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War in the Shadows: Resistance, Deception and Betrayal in Occupied France
‘One of our very best writers on France.’ Antony Beevor
After publishing an acclaimed biography of Jean Moulin, leader of the French Resistance, Patrick Marnham received an anonymous letter from a person who claimed to have worked for British Intelligence during the war. The ex-spy praised his book but insisted that he had missed the real ‘treasure’. The letter drew Marnham back to the early 1960s when he had been taught French by a mercurial woman – a former Resistance leader, whose SOE network was broken on the same day that Moulin was captured and who endured eighteen months in Ravensbrück concentration camp. Could these two events have been connected? His anonymous correspondent offered a tantalising set of clues that seemed to implicate Churchill and British Intelligence in the catastrophe.
Drawing on a deep knowledge of France and original research in British and French archives, War in the Shadows exposes the ruthless double-dealing of the Allied intelligence services and the Gestapo through one of the darkest periods of the Second World War. It is a story worthy of Le Carré, but with this difference – it is not fiction.
‘A melange of Le Grand Meaulnes and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold . It is unforgettable.’ Ferdinand Mount, TLS , Books of the Year
‘A masterly analysis, impeccably presented.’ Allan Mallinson, Spectator
‘Fascinating… Marnham has a vast and scholarly knowledge of this often treacherous world.’ Caroline Moorehead, Literary Review
After publishing an acclaimed biography of Jean Moulin, leader of the French Resistance, Patrick Marnham received an anonymous letter from a person who claimed to have worked for British Intelligence during the war. The ex-spy praised his book but insisted that he had missed the real ‘treasure’. The letter drew Marnham back to the early 1960s when he had been taught French by a mercurial woman – a former Resistance leader, whose SOE network was broken on the same day that Moulin was captured and who endured eighteen months in Ravensbrück concentration camp. Could these two events have been connected? His anonymous correspondent offered a tantalising set of clues that seemed to implicate Churchill and British Intelligence in the catastrophe.
Drawing on a deep knowledge of France and original research in British and French archives, War in the Shadows exposes the ruthless double-dealing of the Allied intelligence services and the Gestapo through one of the darkest periods of the Second World War. It is a story worthy of Le Carré, but with this difference – it is not fiction.
‘A melange of Le Grand Meaulnes and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold . It is unforgettable.’ Ferdinand Mount, TLS , Books of the Year
‘A masterly analysis, impeccably presented.’ Allan Mallinson, Spectator
‘Fascinating… Marnham has a vast and scholarly knowledge of this often treacherous world.’ Caroline Moorehead, Literary Review
400 pages, Paperback
Published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 25, 2020
About the same time that I was a twenty year old living in London, Patrick Marnham was learning French with a family who had been active in the resistence. Unknowingly, he was close to two of the great tragic betrayals of the Second World War, the destruction of the SOE Prosper network and the capture of Jean Moulin. We had long suspected that Henri Déricourt, the SOE air transport officer, was working for the Gestapo. But Marnham tells us that he was also working for another British agency, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), not just a double agent, but a triple.
Distrust of de Gaulle, along with trust in Stalin, were Franklin Roosevelt's greatest failures, and both were to return to haunt America after his death. Moulin's mission was to co-ordinate all French resistence movements with de Gaulle's headquarters in London. Because SOE(F) and the Gaullists kept each other at more than arm's length (indeed, it's almost hard to believe they were fighting on the same side), I'd never imagined these two events could be related. In 1943 both SOE and the Gaullists were under the illusion that an allied landing in France was imminent, and for the benefit of Stalin, the allies at the very highest level wanted the Germans to believe it. Hence both movements were operating at a dangerously high level of visibility, and at least in the case of Maj. Bodington, deliberately concealing the presence of the traitor Déricourt. Even after the fall of Prosper, Noor Inyat Khan was still transmitting whilst on the run.
I expect that an SIS partisan would maintain that fooling the Germans about D-Day was worth the loss of the lives of the SOE agents who were beterayed to the Germans. As they would have been Le Carre's mentors, I can understand how he became so cynical. Still, the SOE agents remain for me a shining example of valour amidst one of the darkest periods of recent history.
Distrust of de Gaulle, along with trust in Stalin, were Franklin Roosevelt's greatest failures, and both were to return to haunt America after his death. Moulin's mission was to co-ordinate all French resistence movements with de Gaulle's headquarters in London. Because SOE(F) and the Gaullists kept each other at more than arm's length (indeed, it's almost hard to believe they were fighting on the same side), I'd never imagined these two events could be related. In 1943 both SOE and the Gaullists were under the illusion that an allied landing in France was imminent, and for the benefit of Stalin, the allies at the very highest level wanted the Germans to believe it. Hence both movements were operating at a dangerously high level of visibility, and at least in the case of Maj. Bodington, deliberately concealing the presence of the traitor Déricourt. Even after the fall of Prosper, Noor Inyat Khan was still transmitting whilst on the run.
I expect that an SIS partisan would maintain that fooling the Germans about D-Day was worth the loss of the lives of the SOE agents who were beterayed to the Germans. As they would have been Le Carre's mentors, I can understand how he became so cynical. Still, the SOE agents remain for me a shining example of valour amidst one of the darkest periods of recent history.
December 28, 2020
A fascinating, disturbing and brilliantly written tale of the complex and duplicitous connections between the British secret services and the French resistance networks during 1943-5.
In a remarkable example of careful investigative historical research, Patrick Marnham searches for the truth of who had the motive and opportunity to betray the most successful head of the resistance, Jean Moulin, to the Gestapo.
Marnham forensically collates the scraps of evidence that survived the (convenient) postwar fire that destroyed most of the official SOE archive, paying Sherlock-Holmes-like equal attention to ‘the dogs that didn’t bark’. Along the way, we are given an insight into the lives of some remarkable individuals — as well as the structure and pernicious internal politics between different parts of the British intelligent services.
In a remarkable example of careful investigative historical research, Patrick Marnham searches for the truth of who had the motive and opportunity to betray the most successful head of the resistance, Jean Moulin, to the Gestapo.
Marnham forensically collates the scraps of evidence that survived the (convenient) postwar fire that destroyed most of the official SOE archive, paying Sherlock-Holmes-like equal attention to ‘the dogs that didn’t bark’. Along the way, we are given an insight into the lives of some remarkable individuals — as well as the structure and pernicious internal politics between different parts of the British intelligent services.
January 2, 2021
Extensively researched
There can be no doubt of the extensive research involved in writing this book: full of twists an turns one expects from novel. However this true account ( perhaps historical account) is a fascinating read. At times I found I had to back track to keep up with the fine details of those involved. This did not detract from the context , all of which leads the reader to wonder what else we do not know of the secrets held by governments and individuals.
There can be no doubt of the extensive research involved in writing this book: full of twists an turns one expects from novel. However this true account ( perhaps historical account) is a fascinating read. At times I found I had to back track to keep up with the fine details of those involved. This did not detract from the context , all of which leads the reader to wonder what else we do not know of the secrets held by governments and individuals.
April 9, 2023
I don’t know very much about history, but my friend couldn’t stop talking about this book, so I had to pick it up. I’m not sure I fully understand it because there were so many moving parts and people, but what I did understand painted a really interesting picture. This is one of those books that I think you should take notes on while you read it to refer back to. A lot goes on and it definitely caught my interest.
April 27, 2021
The story appears promising: the French resistance, the English secret services and the trapping of Jean Moulin. But it is badly written, there is too much minutia and it is like plodding in mud.
April 30, 2023
An interesting book with an insight into SOE and the Government during war
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews