Customer Reviews
Violette Szabo - a welcome new biography - By: P. W. H. Smith, 01 Nov 2003 
Having been brought up on a diet of "Victory at Sea", "The World at War" & no end of stories & documentaries about it, I grew upin the 1960s & 1970 thinking that the war had rather been rammed down my throat. However, when I read "Carve her name with Pride", the story of Violette affected me like no other. I could barely think about it without a lumpin my throat for a long while afterwards & for me this was *the* story about WWII.
Susan Ottoway's welcome new biography attempts to provide us new insights into this very courageous woman, it also dispels a few myths that have grown up. Though I was pleased to see that one of the most surprising tributes to her courage really happened.
During her fateful second mission, she & a male companion were stopped by an SS Panzer division roadblock. A gunfight ensued & for 20 minutues Violette held off hardened Panzer division troops until exhaustion & a lack of ammunition forced her capture, her male companion was given the opportunity to escape. After her capture, the German officerin charge saluted her & called her the bravest woman he had ever seen.
The latter part of the book does not make easy reading & Susan Ottoway's book left me with the suspicion that Violette set out on that second mission knowing or even certain that she would not be returning.
Well worth reading.
Speculation - By: Stephen Crook, 30 Mar 2003 
Despite the claims of extensive research, much of the detail given remainsin the realm of speculation. A lot begins with "I think" or "It appears" but then goes onin such detail you tend to forget that it is just specualtion.
But it is a very worthwhile subject & anything that raises the profile of Violette & the other women of SOE is welcome.
Light account - By: , 31 Aug 2002 
Ottaway gives a fresh light account of the brave heroine Violette Szabo. I was greatly impressed by the awein which ottaway holds the heroine, & this feeling makes the biography an easy read. It is also a nice touch that there is now a friendship between the author & Tanya the daughter. There is no bitterness here, the book was written with warm kinship that it is hard not to feel pride & sadness for Violette. For more deepend exploits I recommend "A quiet courage" by Liane Jones which examines less famous female SOE missions, & manages to shock. Ottaway does not manage this, but nonetheless this is a secure biography that does make the reader think of the courage & determination of the enigmatic women of SOE.
An interesting and moving account of szabo's life - By: Honeybunny, 23 Jul 2002 The author of the book Susan Ottaway does a fine jobin trying to dispel the myths surrounding Szabo's life. Ottaway even suggests that the famous peom The life That I have was not written for or used by Szabo, butin fact it was written for the film Carve Her Name with pride producedin 1958. I have found this book extremely interesting on the whole as gives an insight into Violette's early life & her marriage to a member of the French Foreign Legion. Szabo's capture, life & executionin the infamous Ravensbruck camp is extremely moving as you realise what these people & many others had to endure during the war. I urge everyone to read this book as the memory of those brave people needs to live on.
