Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

None Stood Taller - The Price of Freedom

Rate this book
An SOE field agent. Audacious, charismatic, charming, a fearless assassin. Also a woman. A reluctant hero who pays the price of freedom.

From the best selling author of “None Stood Taller”.
This book both concludes the series, and provides an introduction for new readers.

In 1941 when Dorothy Archer saw the opportunity to serve her country, she didn’t hesitate. A woman escaping her past, she had no prospects, nothing to lose. Perhaps destiny dictated that the Special Operations Executive should recognise the very special talents that even Dotty is unaware of. A charismatic personality, she can be flirtatious and charming, but also proves to be a fearless assassin! Dotty finds herself torn between those contradictions. Beyond the murky world she inhabits, she struggles with life and relationships. The only man she is ever able to love, is also a part of that world. Dotty is a reluctant hero, who pays the price of freedom.

Thirty-nine women served in Occupied France as SOE field agents during WW2. Dotty owes more to those thirty-nine than anything in the author's imagination. Although a work of fiction this book is deeply rooted in historic detail. The contribution that the SOE made during WW2 is brought to life through the story of Dorothy Archer. Her life and loves are a true reflection of the period.

715 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2022

487 people are currently reading
152 people want to read

About the author

Peter Turnham

10 books50 followers
I took the rash decision to retire from my business at the age of 46 to self-build my own house on the top of the Cotswold Hills and to breed a few trout for our lakes. We've now lived in the house for well over 20 years and are still here! We're not really self-sufficient but my wife and I manage and maintain everything ourselves. I just wish I'd discovered the joy of writing sooner - it has become one of my greatest pleasures in life. After a ruptured Achilles tendon trapped me in a chair for some months, to keep my mind occupied I wrote my "Autumn Daffodils" series which is essentially a story in two halves. "Charlie's Story" ends dramatically, and "Joanna's Story" continues the roller-coaster ride to even greater heights.

Since then, I have published the "None Stood Taller" trilogy including "None Stood Taller The Final Year" and "None Stood Taller The Price of Freedom". "Freedom" can be read as the conclusion of the story or can introduce the series to new readers.

"Parallel Lives - a Story of the Greatest Generation" published late August 2024 has taken me two years to write. At 550 pages it seems long, but it is actually two books in one; I could find no sensible place to divide it into two separate books, as it depicts the lives of both Emma and Roger throughout WW2 from 1939 through to 1945.

My six books are all published on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle, with hardbacks of the None Stood Taller series and of Parallel Lives. Paperbacks are also available to order from High Street bookstores.

These days we let out one of our farm buildings as a holiday cottage, and we meet many interesting people from the UK and abroad.

In March 2022, I was shortlisted with "None Stood Taller" for the UK Selfies Award, a competition for self-published authors, with the winner being announced at the annual London Book Fair. Very exciting for a relatively new author at the time!

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
935 (71%)
4 stars
280 (21%)
3 stars
71 (5%)
2 stars
10 (<1%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Tamara.
25 reviews
January 16, 2023
2.5

This the the 3rd installment in Turnham's series, which is a unique take on British SOE operators during WWII. The first two novels cover these characters interacting with major events from the Blitz to the end of WWII and were quite enjoyable. However, this third novel rehashed the same time period and events from a different character's perspective. For me, this was an unnecessary addition because the tension was nonexistent since the reader knows the outcomes.
420 reviews2 followers
July 16, 2025
This book is amazing. The author has obviously researched his story, and it shows. In this book, we get to read about the missions that Dotty goes on and the danger that she finds herself in. What the women who went on the missions into occupied Europe went through is nothing short of miraculous. We also read about the experiences of the people left at home. Although this book is mostly about Dotty, the other characters are not forgotten about, their stories also develop and grow. Brilliant story.
162 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2022
None Stood Taller Book 3

Book 3 begins in 1939 and ends in 1945. The first two books told from Lucy & Fiona's perspectives are intertwined here, but not in as much depth since this is Dotty's story. The focus is on Dotty's past & how it is now impacting her personally & professionally. The book deals with male/female relationships & the importance of friendships between women. Turnham brought to life the events occurring during World War 2. If you are a fan of WW2 historical novels, I highly recommend None Stood Taller Book 3. You will not regret it!
Profile Image for Sebastian.
474 reviews4 followers
December 23, 2022
Beautifully written story of a very driven and powerful woman who has done heroic deeds that even men cannot quickly imitate. You are completely in the story. I hope that these three books will be filmed one day because that is definitely worth it.
Profile Image for Pam.
4,629 reviews69 followers
January 4, 2023
None Stood Taller: The Price of Freedom Book three is by Peter Turnham. This book is Dotty’s story. She never talks about her childhood on the East End even though it affects her life now. The problem with this book is that most of it was covered in Books one and two and there is a lot of repetition of events, feelings, thoughts, and even conversations. This causes the reader to want to skim over the story and possibly miss some new hint which has been added. Then, the reader has to go back and reread to find the missing information. This makes the book very unappetizing to read. However, the story itself and getting to know Dotty makes the book necessary to read. The book gets more interesting when Dotty gets sent on assignments in France because what actually happened in those assignments has never been looked at for details by the reader. Had these details been included in the second book, this book would have been unnecessary. Since this book is being told to the godson, Charlie, it would easily fit into book two.
374 reviews
July 30, 2023
it had to end

The three books in this series captivated me in so many ways that I feel like I’m losing a bunch of friends all at once. The character development was that good. The history was told as it was lived by the characters in their involvement with the aspects of the war and their personal lives were captivating as well. All I can say is: don’t miss the opportunity to read about a time in history that can never be forgotten by living with people who become important to you.
1 review
January 25, 2024
My favorite novel about WW2

I must confess that I read the 1st novel in this series without knowing anything about the author. I was blown away to discover that the author is a man, believing that only a woman would be able to so convincingly portray this protagonist. I was reluctant to even start the book, as I have read so many WW2 novels and even discussed with my book club members that it was getting tiresome. Bravo Mr Turnham! This is a brilliant accounting of that conflict and it touched me deeply. You are now on my list of favorite contemporary authors.
14 reviews
October 22, 2024
Amazing historical novels

This series of books about Great Britain during World War II, is so amazing from a historical view. I learned so much about my father's generation and certainly wish he was still here to.talk to about the American perspective. The author managed to wrap all the history in a wonderful story that is so compelling. Each character becomes so real that it is unclear what is fact and what is fiction. I couldn't put the books down; they were amazing.
3 reviews
October 30, 2022
Compelling story, recommended reading

Peter's story about Dotty is remarkable.He created a full of life character who struggled with her own demons to achieve extraordinary feats.Such a compelling story.Wonderful people in this historical story, I could imagine skydiving after reading about Dotty jumping from the plane into German territory, assisted by brave Polish resistance fighters.
HEA ending,thank you Peter.
4 reviews
November 7, 2022
Outstanding writing!

Each of the three books that I have read allowed me to feel as though I was right there with the characters. Part of the greater family striving to maintain their rights to live a life with freedom of choice. To fight the evils of war alongside them, risking their lives, with only the recognition they gave each other. Incredible how much of their personal lives were put on hold for their country.
44 reviews
January 9, 2023
None Stood Taller...exactly that.

The people who worked secretly behind the scenes were some of the most amazing heros. Their Valor could not be sung to the masses but to a special few who knew their bravery and selflessness they stood so tall. I loved the trilogy. The last book was Dotty's point of view and the hell she went through and finally accepted her own worth was exciting and rewarding.
2 reviews
Read
March 11, 2023
Absolutely wonderful book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves ww2history. Unable to put down most times. You won't be disappointed. Can't wait to read the other books in t his trilogy. Thank you PeterTurnham.

Absolutely wonderful book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves ww2 history. Thank you Peter Turnham for writing such a great novel. Can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.
1 review
Read
March 20, 2024
If you are interested in WW2 and the devastation from Hitler's blitz, you must read these books. I felt I was right in London experiencing the bombs falling and the panic attached. I've read hundreds of WW2 books, this book explains exactly what happened. The nurses, ambulance crews, and firemen. People run to the subway sleeping in the subway every night while bombs are falling above them. The experience of the people coming out of the subway going home to see if their home is still there.
3 reviews
August 11, 2025
WOW, A book you CAN’T put down!

This book is so well written, it keeps your interest, while learning things about WW2 that I never knew. I never thought that deeply about what people went through, the emotions involved, the lives shattered, even though my parents lived through it and my father was in the war. I have learned so much by reading this series.
READ THE BOOK & the SERIES you won’t be sorry.
29 reviews
February 16, 2023
Fantastic series.

I love reading war history. These books bring a great human element to the effort that goes into the planning, suffering and all aspects of war. I was born the year this war started and have lived through the times of many more conflicts. I still find the World War II era so fascinating.
20 reviews2 followers
March 15, 2023
The story continues

Dotty’s story is featured in book 3. I was enlightened about war strategies, weapons, things I knew nothing about so for me it was a good learning experience. It also featured incredible women, which I appreciate. And of course there are love stories. I enjoy the author’s writing style.
4 reviews
October 9, 2023
OUTSTANDING!! UNKNOWN HISTORY FOR THIS READER

Peter Turnham.. BRAVO!!! you write an awesome story. You make a novel flow and easy to keep track of all characters. The history and knowledge in this series as been unknown to me. Definitely a MUST READ!!!!! I'm so glad I chose the read this series and highly recommend it .
41 reviews
November 25, 2023
An enthralling trilogy.
The research that went in to these books must have been enormous, and the flow was continued so well. The characters became real people that I felt I knew.
One other thing that impresses me is an author who, whilst I am not a prude, does not need to use any foul language or irrelevant explicit passages.
2 reviews
January 24, 2024
All three None Stood Taller books are excellent reads. Well researched in a historical context, well considered and easy to read until late into the night. They meld together beautifully as a series and provide a brilliant overarching knowledge of the history of World War II. Unforgettable. I applaud the author for pursuing the process of self publishing.
Profile Image for Zoe Adams.
949 reviews24 followers
March 17, 2024
3.75 stars. While it was a shame that some of the first two books was literally copied and pasted, I actually didn't mind revisiting scenes again from Dotty's perspective. While the same issues with the writing existed in this one, I did still enjoy it - and in fact, enjoyed the whole series immensly.
Profile Image for Ingrid.
1,576 reviews132 followers
December 11, 2024
None stood taller part 3 is about Dorothy Archer, an East End woman, who is trained as an SOE field agent. She is sent on several missions and barely makes it back. All the books in the series are well worth reading.
I waited a long time with reading no. 3 because Dotty is included in the first two books too and I knew what had happened to her already in general.
86 reviews
December 26, 2024


Excellent story covering so many aspects of how men, and particularly one woman, were trained to do sabotage in various parts of World War II. How they were constantly in danger with each job they were assigned. After D-Day the units were disbanded and had to find their way back to civilian life. As always there was a happy ending for those that made it home safely.
Profile Image for Jeanenne Thomas.
3 reviews
February 24, 2026
Fast moving; riveting.

Many layered account of intelligence operations during WW2; skilfully woven around authentic characters. I was drawn to care about the characters. The dreadful cost of war both to civilians and those who fought, the enlisted and those of the Resistance skill fully woven together.
9 reviews
March 2, 2026
A great story

The author weaves fiction and fact together to pass on to our generation the story of the sacrifices and triumphs of WWII. We are fast losing all those who lived through WWII. I am glad he has created this series to help us see the lessons learned during that time. It is an engaging story. It was hard to put it down.
23 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2026
This trilogy was an excellent read. I was never one for history growing up, but love it now! This series was very informative regarding WWII. I was not aware of the V1 and V2 bombs. The story telling made it very interesting, the characters were so well developed that you couldn’t help but be completely involved with their lives.
807 reviews8 followers
October 21, 2022
Super series

Enjoyed this series so much. Well researched, well written. So much adventure, fear, emotional, love, caring, strife, hard work, pain, never give up, you will find all of this and more in these books. Pick them up today you will not be disappointed.
2 reviews
October 29, 2022
History unvailed

We are all aware of the history of WW II this series brings to life in a whole different light. I read all three books as fast as I could. Many a Sleepless nights came with these 3 books.
Profile Image for Donna Scheiner.
34 reviews2 followers
November 5, 2022
None stand alone price of freedom

This book was almost a repitition of the previous stand alone series. There was too much technical pieces and too much statistics that were repeats of previous books in the series
10 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2022
Excellent addition to the series

Like the other books in this series, it was hard to put this down. The historical details lift these books above others based in the war years. The characters are believable, human, sometimes funny, and show how ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Profile Image for Danette.
45 reviews
November 24, 2022
Interesting view from a civilian operative in WW2

Dotty is personable, interesting and strong. She worked in a position no woman had ever been offered. She fought through the war in a hidden role that she could tell no one about. Her strength and spirit are inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.