Odette Brailly entered the nation's consciousness in the 1950s when her remarkable - and romantic - exploits as an SOE agent first came to light. She had been the first woman to be awarded the GC, as well as the Legion d'Honneur, and in 1950 the release of a film about her life made her the darling of the British popular press. But others openly questioned Odette's personal and professional integrity, even claiming that she had a clandestine affair with her supervisor Capt. Peter Churchill, with whom she had worked undercover in France. Soon she became as controversial as she was celebrated. In the first full biography of this incredible woman for nearly sixty years, historian Penny Starn delves into recently opened SOE personnel files to reveal the true story of this wartime heroine and the officer who posed as her husband. From her life as a French housewife living in Britain and her work undercover with the French Resistance, to her arrest, torture and unlikely survival in Ravensbruck concentration camp, Starns reveals for the first time the truth of Odette's mission and the heart-breaking identity of her real betrayer.

About the Author
PENNY STARNS was awarded her Doctorate in History at the University of Bristol and specialises in the History of the Second World War. She has researched and taught at Cambridge, London and Bristol universities, and has written history programmes for BBC Radio 4. Her other books include Nurses at War and Evacuation of Children during World War II.

Reviews
'An engaging biography about one of the twentieth century's most interesting women' -- Dr Juliette Pattinson



Book Information
ISBN 9780750984379
Author Penny Starns
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd