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Women Interned in World War Two Sumatra: Faith, Hope and Survival
by Barbara CoombesThousands of women and children were among those who struggled to leave Singapore just before capitulation on February 15 1942; their hope was to reach safety. For many that hope was never realised; countless numbers drowned as ships were bombed and sunk on their way to ‘safety’. The ‘lucky’ ones who survived the onslaught of the ships would become guests of the Japanese; many of these would not live to see the end of the war. Two very different women fleeing on those last ships and subsequently interned in camps throughout Sumatra were Margaret Dryburgh, a missionary and teacher, and Shelagh Brown, a secretary at the Singapore Naval Base. Their paths crossed briefly prior to the catastrophic events of 1942 and met again in internment. The ‘Captives Hymn’ composed by Margaret Dryburgh was initially sung by herself along with Shelagh Brown and friend Dorothy MacLeod on 5 July 1942. It has since been sung at services throughout internment and continues to be sung at services all over the world. Music and faith were fundamental to both their lives and Margaret’s creative talents lifted the spirits of everyone during those dark and difficult days. In a remarkable partnership, when the women were struggling to find something new that would lift their flagging spirits, Margaret and fellow internee Norah Chambers produced a ‘Vocal Orchestra’ using women’s voices in place of instruments. The first performance stunned the entire camp; they had never heard anything so beautiful and momentarily made them feel that they were free and floating away with the music. This true account, using personal diaries and family documents traces Margaret Dryburgh and Shelagh Brown’s journey from childhood through to adulthood and internment. Early life shapes adult life and perhaps contributed to their response to captivity which showed courage, tenacity, perseverance and surprisingly, given the appalling conditions, a good deal of humour. ‘May the Day of Freedom Dawn’
The Women of Brambleberry House Collection: His Second-chance Family / A Soldier's Secret (The\women Of Brambleberry House Ser.)
by RaeAnne ThayneWelcome to Cannon Beach, Oregon where New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne introduces the Women of Brambleberry House in four heartwarming and emotional romances perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr!The Daddy MakeoverEben Spencer learned long ago to keep his eye on the ball and his emotions under wraps. And where had this philosophy got him so far? In business, to the pinnacle of success. In his personal life, it brought him one beloved, if unhappy, little girl, and one shattered marriage. He is not about to embark on another one anytime soon….Until he meets Sage Benedetto. The bewitching woman is everything Eben is not—warm, emotional, open—and everything he never dreamed he’d want. But lately he’s having very different dreams….His Second-Chance FamilyWhen she was sixteen, Julia Blair found more than fun in the sun on the sands of Cannon Beach. She found a home—especially in the arms of Will Garrett—and she thought that life stretched out in front of her….Now she’s thirty-two, and though life may not have worked out the way she planned, here she is: back in Cannon Beach, with her two little children in tow. Only to find Will Garrett there, too. Julia believes he can still make all her dreams come true. The question is, will he let her into his heart to do the same for him?The Soldier’s SecretTo find out who was claiming ownership of the only place he’d ever called home, Harry Maxwell knew he’d have to practice a little deception. So the wounded lieutenant changed his name a little. Altered a few facts. All for a good cause—get in, get the truth, get out.Then he meets the Brambleberry House heir presumptive. Anna Galvez is captivating in ways he hadn’t even known existed. Still, after spending time with her, he wants the house more than ever. But only if she’s in it.A Soldier’s ReturnReturning home to Cannon Beach and living in Brambleberry House, a place where good things seemed destined to happen, had brought Melissa Fielding and her young daughter such joy. Perhaps it was no accident when the single mom “bumped” into Eli Sanderson, and discovered the handsome doctor was also back in town. The ex-soldier was still so captivating, but also more guarded. Was now the time to put old ghosts to rest?
The Women of Brambleberry House Collection Volume 1: An Anthology (The Women of Brambleberry House)
by RaeAnne ThayneEnjoy the rocky shores of Cannon Beach, Oregon in the first three books of New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s The Woman of Brambleberry House series, together for the first time!The Daddy MakeoverEben Spencer learned long ago to keep his eye on the ball and his emotions under wraps. And where had this philosophy got him so far? In business, to the pinnacle of success. In his personal life, it brought him one beloved, if unhappy, little girl, and one shattered marriage. He is not about to embark on another one anytime soon….Until he meets Sage Benedetto. The bewitching woman is everything Eben is not—warm, emotional, open—and everything he never dreamed he’d want. But lately he’s having very different dreams….His Second-Chance FamilyWhen she was sixteen, Julia Blair found more than fun in the sun on the sands of Cannon Beach. She found a home—especially in the arms of Will Garrett—and she thought that life stretched out in front of her….Now she’s thirty-two, and though life may not have worked out the way she planned, here she is: back in Cannon Beach, with her two little children in tow. Only to find Will Garrett there, too. Julia believes he can still make all her dreams come true. The question is, will he let her into his heart to do the same for him?The Soldier’s SecretTo find out who was claiming ownership of the only place he’d ever called home, Harry Maxwell knew he’d have to practice a little deception. So the wounded lieutenant changed his name a little. Altered a few facts. All for a good cause—get in, get the truth, get out.Then he meets the Brambleberry House heir presumptive. Anna Galvez is captivating in ways he hadn’t even known existed. Still, after spending time with her, he wants the house more than ever. But only if she’s in it.
Women of Steel: The Feisty Factory Sisters Who Helped Win the War
by Michelle RawlinsTrue stories of love and loss during WWII, from the tough Northern women who kept the foundry fires burning.When war broke out, the young women of Sheffield had their carefree lives turned upside down. With their sweethearts being sent away to fight, they had no choice but to step into the men's shoes and become the backbone of the city's steel industry. Through hard toil and companionship, they vowed to keep the foundry fires burning and ensured that soldiers had the weapons, planes and ships needed to secure victory over Hitler.When the men returned from the front in 1945, many of these women tragically found themselves discarded 'like yesterday's fish and chip wrappers'. But decades later, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the elderly Women of Steel finally brought their remarkable story to light.Women of Steel is the last chance to hear these unsung heroines' voices, as they share first-hand how a group of plucky young women rallied together to win the war for Britain.
Women of Steel: The Feisty Factory Sisters Who Helped Win the War
by Michelle RawlinsTrue stories of love and loss during WWII, from the tough Northern women who kept the foundry fires burning.When war broke out, the young women of Sheffield had their carefree lives turned upside down. With their sweethearts being sent away to fight, they had no choice but to step into the men's shoes and become the backbone of the city's steel industry. Through hard toil and companionship, they vowed to keep the foundry fires burning and ensured that soldiers had the weapons, planes and ships needed to secure victory over Hitler.When the men returned from the front in 1945, many of these women tragically found themselves discarded 'like yesterday's fish and chip wrappers'. But decades later, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the elderly Women of Steel finally brought their remarkable story to light.Women of Steel is the last chance to hear these unsung heroines' voices, as they share first-hand how a group of plucky young women rallied together to win the war for Britain.
Women of Steel: The Feisty Factory Sisters Who Helped Win the War
by Michelle RawlinsTrue stories of love and loss during WWII from a band of tough Northern women.When war broke out, the young women of Sheffield had their carefree lives turned upside down. With their sweethearts being sent away to fight, they had no choice but to step into the men's shoes and became the backbone of the city's steel industry. Through hard toil and companionship in the gruelling world of factory work, they vowed to keep the foundry fires burning and ensured that soldiers had the weapons, planes and ships needed to secure victory over Hitler.Women of Steel is the last chance to hear these unsung heroines' voices, as they share first-hand how a group of plucky young women rallied together to win the war for Britain. When the men returned from the front in 1945, many of these women tragically found themselves discarded 'like yesterday's fish and chip wrappers'. But decades later, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the elderly Women of Steel finally brought their remarkable story to light.(P) 2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Women of the American Revolution
by Samantha Wilcoxson“This is an extremely well-rounded collection of biographies that delves into the personal lives, professional accomplishments, and influences on the American Revolution of a wide variety of women from the days of a freshly formed, burgeoning America that will appeal to readers of women’s history and American history.” -BooklistWomen of the American Revolution explores the trials of war and daily life for women in the United States during the War of Independence. What challenges were caused by the division within communities as some stayed loyal to the king and others became patriots? How much choice did women have as their loyalties were assumed to be that of their husbands or fathers? The lives of women of the American Revolution will be examined through an intimate look at some significant women of the era. Many names will be familiar, such as Martha Washington who traveled to winter camps to care for her husband and rally the troops and Abigail Adams who ran the family’s farms and raised children during John’s long absences. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, popularized by Lin Manual Miranda’s Hamilton, was also an early activist working tirelessly for multiple social causes. Decide for yourself if the espionage of Agent 355 or the ride of Sybil Ludington are history or myth. Not all American women served the side of the revolutionaries. Peggy Shippen gambled on the loyalist side and paid severe consequences. From early historian Mercy Otis Warren to Dolley Madison, who defined what it means to be a US First Lady, women of the American Revolution strived to do more than they had previously thought possible during a time of hardship and civil war.
The Women of the Arrow Cross Party: Invisible Hungarian Perpetrators in the Second World War
by Andrea PetőThis book analyses the actions, background, connections and the eventual trials of Hungarian female perpetrators in the Second World War through the concept of invisibility. It examines why and how far-right women in general and among them several Second World War perpetrators were made invisible by their fellow Arrow Cross Party members in the 1930s and during the war (1939-1945), and later by the Hungarian people’s tribunals responsible for the purge of those guilty of war crimes (1945-1949). It argues that because of their ‘invisibilization’ the legacy of these women could remain alive throughout the years of state socialism and that, furthermore, this legacy has actively contributed to the recent insurgence of far-right politics in Hungary. This book therefore analyses how the invisibility of Second World War perpetrators is connected to twenty-first century memory politics and the present-day resurgence of far-right movements.
Women of the Post
by Joshunda Sanders&“What a beautifully imagined and important narrative. Sanders&’ clear-eyed and powerful writing made this a hard one to stop reading!&”—Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-Winning Author"This is a novel to cherish and share. And this is a history to sing about and affirm -- to proclaim.&”— Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, New York Times Bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, an Oprah Book Club NovelNamed a Most Anticipated Book of Summer by Ms. Magazine, PopSugar, Lambda Literary, and many more!Inspired by true events, Women of the Post brings to life the heroines who proudly served in the all-Black battalion of the Women&’s Army Corps in WWII, finding purpose in their mission and lifelong friendship.1944, New York City. Judy Washington is tired of having to work at the Bronx Slave Market, cleaning white women&’s houses for next to nothing. She dreams of a bigger life, but with her husband fighting overseas, it&’s up to her and her mother to earn enough for food and rent. When she&’s recruited to join the Women&’s Army Corps—offering a steady paycheck and the chance to see the world—Judy jumps at the opportunity.During training, Judy becomes fast friends with the other women in her unit—Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce—who all come from different cities and circumstances. Under Second Officer Charity Adams's leadership, they receive orders to sort over one million pieces of mail in England, becoming the only unit of Black women to serve overseas during WWII.The women work diligently, knowing that they're reuniting soldiers with their loved ones through their letters. However, their work becomes personal when Mary Alyce discovers a backlogged letter addressed to Judy. Told through the alternating perspectives of Judy, Charity and Mary Alyce, Women of the Post is an unforgettable story of perseverance, female friendship and self-discovery.
Women of the Third Reich: From Camp Guards to Combatants
by Tim Heath“An intriguing, but also shocking insight into the thoughts of those young German women and how they saw their part in Hitler’s thousand-year Reich.” —ArmoramaThe women of the Third Reich were a vital part in a complex and vilified system. What was their role within its administration, the concentration camps, and the Luftwaffe and militia units and how did it evolve in the way it did?We hear from women who issued typewritten dictates from above through to those who operated telephones, radar systems, fought fires as the cities burned around them, drove concentration camp inmates to their deaths like cattle, fired Anti-Aircraft guns at Allied aircraft and entered the militias when faced with the impending destruction of what should have been a one thousand-year Reich.Every testimony is unique, each person a victim of circumstance entwined within the thorns of an ideological obligation. In an interview with Traudl Junge, Hitler’s private secretary, she remembers: ‘There was so much hatred within it’s hard to understand how the state functioned . . . I am convinced all this infighting and competition from the males in Hitler’s circle was highly detrimental to its downfall’.Women of the Third Reich provides an intriguing, humorous, brutal, shocking and unrelenting narrative journey into the half lights of the hell of human consciousness—sometimes at its worst.“Tim Heath investigated the experiences of women in Nazi Germany before and during World War II . . . What is special is that women speak candidly about their experiences, which were sometimes violent.” —Traces of War“A fascinating book, chilling at times.” —Books Monthly
Women of the Third Reich: From Camp Guards to Combatants
by Tim Heath“An intriguing, but also shocking insight into the thoughts of those young German women and how they saw their part in Hitler’s thousand-year Reich.” —ArmoramaThe women of the Third Reich were a vital part in a complex and vilified system. What was their role within its administration, the concentration camps, and the Luftwaffe and militia units and how did it evolve in the way it did?We hear from women who issued typewritten dictates from above through to those who operated telephones, radar systems, fought fires as the cities burned around them, drove concentration camp inmates to their deaths like cattle, fired Anti-Aircraft guns at Allied aircraft and entered the militias when faced with the impending destruction of what should have been a one thousand-year Reich.Every testimony is unique, each person a victim of circumstance entwined within the thorns of an ideological obligation. In an interview with Traudl Junge, Hitler’s private secretary, she remembers: ‘There was so much hatred within it’s hard to understand how the state functioned . . . I am convinced all this infighting and competition from the males in Hitler’s circle was highly detrimental to its downfall’.Women of the Third Reich provides an intriguing, humorous, brutal, shocking and unrelenting narrative journey into the half lights of the hell of human consciousness—sometimes at its worst.“Tim Heath investigated the experiences of women in Nazi Germany before and during World War II . . . What is special is that women speak candidly about their experiences, which were sometimes violent.” —Traces of War“A fascinating book, chilling at times.” —Books Monthly
The Women of Troy: A Novel
by Pat BarkerA daring and timely feminist retelling of The Iliad from the perspective of the women of Troy who endured it—an extraordinary follow up to The Silence of the Girls from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Regeneration Trilogy and &“one of contemporary literature&’s most thoughtful and compelling writers" (The Washington Post).Troy has fallen and the victorious Greeks are eager to return home with the spoils of an endless war—including the women of Troy themselves. They await a fair wind for the Aegean.It does not come, because the gods are offended. The body of King Priam lies unburied and desecrated, and so the victors remain in suspension, camped in the shadows of the city they destroyed as the coalition that held them together begins to unravel. Old feuds resurface and new suspicions and rivalries begin to fester.Largely unnoticed by her captors, the one time Trojan queen Briseis, formerly Achilles's slave, now belonging to his companion Alcimus, quietly takes in these developments. She forges alliances when she can, with Priam's aged wife the defiant Hecuba and with the disgraced soothsayer Calchas, all the while shrewdly seeking her path to revenge.
Women of Valor
by Ellen HamptonWomen of Valor tells the extraordinary story of the Rochambelles, the only women's unit to serve on the front lines of World War II. Some of them had been proper young ladies stranded abroad by the German invasion of France; others had scaled the Pyrénées by night to escape the Nazi occupation. All of them had a deep desire to help liberate their nation, and if they couldn't fight, driving an ambulance would have to do. Organized in New York by awealthy American widow determined to create an all-female ambulance corps, they served with unflinching courage - saving soldiers from burning camps, dodging bombs, bullets, and mines, and even talking their way out of German hands.With colorful, brave characters and fierce battle scenes,Womenof Valoris both a gripping and delightful read.
Women Of Valor In The American Civil War
by Lt Col Cheryl A. Heimerman USAFThe role of women in the Civil War has often been overlooked in history. Women's roles prior to the Civil War were primarily confined to the home and family. Single women or those who were financially challenged could find work outside the home but opportunities were limited. At the outset of the war, more women were forced into working in factories or for the government, not only to support the war effort but also to provide for the family when the husband was at war. Many women who stayed home also became the nucleus for the formation of ladies aids societies, gathering supplies and raising funds for the soldiers.Other women chose a more direct involvement in the war. These women, including daughters of the regiment, vivandières, militia members, spies, saboteurs, soldiers, nurses and doctors, proved that women could be aggressive, resourceful and patriotic. While little has been written about their contributions, in recent years more research has brought their stories to the forefront. By selecting a representative sampling of women in each category, a better understanding of women's changing roles was revealed.Since many of the roles of women during the Civil War were a departure from those considered traditional at the time, it is important to consider how these changing roles impacted life for women after the war ended. History shows both positive and negative impacts in areas such as careers and education, however, virtually no progress was made for the role of women in the military.
Women on War in Spain’s Long Nineteenth Century: Virtue, Patriotism, Citizenship (Toronto Iberic)
by Christine ArkinstallThe ways in which women have historically authorized themselves to write on war has blurred conventionally gendered lines, intertwining the personal with the political. Women on War in Spain’s Long Nineteenth Century explores, through feminist lenses, the cultural representations of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Spanish women’s texts on war. Reshaping the current knowledge and understanding of key female authors in Spain’s fin de siècle, this book examines works by notable writers – including Rosario de Acuña, Blanca de los Rios, Concepción Arenal, and Carmen de Burgos – as they engage with the War of Independence, the Third Carlist War, Spain’s colonial wars, and World War I. The selected works foreground how women’s representations of war can challenge masculine conceptualizations of public and domestic spheres. Christine Arkinstall analyses the works’ overarching themes and symbols, such as honour, blood, the Virgin and the Mother, and the intersecting sexual, social, and racial contracts. In doing so, Arkinstall highlights how these texts imagine outcomes that deviate from established norms of femininity, offer new models to Spanish women, and interrogate the militaristic foundations of patriarchal societies.
Women, Peace and Security: Translating Policy into Practice (Contemporary Security Studies)
by ’Funmi Olonisakin Karen Barnes Eka IkpeThis book provides a critical assessment of the impact of UN Resolution 1325 by examining the effect of peacebuilding missions on increasing gender equality within conflict-affected countries. UN Resolution 1325 was adopted in October 2000, and was the first time that the security concerns of women in situations of armed conflict and their role in peacebuilding was placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council. It was an important step forward in terms of bringing women’s rights and gender equality to bear in the UN’s peace and security agenda. More than a decade after the adoption of this Resolution, its practical reality is yet to be substantially felt on the ground in the very societies and regions where women remain disproportionately affected by armed conflict and grossly under-represented in peace processes. This realization, in part, led to the adoption in 2008 and 2009 of three other Security Council Resolutions, on sexual violence in conflict, violence against women, and for the development of indicators to measure progress in addressing women, peace and security issues. The book draws together the findings from eight countries and four regional contexts to provide guidance on how the impact of Resolution 1325 can be measured, and how peacekeeping operations could improve their capacity to effectively engender security. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, gender studies, the United Nations, international security and IR in general.
Women, War, and Violence
by Robin M. Chandler Lihua Wang Linda K. FullerFocusing on peace-building, reform and reconciliation strategies, media representations, and redefinitions of feminism and hegemony in a global twenty-first century, this bookbrings together research and real-life stories from 21 international contributors who document gender involvement from victims to valiant in wartime and activism. "
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History
by Pamela D. TolerWho says women don't go to war? From Vikings and African queens to cross-dressing military doctors and WWII Russian fighter pilots, these are the stories of women for whom battle was not a metaphor.The woman warrior is always cast as an anomaly--Joan of Arc, not GI Jane. But women, it turns out, have always gone to war. In this fascinating and lively world history, Pamela Toler not only introduces us to women who took up arms, she also shows why they did it and what happened when they stepped out of their traditional female roles to take on other identities. These are the stories of women who fought because they wanted to, because they had to, or because they could. Among the warriors you'll meet are * Tomyris, ruler of the Massagetae, who killed Cyrus the Great of Persia when he sought to invade her lands * The West African ruler Amina of Hausa, who led her warriors in a campaign of territorial expansion for more than 30 years * Boudica, who led the Celtic tribes of Britain into a massive rebellion against the Roman Empire to avenge the rapes of her daughters * The Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who led an untrained army of 80,000 troops to drive the Chinese empire out of Vietnam * The Joshigun, a group of 30 combat-trained Japanese women who fought against the forces of the Meiji emperor in the late 19th century * Lakshmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi, who was regarded as the "bravest and best" military leader in the 1857 Indian Mutiny against British rule * Maria Bochkareva, who commanded Russia's first all-female battalion--the First Women's Battalion of Death--during WWII * Buffalo Calf Road Woman, the Cheyenne warrior who knocked General Custer off his horse at the Battle of Little Bighorn * Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a mestiza warrior who fought in at least 16 major battles against colonizers of Latin America and who is a national hero in Bolivia and Argentina today * And many more spanning from ancient times through the 20th century.By considering the ways in which their presence has been erased from history, Toler reveals that women have always fought--not in spite of being women but because they are women.
Women Warriors and Wartime Spies of China
by Louise EdwardsIn this compelling new study, Louise Edwards explores the lives of some of China's most famous women warriors and wartime spies through history. Focusing on key figures including Hua Mulan, Zheng Pingru and Liu Hulan, this book examines the ways in which these extraordinary women have been commemorated through a range of cultural mediums including film, theatre, museums and textbooks. Whether perceived as heroes or anti-heroes, Edwards shows that both the popular and official presentation of these women and their accomplishments has evolved in line with China's shifting political values and circumstances over the past one hundred years. Written in a lively and accessible style with illustrations throughout, this book sheds new light on the relationship between gender and militarisation and the ways that women have been exploited to glamorise war both historically in the past and in China today.
Women Wartime Spies: Active or Passive?
by Ann Kramer&“A thrilling, challenging and educational book . . . examines the roles of spies such a Edith Cavell, Mata Hari, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan&” (Pennant Magazine). Women spies have rarely received the recognition they deserve. They have often been trivialized and, in cinema and popular fiction, stereotyped as vamps or dupes. The reality is very different. As spies, women have played a critical role during wartime, receiving and passing on vital information, frequently at considerable risk. Often able to blend into their background more easily than their male counterparts, women have worked as couriers, transmitters, and with resistance fighters, their achievements often unknown. Many have died. Ann Kramer describes the role of women spies during wartime, with particular reference to the two world wars. She looks at why some women chose to become spies, their motives, and backgrounds. She looks at the experience of women spies during wartime, what training they received, and what skills they needed. She examines the reality of life for a woman spy, operating behind enemy lines, and explores and explodes the myths about women spies that continue until the present day. The focus is mainly on Britain but also takes an international view as appropriate. &“Tells the often surprising stories of some of the women who chose to become spies and to serve their country . . . An excellent work.&” —The Great War Magazine
Women Who Dared: To Break All the Rules
by Jeremy ScottVictoria Woodhull, Mary Wollstonecraft, Aimee Semple McPherson, Edwina Mountbatten, Margaret Argyll and Chanel were all women who dared. They had no time for what society said they could and couldn&’t do and would see the world bend before they did. In 1872 a mesmerising psychic named Victoria Woodhull shattered tradition by running for the White House. Had she won the ensuing spectacle would surely have rivalled that of our own era. Abhorring such flamboyance, Mary Wollstonecraft inspired a revolution of thought with her pen as she issued women&’s first manifesto – still to be fulfilled. From Aimee Semple McPherson, the first female preacher in America, to Coco Chanel, designer of an empire, these women became the change they wanted to see in society. In Women Who Dared, Jeremy Scott pays tribute to them all with wit, verve and reverence.
The Women Who Lived For Danger: The Agents Of The Special Operations Executive
by Marcus BinneyIn World War II, 37 women were dropped in occupied France to work as Special Operations Executive agents and 'set Europe ablaze'. 13 never returned. They were executed in Hitler's concentration camps. This is the fascinating story of eight of those female agents, all striking beauties (despite the need to be inconspicuous), all from civilian life, who were warned of the likelihood of arrest, torture and a brutal death before they volunteered. None demurred. These young women were given months of arduous fitness, gun, explosives, endurance and code training before parachuting into occupied territory. But Women Who Lived for Danger also contains eight very personal tales. Why did these women volunteer? Where did they come from? Marcus Binney tells of a life of Resistance work and uncover operations, clandestine activities and even armed combat, and a constant fear of discovery. But above this book tells of extreme bravery and devotion to duty.
The Women Who Lived For Danger: The Women Agents Of Soe In The Second World War
by Marcus BinneyIn World War II, 37 women were dropped in occupied France to work as Special Operations Executive agents and 'set Europe ablaze'. 13 never returned. They were executed in Hitler's concentration camps. This is the fascinating story of eight of those female agents, all striking beauties (despite the need to be inconspicuous), all from civilian life, who were warned of the likelihood of arrest, torture and a brutal death before they volunteered. None demurred. These young women were given months of arduous fitness, gun, explosives, endurance and code training before parachuting into occupied territory. But Women Who Lived for Danger also contains eight very personal tales. Why did these women volunteer? Where did they come from? Marcus Binney tells of a life of Resistance work and uncover operations, clandestine activities and even armed combat, and a constant fear of discovery. But above this book tells of extreme bravery and devotion to duty.
The Women Who Wrote the War: The Compelling Story of the Path-breaking Women War Correspondents of World War II
by Nancy Caldwell SorelHere's how a hundred brave American women left their families and entered the combat-zone to chronicle what they saw. Nancy Sorel's portrait pays homage to these unsung heroes. They came from Boston, New York, Milwaukee, and St. Louis; from Yakima, Washington; Austin, Texas; and Sioux City, Iowa; from San Francisco and all points east. They left comfortable homes and safe surroundings for combat-zone duty. As women war correspondents, they brought to the battlefields of World War II a fresh optic, and reported back home what they witnessed with a new sensibility. Their experience was at once wide-ranging and intimate, devastating at one moment, heartwarming the next. In their ranks we encounter world-famous photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White, the only Western photographer to cover the Nazi invasion of the USSR; Martha Gellhorn, writer and wife of Ernest Hemingway, who presciently reported on the menace of fascism; The New Yorker's Janet Flanner, recording the bleak realities of life in post-liberation France; and Marguerite Higgins, who dared enter the concentration camp at Dachau just ahead of the American army. In her graphic, seamless narrative, Nancy Sorel weaves together the lives and times of these gutsy, incomparable women, assuring them their rightful place in this century's history.
The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
by Katherine Sharp Landdeck&“With the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, women pilots went aloft to serve their nation. . . . A soaring tale in which, at long last, these daring World War II pilots gain the credit they deserve.&”—Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Fort had escaped Nashville&’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army&’s rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. The brainchild of trailblazing pilots Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) gave women like Fort a chance to serve their country—and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad, and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight WASP would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran&’s social experiment seemed to be a resounding success—until, with the tides of war turning, Congress clipped the women&’s wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they&’d forged never failed, and over the next few decades they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were—and for their place in history.