The Shelburne Escape Line
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
"The only Underground escape line that successfully evaded infiltration by the Gestapo was the Shelburne Line. Allied airmen, rescued after being shot down, were taken to Paris by Resistance members where - after intense interrogation - they received new names, identity cards, clothing, training, and special passes for the forbidden coastal zone in Brittany. They were hidden in "safe house" attics of loyal local farmers, waiting until a moonless night for evacuation to England via the Royal Navy's high-speed Motor Gun Boat 503"--Back cover.
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Interesting subject matter, filled with some very moving tales. The book is oddly split in half, the second part being completely different and simply a collection of standalone chapters with various war stories ranging from bomber crew tales to accounts from occupied France. But that section was just as gripping and moving as the first.
I don't want to criticise, as it was an enjoyable read and was written fairly well, but I did feel that the author inserted themselves into the story a little more than necessary, with accounts of how and when they met the interviewees, and also sometimes it wasn't clear if sections were quoted verbatim from primary sources, or if there was artistic license at play.
Overall though a very interesting book well worth a read for anyone interested in the resistance.
