Christine: SOE Agent and Churchill's Favourite Spy: A Search for Christine Granville

just 3 days ago I went down a Google rabbit hole looking for women of ww2 who weren’t anything but nurses, but women who were important to the war and in as much danger as the men, that’s when I came across Krystyna! Having read numerous “historical” articles written by men I became increasingly disheartened at the fact they relentlessly spoke of her good looks and constantly made presumptions and suggestions of her being lovers with any man that would talk to her, what’s worse was the constant repetitive talk of her “probably” been a lover of the man that would end her life, simply because she showed him kindness. And so I searched Amazon to see if any books of validity had been written and to my excitement I found this. I’m the first to admit I have a habit of buying books and being bored quickly, with adhd I have a hard time staying focused so I hoped I could manage to read this.With the articles I had previously read I already felt an obsession with Miss Skarbek and had even felt an adoration for her, funnily enough this was clearly a running theme to all who met her. Yesterday evening I opened the book fully intending to read a few pages and continue this every evening before bed. However, this wasn’t meant to be and once I began reading I couldn’t put it down! This book details so much with the help of two of her closest friends during the war years. In all aspects of her personality and being she seemed able to effortlessly and naturally be at both sides of the table. She was stubborn in her thoughts and wants yet was willing to listen to those who cared (however not always). She lived for the danger of the war yet despised the idea of killing anyone, even if they deserved it. She was fiercely intelligent and observant. She didn’t suffer fools but was very kind and empathetic. She was a magnet to everyone who met her and her abilities had no peak. She was an extremely important cog in the war machine and yet so many don’t know her at all. There is so much about her I can’t even describe. And yet she was so modest of her achievements, it’s clear everything she did she either did for herself or for those she cared for most. Her resilience is inspiring and nothing I say here will even do her very being justice. Madeline and krystynas friends have done an amazing job of describing the events of her life without exaggeration and whilst the events feel like something from a film it’s hard not to believe it.As I knew of how she died when it came to the end of the book I began to well up. In my heart I wanted to close the book and pretend It didn’t happen but I continued reading feeling as if I were there as it happened.This book is a must read and you won’t be disappointed! My only disappointment I found with this book is the disappointment of my own country. She did so much for this country and yet she was discarded with and as if that wasn’t enough she was stateless.Whilst I’m not religious I genuinely hope there is a god because she deserves the highest position available in those pearly gates with Andrew by her side!

Fascinating insight to the spy network in the ww2. However a difficult read , it was more of a documentary than a story and the British Government were lacking in support of Christine , they were appalling

this is the original book about Christine.. she was a heroand bravest of the brave. I have seen her file in the NA andits awesome what she did.This is the best book about her as the other, later, book has moreof less the same content, but with important things left out.She came to a sticky end, sadly and did not have the best treatment forall her bravery from British . We should not forget what so many bravepeople did for our country in WW2 .. she is one of them.

This was not your normal type of biography was a bit in depth of what was going on but didn't to me cover her missions in any detail. I found it a bit slow and in parts hard going.

The media could not be loaded.  A brilliantly written story of a legendary heroine who were so terribly let down by a country which, generous and magnanimous in time of war, could, so easily in time of peace, turn against the greatest of its servants.

This really was a delightful and so well written story.

I have not t had this book long and about two thirds the way through, but its extremely entertaining, together with "edge of the seat" stuff! I took it on holiday which was a cruise to St Petersburg, and its incredible how some of the story was about places we had visited. Thoroughly recommend it. Not sure it has a happy ending, but I'm hopeful!.

Christine Granville, an amazing woman who died in a ridiculous way. The author writes in a detailed and compelling way about Christine. One can only marvel at the amount of research that must have gone into this book.Two amazing women, one writing about the other.