Special Operations Executive 1940-46

The Special Operations Executive (SOE), formed in 1940, continues to captivate readers even today, thanks to the work of its official historian, M.R.D Foot, who had access to the organization's entire archive after World War Two. The SOE was hastily assembled to wage subversive campaigns behind enemy lines, improvising its rules as it went along. Its recruits were a diverse and eclectic group, ranging from North American newspaper editors to Siamese noblemen, Greek outlaws to Chinese tycoons, all united in their determination to resist the Nazi occupation.

While the SOE's total strength never exceeded 10,000 men and 3,200 women, its impact was far-reaching. The training was often crude, and many operations were ill-conceived, yet the successes of the SOE are all the more impressive for the long odds they faced. Occasionally, like the attack on the Norsk Hydro plant at Rjukan, the SOE's actions were critical to the war's outcome, but more often, their victories were the result of attrition rather than immediate impact.

The SOE's primary success, however, lay in its ability to foster a mentality of resistance throughout Nazi-occupied territories. Populations that might have otherwise resigned themselves to an easy life under occupation were galvanized into a state of constant, small-scale rebellion, ensuring that the occupying forces could never rest easy.

Author M.R.D Foot, the ideal guide through this captivating organization, skillfully separates fact from fiction, while still finding ample room for compelling storytelling. After reading this book, one's perspective on World War Two is forever altered, as the often-overlooked contributions of the SOE are brought to the forefront.

In 1984, the BBC aired a television series to coincide with the publication of Foot's work, further solidifying the SOE's place in the public consciousness. The enduring popularity of this book is a testament to the extraordinary feats of this clandestine organization and the remarkable individuals who comprised it, forever changing the course of the war.

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