Code Name Madeleine: A Sufi Spy in Nazi-Occupied Paris

by Arthur J. Magida

Hardcover, 2020

Status

Available

Tags

Publication

W. W. Norton & Company (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 320 pages

Description

"The dramatic story of Noor Inayat Khan, secret agent for the British in occupied France. During the critical summer months of 1943, Noor Inayat Khan was the only wireless operator transmitting secret messages from Nazi-occupied France to the Special Operations Executive in England. She was a most unlikely spy. As the daughter of an Indian mystic, raised in a household devoted to peaceful reflection on the outskirts of Paris, Khan did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazism, she could not look away. She volunteered to help the British; was trained in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance; and returned to France under cover of night with a new identity and a code name: Madeleine. Khan transmitted countless details crucial to the Allies' success on D-Day, until she was captured and imprisoned by the Gestapo. She attempted two daring escapes before being sent to prison in Germany. Three months after the Allied invasion of France, she was executed at Dachau. Her last word was "liberté.""--… (more)

Rating

(7 ratings; 4.2)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Sheila1957
Tells the story of a Sufi-raised woman who has to flee France with her family as the Nazis march in. Arriving in England, Noor and her brother decide they can serve in the war effort without turning their backs on their Sufi upbringing so Noor begins training as a radio operator and is sent to
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Paris to transmit information back to England on Nazi whereabouts and plans as well as helping to bring other SOE personnel to France to disrupt the Nazi program.

Noor is a quiet person. She does not seem to be a good fit for the SOE in England but she becomes one of their best agents eluding the Nazis far longer than other radio operators. She is a vital link in the line to defeat the Nazis. I liked that her upbringing was discussed as was a brief lesson on Sufism and how her teachings could affect her ability to serve during the war but how she was able to live true to her faith and yet successfully serve. Noor did not seem that she would fit into that world but to watch her was amazing. She was courageous even after her capture. I was saddened that no one would tell or knew how her life ended but she was an inspiration. I am glad I won this book on Goodreads. I learned much as I had never heard of her or heard much about SOE and their part of WWII.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

9.3 inches

ISBN

039363518X / 9780393635188
Page: 0.2487 seconds