Army of Amateurs

This book is the fascinating firsthand account of SOE agent Philippe Vomecourt's wartime experiences and records the heroic efforts in the French resistance in Nazi-dominated France.'Many books dealing with the work of the French Resistance have been published on this side of the Channel. Most of them have been the personal stories of gallant men and women, illuminating that corner of the picture that they saw. Here in Monsieur de Vomecourt's book is a wider frame of reference which enables us to see how the spirit and forces of Resistance grew in France first into a gadfly nuisance and ultimately into a serious threat to German security. It shows, too, what it meant to be a member of the Resistance, and what it cost in blood and tears.Monsieur de Vomecourt is in a good position to tell this story. He was in at the beginning in June 1940 with his brothers. Indeed, they can fairly claim to have been the first organizers and leaders, and Monsieur de Vomecourt tells a truly remarkable story.