This book tells the story of an important yet little-known episode of 20th century history. Just as General de Gaulle did, Lieutenant Michel Hollard refused to accept France’s surrender in June 1940. A spirited soldier during the First World War, a disillusioned reserve officer in the Second, he worked out a bold defence strategy to counter Adolf Hitler’s barbarity and megalomaniac madness.

In 1943, Michel Hollard learned that the occupying army was carrying out suspicious construction work in north-western France. His enquiries led him to discover Hitler’s top-secret weapon pointing at London: the V-1. The accuracy of the intelligence that Michel Hollard revealed to the English avoided the worst for London. The launch sites were bombed before the V-1s were able to do their work of death as planned.

Betrayed, he was captured by the enemy, tortured and sent to Neuengamme concentration camp, then thrown into the hold of a ship destined to be sunk. Miraculously, he survived. By saving London, Michel Hollard contributed greatly to the success of the Normandy landings and therefore the final victory.

In honour of his achievements, a Eurostar train (the high-speed London-Paris service through the Channel Tunnel) was christened Michel Hollard in 2004.