What do you think?
Rate this book
The Clandestine War #1
Jubilee
Arthur Cutter's mission is simple. Assess the beaches of Normandy for an amphibious raid, and stop the British War Office from losing the war.
Dieppe. Summer, 1942. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Commander of the Combined Operations Office, has his eye on Northern France and an audacious plan for an Allied raid on this quiet fishing port in Normandy. But the head of the Special Operations Executive, Charles Hambro, has his doubts. Mountbatten’s plans seem politically motivated and dangerously lacking in detail. Bowing to Mountbatten’s seniority – and against his better judgment - Hambro sends his best agent, Arthur Cutter, undercover to France. Smuggled into the outskirts of Dieppe, Cutter links up with a young, idealistic French resistance fighter, Talia Crevier. As the Allied Forces attempted to penetrate the Nazi Atlantic Wall, Cutter and Crevier must find a way to trust each other – and infiltrate the Nazi forces within the town in a desperate attempt to give the raid a fighting chance. But as circumstance and Nazi cunning encircle them, the odds of success for Mountbatten’s Operation Jubilee grow smaller and smaller….
Dieppe. Summer, 1942. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Commander of the Combined Operations Office, has his eye on Northern France and an audacious plan for an Allied raid on this quiet fishing port in Normandy. But the head of the Special Operations Executive, Charles Hambro, has his doubts. Mountbatten’s plans seem politically motivated and dangerously lacking in detail. Bowing to Mountbatten’s seniority – and against his better judgment - Hambro sends his best agent, Arthur Cutter, undercover to France. Smuggled into the outskirts of Dieppe, Cutter links up with a young, idealistic French resistance fighter, Talia Crevier. As the Allied Forces attempted to penetrate the Nazi Atlantic Wall, Cutter and Crevier must find a way to trust each other – and infiltrate the Nazi forces within the town in a desperate attempt to give the raid a fighting chance. But as circumstance and Nazi cunning encircle them, the odds of success for Mountbatten’s Operation Jubilee grow smaller and smaller….
403 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2020
About the author
Conor Bender
5 books40 followersConor Bender is an award-winning World War II author. He was a Marine Officer who led Marines as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, & Company Commander. As a Marine, Conor served as a logistician and foreign military advisor, serving in Africa in support of operations during the Mali Civil War, and in Europe in support of NATO foreign policy goals. His experiences helped shape his stories. While on deployment he began writing his debut novel, Jubilee, a fast-paced telling of the infamous Dieppe Raid of 1942; and the first book in his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Series. Join Arthur Cutter as he navigates the stressors of war and the threat of hidden agents as he scours the coast of Normandy. Follow Faraday high into the skies over France as he fights to the breaking point while learning to lead a flight of fledgling pilots. And navigate the halls of the War Office as political subterfuge and infighting nearly cost the Allies the war.
For updates on his work be sure to follow him on Instagram @conor.bender.
Be sure to Conor on BookBub for the latest sales! https://www.bookbub.com/authors/conor...
For updates on his work be sure to follow him on Instagram @conor.bender.
Be sure to Conor on BookBub for the latest sales! https://www.bookbub.com/authors/conor...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 16, 2020
JUBILEE is a hopeful story of bravery and courage in the face of evil Nazi aggression. It is a story inspired by real life heroes that author Conor Bender want to honor and have served with. The story was well researched and I enjoyed reading this compelling historical fiction novel.
June 12, 2020
Knowledgable, well researched
September 21, 2020
Historical fiction at its best!
In this extensively researched novel we follow some of the airmen, agents, officers and commanders in the lead up and execution of Operation Jubilee, a 1942 allied raid on Nazi held Dieppe, France. At the core of the story we follow Arthur Cutter, an undercover agent as he embeds with French resistance fighters behind enemy lines to aquire tactical intel to help with the planning of the raid. We also go along on both training flights and real missions with Ian Faraday, a fighter pilot. Both story lines are riveting and awe inspiring. From having to deal with leaders who are more politically driven than militaristic who have the lives of thousands in their hands to the managing of personal relationships in the field, these two run the gamut of situations and emotions.
I found the writing to be compelling as if the characters came back themselves to tell their stories. The story is gripping from first page to last and the different story lines come together nicely in the end.
If you're a WWII historical fiction fan this one is a must read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
In this extensively researched novel we follow some of the airmen, agents, officers and commanders in the lead up and execution of Operation Jubilee, a 1942 allied raid on Nazi held Dieppe, France. At the core of the story we follow Arthur Cutter, an undercover agent as he embeds with French resistance fighters behind enemy lines to aquire tactical intel to help with the planning of the raid. We also go along on both training flights and real missions with Ian Faraday, a fighter pilot. Both story lines are riveting and awe inspiring. From having to deal with leaders who are more politically driven than militaristic who have the lives of thousands in their hands to the managing of personal relationships in the field, these two run the gamut of situations and emotions.
I found the writing to be compelling as if the characters came back themselves to tell their stories. The story is gripping from first page to last and the different story lines come together nicely in the end.
If you're a WWII historical fiction fan this one is a must read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
September 27, 2020
[Blog]::[Youtube]::[Twitter]::[Instagram]::[Pinterest]::[Bloglovin]
I am not a fan of historical war novels, but I could not put this book down! The story is filled with action, adrenaline, adventure and I loved every minute of it.
To be honest, I was not aware of Operational Jubilee until I read this story. Reading this novel made me fascinated on the Dieppe Raid and I spent time further researching it. Moreover, I cannot believe that this is the author’s debut novel, because he did a beautiful job in bringing the story to life.
I loved following Arthur Cutter’s storyline and how he assists in planning the raid. The author also did an amazing job in making the flight wars of Faraday gripping and realistic. I felt like I was in the line of fire with these characters. However, my favorite character was Talia, the French resistance fighter, who fights for her rights and the Germans. Cutter and Talia share an excellent camaraderie and I really enjoyed their scenes together. Moreover, some of the characters are cunning and ruthless like Lord Mountbatten. Although the story takes place decades ago, there are still characters like him present today who look at people only as statistics for their own advantage and progress. I also liked Hambro and thought he was a complex character.
Furthermore, although this is an action packed novel, the story moved me emotionally because it is based off true events. The author narrates the circumstance intricately, from the planning to the execution of the raid, and the drastic consequences it had on its members.
Overall, this was a dynamic story, and even if you are not a fan of historical war novels, you would enjoy reading this!
September 30, 2020
Conor Bender the author of “Jubilee” has written an intense, intriguing, captivation, and page-turning novel. The genres for this book are fiction based on history, (historical fiction) Political Thriller, and Espionage. The timeline for this story is set during World War Two leading up to the attack and raid by Allied forces in the city of Dieppe in around 1942. The author describes the characters as complex and complicated. Many were brave and courageous. Some of the Political leaders didn’t have the same goals as the leaders in the field. The SOE agents working in the field were in great danger and provided a tremendous amount of information. There were Fighter planes and ground forces involved.
There were frustrations from many of the characters who were carrying out their obligations and responsibilities as well as tremendous danger. I appreciate how Conor Bender visually describes his characters and actions.
Conor Bender has described the tragedies and destruction of war, and how the Political objectives of some, often didn’t provide the positive outcomes that were expected. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.
There were frustrations from many of the characters who were carrying out their obligations and responsibilities as well as tremendous danger. I appreciate how Conor Bender visually describes his characters and actions.
Conor Bender has described the tragedies and destruction of war, and how the Political objectives of some, often didn’t provide the positive outcomes that were expected. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.
October 3, 2020
Author Conor Bender has written a historical masterpiece! Blended with true historical facts, this novel is based on Operation Jubilee, a 1942 allied raid on Nazi held Dieppe, France. Arthur Cutter, an undercover agent, goes behind enemy lines with French resistance fighters to receive information that will help with planning the raid. During this extremely tense period, the battles within the British Operations Office between, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and Head of Operations, Charles Hambro, who believes Jubilee is going to be a failure, is based mainly on the selfish agenda of the higher ups! Filled with political intrigue, and espionage, Jubilee is an amazing World War II thriller that I highly recommend. Author Conor Bender has been added to my list of favorite authors! I cannot wait to see what this amazing and talented new author will write next!
January 16, 2021
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
In the days before the US entered WWII, things were not going well for Britain. Political wrangling leads to some disastrous raids. A spy tries to get the resistance going in France, while falling in love. A pilot tries not to get promoted out of the cockpit, and an American ranger gets some battlefield training. Their stories all come together in a climactic raid.
Pretty good stuff.
In the days before the US entered WWII, things were not going well for Britain. Political wrangling leads to some disastrous raids. A spy tries to get the resistance going in France, while falling in love. A pilot tries not to get promoted out of the cockpit, and an American ranger gets some battlefield training. Their stories all come together in a climactic raid.
Pretty good stuff.
September 30, 2020
✨Book Review✨
Alright if you love all things WWII, you will love this book. Jubilee by @conor.bender is a well researched, well executed work of fiction that is heavily based on real events. In fact it feels almost difficult to call this historical fiction because most of the characters existed and the title itself is based on Operation Jubilee (also known as the Dieppe Raide) in 1942. I will leave the synopsis in comments because there are many characters to dissect in a short review. But for me, reading this book led to so much more research and just plain googling. And sent me on a history lesson. Yay, seriously five big ol’ fat stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Alright if you love all things WWII, you will love this book. Jubilee by @conor.bender is a well researched, well executed work of fiction that is heavily based on real events. In fact it feels almost difficult to call this historical fiction because most of the characters existed and the title itself is based on Operation Jubilee (also known as the Dieppe Raide) in 1942. I will leave the synopsis in comments because there are many characters to dissect in a short review. But for me, reading this book led to so much more research and just plain googling. And sent me on a history lesson. Yay, seriously five big ol’ fat stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
July 6, 2020
The story kept me hooked from the very first word. I can't say for sure if there was any protagonist since each character was given equal importance. But I think Cutter was the spy, who in danger all the time for his life, played a very crucial role.
The writing keeps you engaged fort he thrilling actions and mystery till the very end.
A much-recommended book to anyone who is interested in WW2.
The writing keeps you engaged fort he thrilling actions and mystery till the very end.
A much-recommended book to anyone who is interested in WW2.
September 17, 2020
As a lover of historical books this book had everything I want to read about including real historical facts- which for me is everything. Prior to reading this book I did not know about Operation Jubilee. I was hooked on this story immediately and I couldn’t put it down! The authors beautiful way of writing was not only heartfelt but compelling and I felt I was there amongst these characters who I throughly enjoyed! Not only will I give this my top 5 of 2020 favorite historical reads but I’m even more delighted after reading this I discussed with my son who is a WW2 historical lover also, was so interested he has read it and loved it just as much as me! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical books as well as facts. I was shocked that this was a debut novel and look forward to reading more books by this author!
September 15, 2020
I’ve always been a huge history fan, and this book absolutely did not disappoint. The writing was great, the dialogue flowed really well. I even learned a few things about WWII that I had never heard before.
Even if you are not a history fan, I think this book would hold your attention. It was extremely well written and did not fall flat like some historical fiction books do. Highly recommend!!
July 8, 2020
Taking known historical facts, author Conor Bender skillfully weaves a compelling human story in his first novel, “Jubilee”. On August 19, 1942, the Allies launched the invasion, code-named Operation Jubilee, of Dieppe, France. Essentially, it was a dress rehearsal for D-Day. The military force was comprised of 6100 troops of which 5,072 were Canadian. It was a disaster, only: “2,210 returned to England, 1,946 were captured and 916 lost their lives”.*
Bender’s characters illustrate the many faceted face of war. At the top of the pyramid are political, egotistical officials like the vain Lord Louis Mountbatten vying for glory with British Field Marshall Montgomery. Both men blithely playing with people’s lives, moving them around, unfeelingly, like chess pieces. One level down are the administrators, such as Hambro, head of Special Operations, who genuinely cares about his agents but is caught in a moral dilemma of obeying disagreeable, even dishonorable, orders.
Beneath the leaders and the bureaucrats are the vulnerable, the expendable and the least powerful : fliers, soldiers, sailors, intelligence agents and Resistance fighters. Bender does an excellent job describing the air wars through Flying Lieutenant Ian Faraday. He cleverly offers informative descriptions of dog fights, plane types, Rhubarb and Rodeo missions (look them up), landing boats and battle plans to satisfy war aficionados without losing the non-military readers. Showing the camaraderie and the gallows humor of the soldiers and sailors are potent reminders of the humanity underpinning war. Even when battles are won, people died.
He shows the schizophrenic nature necessary to survive as a spy through young, immature British agent Arthur Cutter operating in Nazi-occupied France. Cutter’s youth and immaturity on some levels provide contrast to the serious and deadly skills he must master to survive undercover. Similarly, the fear of the French Resistance who live in constant proximity to the Germans, face danger daily while coping with rivalries within their own ranks are fighting an up close and personal war. Within the French Resistance, a young woman, Talia, not only combats Germans, but also the prejudice of the men of the Maquis who don’t see a fighter - only a female.
Operation Jubilee is the canvas Bender uses to show political infighting, moral dilemmas, aerial dog fights, undercover agents, French Resistance, German reprisals and unexpected love. He merges the various story lines and maintains
the suspense throughout the book. Jubilee’s authenticity comes from the fact the characters are not superheroes; they are real people, facing real danger, forced to make real decisions.
The Cambridge dictionary defines a jubilee as “(the celebration of) the day on which an important event happened many years ago”.** The name Operation Jubilee was an unfortunate choice for the disastrous invasion in 1942. Seventy-eight years later, writing a book titled" Jubilee" is appropriate and Bender does it honor.
*https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/rememb...
**https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/d...
Bender’s characters illustrate the many faceted face of war. At the top of the pyramid are political, egotistical officials like the vain Lord Louis Mountbatten vying for glory with British Field Marshall Montgomery. Both men blithely playing with people’s lives, moving them around, unfeelingly, like chess pieces. One level down are the administrators, such as Hambro, head of Special Operations, who genuinely cares about his agents but is caught in a moral dilemma of obeying disagreeable, even dishonorable, orders.
Beneath the leaders and the bureaucrats are the vulnerable, the expendable and the least powerful : fliers, soldiers, sailors, intelligence agents and Resistance fighters. Bender does an excellent job describing the air wars through Flying Lieutenant Ian Faraday. He cleverly offers informative descriptions of dog fights, plane types, Rhubarb and Rodeo missions (look them up), landing boats and battle plans to satisfy war aficionados without losing the non-military readers. Showing the camaraderie and the gallows humor of the soldiers and sailors are potent reminders of the humanity underpinning war. Even when battles are won, people died.
He shows the schizophrenic nature necessary to survive as a spy through young, immature British agent Arthur Cutter operating in Nazi-occupied France. Cutter’s youth and immaturity on some levels provide contrast to the serious and deadly skills he must master to survive undercover. Similarly, the fear of the French Resistance who live in constant proximity to the Germans, face danger daily while coping with rivalries within their own ranks are fighting an up close and personal war. Within the French Resistance, a young woman, Talia, not only combats Germans, but also the prejudice of the men of the Maquis who don’t see a fighter - only a female.
Operation Jubilee is the canvas Bender uses to show political infighting, moral dilemmas, aerial dog fights, undercover agents, French Resistance, German reprisals and unexpected love. He merges the various story lines and maintains
the suspense throughout the book. Jubilee’s authenticity comes from the fact the characters are not superheroes; they are real people, facing real danger, forced to make real decisions.
The Cambridge dictionary defines a jubilee as “(the celebration of) the day on which an important event happened many years ago”.** The name Operation Jubilee was an unfortunate choice for the disastrous invasion in 1942. Seventy-eight years later, writing a book titled" Jubilee" is appropriate and Bender does it honor.
*https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/rememb...
**https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/d...
Read
June 12, 2020Great book. Kept me interested from Page 1. I'm a WW2 buff and this book was as good as any I've read. Great detail.
July 25, 2020
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book - honesty compels me to say that I bought and read it because the author is the son of a friend of mine... though I do not know him.
Well, to say Pleasantly Surprised is an understatement! I enjoyed the stories of the characters and the way they came together so well. I loved learning about the raids leading up to DDay... which I’m sad to say I knew nothing about. And it was a nice introduction to that cad Lord Mountbatten for anyone who doesn’t already dislike him. 😏
Nice first book! I hope there will be more. A sequel would be fun.
Well, to say Pleasantly Surprised is an understatement! I enjoyed the stories of the characters and the way they came together so well. I loved learning about the raids leading up to DDay... which I’m sad to say I knew nothing about. And it was a nice introduction to that cad Lord Mountbatten for anyone who doesn’t already dislike him. 😏
Nice first book! I hope there will be more. A sequel would be fun.
July 8, 2020
Great novel taking historical facts about Operation Jubilee (a raid on Dieppe, France that was a build up for D-Day) and weaving a beautiful human story from the viewpoints of an undercover SOE agent, French Resistance fighters, Political figures, and Allied pilots. The suspense builds and all of the story lines come together during the raid on Dieppe. I really enjoyed learning about this not well-known raid during WWII, as well as the compelling character arcs! I hope there is a sequel, as I really fell in the love with the characters, especially the English spy Cutter and his love interest Talia, a French Resistance fighter.
October 3, 2020
What an exceptionally well written book! Huge props to Conor Bender for the extensive research that went into this novel. It was near impossible to tell what was fiction and what was written based on actual events.
This is a thrilling, edge of your seat, historical fiction novel based on actual events during WWII. Operation Jubilee, a 1942 allied raid on Nazi held Dieppe, France. Spies, lovers, bravery. I loved everything about this book!
This is a thrilling, edge of your seat, historical fiction novel based on actual events during WWII. Operation Jubilee, a 1942 allied raid on Nazi held Dieppe, France. Spies, lovers, bravery. I loved everything about this book!
February 9, 2021
Cool Title
The actual Operational Code Name. I won this on Goodreads. Interesting characters, with many historical people. Descriptive locations, felt like I was there. Actual events used as framework. From a format perspective, I would have preferred dates, locations as chapter headers - like W.E.B. Griffin to keep track of dates leading up to raids. Maps would have been cool, too. All in all, a good start to a series.
The actual Operational Code Name. I won this on Goodreads. Interesting characters, with many historical people. Descriptive locations, felt like I was there. Actual events used as framework. From a format perspective, I would have preferred dates, locations as chapter headers - like W.E.B. Griffin to keep track of dates leading up to raids. Maps would have been cool, too. All in all, a good start to a series.
May 7, 2023
this was a strong start to the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare series, it had everything that I was looking for. It had a unique concept overall and I enjoyed the historical elements to it. It had what I was looking for in a thriller and am really glad I got to read this.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 7, 2025
Great book
It took me awhile before I began enjoying this book but I really enjoyed it. I didn't know much about the subject matter and that was eye opening. The characters were great and how they interacted with each other. I really liked the final chapter. I will read next in the series.
It took me awhile before I began enjoying this book but I really enjoyed it. I didn't know much about the subject matter and that was eye opening. The characters were great and how they interacted with each other. I really liked the final chapter. I will read next in the series.
January 18, 2021
A wonderful easy to read historical fiction thriller of the WWII era. I thoroughly enjoyed the authenticity of the spy game and the authors use of real life people. A big thanks to Goodreads for this read, and I’m looking forward to the next installment should Mr. Bender write a sequel.
Read
June 15, 2024Really enjoyed this will be reading the next installment.
Just a note to the author, there is no such term as 'could care less'. The expression is 'couldn't care less'. Otherwise a really good read.
Just a note to the author, there is no such term as 'could care less'. The expression is 'couldn't care less'. Otherwise a really good read.
April 16, 2026
Easy and entertaining read. I don’t like when books have multiple protagonists because some storylines are uninteresting and it feels like a slog to get to the interesting ones like the spy and the fighter pilot.
December 25, 2023
Thrilling
Thrilling and exciting all the way throughout the read. It is hard to put down the novel once you start reading.
Thrilling and exciting all the way throughout the read. It is hard to put down the novel once you start reading.
September 11, 2025
Great premises, but excruciatingly slow. Very disappointed. 2.5
May 16, 2026
A very satisfying weekend with this well-researched and entertaining book! Am a new fan of Conor Bender.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews