Potrójny. Historia brytyjskiego agenta w okupowanej Warszawie

by Ron Jeffery

Excellent first hand account of a british soldier working for the Polish Underground. Captures well the tensions and dangers of underground work in German occupied Poland.

Genres: History

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I've had for some time which I looked at again following a recent visit to Poland and reading Davies' 'Rising '44'. This is a tremendous read, an almost unbelievable story told with frankness, modesty and humour, of the one Englishman who (initially through happenstance, but later with great heroism) served undercover in the Polish Underground during World War 2. A great testament to Anglo-Polish friendship and fellow-feeling, despite the bitterness of his conclusions - he was writing during the 1980s, before the fall of the Iron Curtain. This does appear to be a seriously rare book now. It deserves to be reprinted. Meanwhile, if you can get hold of it, this is a thrilling read.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, especially as I am a WW2 fanatic, and even more so if the story revolves around Eastern Europe. Nice to see some happy endings for once out of WW2 in Poland.

[Rob Markley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should really be required reading and impacted me tremendously when first read back in the 1980s. This is a profound, deeply personal and wrenching account of the reality of tortured Poland during World War II, but more significant is the slowly, ominously looming threat of the darkness of communism. And so very dark it is indeed. Jeffery's eyes are only slowly opened and what he calls his fairy godmother surely confirms that he was indeed very very lucky to get out alive.

To read this now in 2018 after the Soviets have been thoroughly defeated is gratifying. It is a wonder that Germany is so free and past those dark days, it is hopeful that the deeper scars in Poland are slowly dissipating for a better tomorrow, it is unsurprising that Britain has been replaced by American in Polish eyes and it is troubling that Russia is slowly slipping back into the same dark pattern. The ignorance of all such things along with wilful delusion and deliberate misinformation is as worrying in 2018 as it was in 1984 or in 1943.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoir of a British Corporal, captured in the early days of WWII, who escapes from his POW camp deep in Poland to become one of the top figures (and certainly among the most daring) in the Polish Underground. Bristles with anti-Communism, and loathing for the Cambridge set of homosexuals who Jeffrey blames for selling Poland to Stalin (actually Churchill needed no help) and for slandering his own name with charges of Nazi-cooperation (his Polish wife was interrogated by Kim Philby after Jeffrey finally got her and their daughter out of Poland in late 1945). Not a natural writer (I might have cut a third), but still a useful peek into Warsaw during the war.

[Ron Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book every so often .Ron was a friend of Dad so i knew lot about his exploits before the book was published. But then, coming from new Zealand Almost every adult male I knew had returned home from the war or had been involved in the war one way or another ,So listened to some incredible stories ,but today I know that many were in fact fighting to save their own lives.
Rest in Peace, Ron Old mate, you are still remembered .

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first hand account of a british soldier working for the Polish Underground. Captures well the tensions and dangers of underground work in German occupied Poland. A rattling good read that wouldn't be out of place as a jack Higgins novel.

[Amanda Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account and true story of a courageous Brit who worked for the Polish Underground.