Unforgettable story. I enjoyed the story with this wonderful intonation and perfect pace. I was totally into this book at the beginning. A book that you should not miss if you would love to know more about ww2.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

In June 1940, a covert new force - the Special Operations Executive (SOE) - was set up to wage a secret war. Its agents were tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines, and over the course of the next five years, 470 special agents would be sent into France. Only 26 female SOE agents would return.

None before have told their story in their own words. Pippa Latour was the last surviving SOE to have seen action behind enemy lines in France, and this is her story.

Pippa had a very unusual upbringing, she was born in South Africa, and had a British mother. During her childhood in the Belgian Congo her family moved frequently. "She picked up languages like a sponge ... she learned to shoot a gun at 7, excelled at morse code, maths, algebra", some of which placed her in very good stead for what was to come.


At the age of 23 Pippa was flown into one of the most dangerous parts of France where the anticipated life span of someone like her was between 2-6 weeks. Some of her work will have you holding your breath. Many of her fellow operators were caught, tortured and executed.

For decades after the war, Pippa told no one, not even her family of her incredible feats. But here is the story of a truly remarkable woman - a woman with immense courage, honesty and determination.
Pippa passed away in October 2023 at the grand old age of 102, and never got to see this book in print (exactly as she wished).

This fascinating story of Pippa Latour, her upbringing and eventual recruitment into SOE is a story in itself. Her subsequent mission into France just prior to D-Day is as amazing with her very close encounters with the Gestapo and German guards yet continuing to send back vital real time intelligence information that was immediately actioned. Her actions, bravery and resourcefulness, all stemmed from her upbringing in Africa and the culmination of her activities in her early years are an example to us all.
This story would make an extraordinary WWII film.

Wow! What an incredible woman Pippa LaTour was.
From an unusual childhood in Africa to the dangerous world of WW2 in France Pippa shows such courage and resilience as well as compassion and loyalty.
Jude Dobson has done an impressive job of writing this memoir. I cannot rate this book highly enough.

The amazing story of a very brave young lady, one of the women operating in France for the SOE in WWII. An inspirational story and one we should all be grateful for.
My thanks to Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This is a truly astonishing account. It will move and amaze in equal measure and it feels like a privilege to have gained even limited insight into the reality of war. We hear so much about the role of men in wars but relate little about the women involved. Pippa Latour was exceptional in every way. In her early upbringing overseas, she suffered a number of personal tragedies. Clearly gifted with a talent for language, it’s difficult to remember she was so young. She was still within her Kate teenage years when she became involved with SOE and her account is truly remarkable.

Few of us have much idea about the role of the SOE. Secretive and subversive, their actions were dangerous and life threatening daily. Thanks to their bravery and subterfuge, numerous plans by the Germans were thwarted or delayed. Pippa Latour recounts events in a very understated way. I was moved to tears a couple of times and this is an important historical document as well as one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read. I’ve been privileged to both read and listen to the audio version, very ably narrated by Jilly Bond. Her enthusiasm in narration matches many of the events and I listened to it in a couple of sittings.

An absorbing biography of an incredible woman. The story is told with wonderful detail and lots of emotions. Pippa Latour comes through in the narrative as a very engaging and remarkable person.

This is really good!! Nicely written, I had the feeling I could hear Pippa tell her life. She becomes a real person straight away, and then a friend because of the honesty in her telling the story of her life. Pippa was an interesting personality with a fascinating background which might explain her courage and her conscience. Very pleasant to read! Highly recommended.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

Absolutely amazing! I’m not normally a biography lover, but as I’ve always been fascinated by spies I thought I’d give it a go, and I’m so happy I did. This biography is told in such a way that you feel as though you’re right there in the middle of the action. This book is in parts heartbreaking, exciting, and heartwarming. There are several things that we all knew happened during the war but don’t really think about, but really sink home when you read about it in a first person account. I would definitely recommend to everyone to read as it really gives more of an appreciation for what everyone went through back then, not just those in service, but even your normal joe bloggs who was still at home