Overview

In the tradition of Agent Zigzag comes this breathtaking biography, as fast-paced and emotionally intuitive as the very best spy thrillers, which illuminates an unsung hero of the French Resistance during World War II--Robert de La Rochefoucald, an aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur--and his daring exploits as a résistant trained by Britain's Special Operations Executive. A scion of one of the most storied families in France, Robert de La Rochefoucald was raised in magnificent chateaux and educated in Europe's finest schools. When the Nazis invaded and imprisoned his father, La Rochefoucald escaped to England and learned the dark arts of anarchy and combat--cracking safes and planting bombs and killing with his bare hands--from the officers of Special Operations Executive, the collection of British spies, beloved by Winston Churchill, who altered the war in Europe with tactics that earned it notoriety as the ""Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare."" With his newfound skills, La Rochefoucauld returned to France and organized Resistance cells, blew up fortified compounds and munitions factories, interfered with Germans' war-time missions, and executed Nazi officers. Caught by the Germans, La Rochefoucald withstood months of torture without cracking, and escaped his own death, not once but twice. The Saboteur recounts La Rochefoucauld's enthralling adventures, from jumping from a moving truck on his way to his execution to stealing Nazi limos to dressing up in a nun's habit--one of his many disguises and impersonations. Whatever the mission, whatever the dire circumstance, La Rochefoucauld acquitted himself nobly, with the straight-back aplomb of a man of aristocratic breeding: James Bond before Ian Fleming conjured him. More than just a fast-paced, true thriller, The Saboteur is also a deep dive into an endlessly fascinating historical moment, telling the untold story of a network of commandos that battled evil, bravely worked to change the course of history, and inspired the creation of America's own Central Intelligence Agency.

Full Product Details

9781538456767

Table of Contents

Reviews

This thoroughly sourced account is highly readable and effectively showcases the life of a fascinating, complex man whose too-little-known role in the Resistance will be of great interest. -- Booklist Riveting...Fans of World War II history will eagerly read this story, which is almost as exciting as a James Bond novel. -- Library Journal Thrilling...The stories are fascinating, the pages nearly turn themselves, and La Rochefoucauld is a true hero. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The Saboteur is fast reading, exciting, and haunting; driving the reader onward at every turn. That this is a true story filled with powerful and persuasive characters, makes it all the more enticing. -- New York Journal of Books Kix takes the reader from adventure to adventure...The reminder that The Saboteur is at heart a hero's tale is very refreshing. -- Christian Science Monitor) The story of Robert de La Rochefoucald, a French aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur during WWII, reads like a novel-and that's exactly the way Malcolm Hillgartner narrates it. He adds no false drama. The story is compelling by itself. His steady pace keeps listeners engaged, but he varies it ever so slightly at times for variety and impact. His facility with French names and places also keeps the reading flowing. His somewhat somber voice adds exactly the right atmosphere to this story, in which one wrong step by the Frenchman can mean death. -- AudioFile

The Saboteur is fast reading, exciting, and haunting; driving the reader onward at every turn. That this is a true story filled with powerful and persuasive characters, makes it all the more enticing. -- ""New York Journal of Books"" Kix takes the reader from adventure to adventure...The reminder that The Saboteur is at heart a hero's tale is very refreshing. -- ""Christian Science Monitor)"" Riveting...Fans of World War II history will eagerly read this story, which is almost as exciting as a James Bond novel. -- ""Library Journal"" The story of Robert de La Rochefoucald, a French aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur during WWII, reads like a novel-and that's exactly the way Malcolm Hillgartner narrates it. He adds no false drama. The story is compelling by itself. His steady pace keeps listeners engaged, but he varies it ever so slightly at times for variety and impact. His facility with French names and places also keeps the reading flowing. His somewhat somber voice adds exactly the right atmosphere to this story, in which one wrong step by the Frenchman can mean death. -- ""AudioFile"" This thoroughly sourced account is highly readable and effectively showcases the life of a fascinating, complex man whose too-little-known role in the Resistance will be of great interest. -- ""Booklist"" Thrilling...The stories are fascinating, the pages nearly turn themselves, and La Rochefoucauld is a true hero. -- ""Kirkus Reviews (starred review)""

The Saboteur is fast reading, exciting, and haunting; driving the reader onward at every turn. That this is a true story filled with powerful and persuasive characters, makes it all the more enticing. -- New York Journal of Books Kix takes the reader from adventure to adventure...The reminder that The Saboteur is at heart a hero's tale is very refreshing. -- Christian Science Monitor) Riveting...Fans of World War II history will eagerly read this story, which is almost as exciting as a James Bond novel. -- Library Journal The story of Robert de La Rochefoucald, a French aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur during WWII, reads like a novel-and that's exactly the way Malcolm Hillgartner narrates it. He adds no false drama. The story is compelling by itself. His steady pace keeps listeners engaged, but he varies it ever so slightly at times for variety and impact. His facility with French names and places also keeps the reading flowing. His somewhat somber voice adds exactly the right atmosphere to this story, in which one wrong step by the Frenchman can mean death. -- AudioFile This thoroughly sourced account is highly readable and effectively showcases the life of a fascinating, complex man whose too-little-known role in the Resistance will be of great interest. -- Booklist Thrilling...The stories are fascinating, the pages nearly turn themselves, and La Rochefoucauld is a true hero. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Author Information

Paul Kix is a deputy editor at ESPN the Magazine. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, GQ, New York, Men's Journal, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and children. Malcolm Hillgartner is an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. Named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013 and the recipient of several Earphones Awards, he has narrated over 175 audiobooks.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available