Very disappointed in this one.

[ClaraBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book…whoa, how utterly inspiring and sobering it was! These 5 remarkable, ordinary but extraordinary women: Odette Samson, Mary Herbert, Yvonne Rabullat, Andree Borreal, Lise de Baissac changed the course of French resistance and WW2 history and helped pave the way towards victory at D Day and yet they’re hardly known at all.
Warning : disturbing but not too gratuitous descriptions of executions and tortures. However, one instance of the s-word, an improper slur to male genitalia, and one usuage of Gods name in vain. Also, 3 of the women(Odette, Mary, Yvonne)become romanced with their male commanding officer, and only Yvonne marries hers. Odette has a affair but later marries him after their respective divorces from previous spouses. Mary has a baby with hers but they marry to legitimize the child; however, they never live as a married couple after the legitimization period. I know we are all human and make mistakes but just a warning that they’re not crystal clear, squeaky clean heroines. Yet, these 5 profess to be Christian but horrible marriages and war experiences shake their belief in God.
Recommend: for mature readers ages 18+
Spoiler: be prepared for a sad ending
Rating: 4.5 out of 10 stars

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is a story of men. Because men tell the stories of war. Women in war torn countries are wallpaper, scenery. They embellish the story, they are victims, objects of pity, sometimes brave supporters of their soldiers as wives, nurses, etc.
They don't fight the war.
But, if your country were invaded and you were a girl or a woman, would you just roll over and play the victim? Or would you be part of the resistance?
"D-Day Girls" tells the true story of just one of the efforts utilizing brave, talented women to prepare France to be ready to help the allies repel the Germans in WWII. These women were trained in Great Britain, either because they were French or had some attachment to France, parachuted into the French countryside, carried messages and supplies, engaged in sabotage, spied, and fought.
Some of them gave their lives for the effort.
Sarah Rose's story has made me look at the women in my own little world and wonder which of them would possess the amazing traits that these heroines did. I think some of them would surprise me.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and Goodreads for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* This is a good and engaging audiobook to listen to. It's the story of a group of women who are either French or of French origin, working with the British Special Operations during World War II. They willingly go behind enemy lines to help the French Resistance. In some instances, they help recruit and train the Resistance. They conduct sabotage operations of rail lines and electrical grid. Unfortunately, several of these brave women were captured, tortured, and killed by the Nazis. When we are taught about history, women are shown being in the home front. But these D-Day girls are at the forefront of the war. They did not have to go undercover to France. It would've been safer (relatively) to stay in England, but their sense of duty compelled them to go. But after the war, because of their gender, they were not classified as military contributors. Several of them were awarded the George Cross which is the highest civilian honour the UK gives. I finish this book reflecting on courage and valour. More people should learn of the heroism of these group of women. This book is a good start to it.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I do want to comment by saying that while, I do agree with some readers that this book was a bit scattered; it did not distract or turn me off from my reading experience of this book. Yes, it felt like the author, Ms. Rose was so excited that she was just penning down all of the facts and her research to paper. However, it is because of this "excitement" that helped me with my reading experience.

It is easy to forget that past history not only touched men but women as well. Women were very beneficial to wars as well. It is just that they did not get the huge recognition like men did. That is changing even in todays world but not fully embraced yet. I know years ago when I was considering joining the military, the idea of women on the front line was not as favored.

Back to this book. I liked all of the women. Each one had a different reason for joining this cause. I was impressed by their courage and bravery. Fans of history books or just looking for a new book to read should pick up a copy of this book.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an review.

D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose is a fantastic work of nonfiction about the British female spies who sabotaged the Nazis during WWII including Odette Sansom, Lise de Baissac, and Andrée Borrel. These women risked their lives to assure an Allied victory in Europe. They did everything from derail trains, blow up weapons caches, destroy power and phone lines, as well as gather crucial intelligence for the British. Their stories are absolutely fascinating and truly engaging. I appreciated the level of detail that has gone into this history book and just how skillfully it has been written and researched. If you enjoyed Duel of Wits by Peter Churchill (a memoir from Odette Sanson's secret agent husband), Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, White Rose by Kip Wilson, or are interested in historical fiction, and spy novels, I expect you'll be hooked on D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II by Sarah Rose.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Usually when it comes to WW2, we hear about the scientists, the atomic bombs, the Holocaust, and Anne Frank. Of course, these are all learned about for very good reasons. We never really hear much about women in WW2, except for women taking over many manual labor jobs back at home, giving a charge to those far away. I loved this being non-fiction. It was nice to be able to read stories about some women who were able to have some kind of impact during those years. Whether it was diaries, oral stories, or old medical documents, I felt interested in the stories of these women, and it never once felt boring. This is a WW2 book that I think people should check out sometime, as it does give a new perspective in what can go on behind the scenes at home.

ARC received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

During World War II, the British placed French-speaking female spies inside France as part of the Resistance efforts. These women did important work preparing for a forthcoming operation to be called D-Day. While designed for a general audience with the loathsome hidden endnotes, the heavy use of military jargon made it difficult to read. I appreciated learning about the efforts of Odette, Andree, Lise, and others, but I found myself disinterested so much of the time because of the heavy use of military abbreviations and jargon (and perhaps espionage jargon). The story needs to be told. I wish it had been a more engaging narrative.