The price of freedom was high but in these stories of bravery and betrayal, incompetence and misfortune, of brutal torture and ultimately death, without doubt SOE accomplished their mission to the letter. With no war to fight SOE was disbanded in January 1946. This work is a very appropriate memorial to those undertaking mission behind enemy lines knowing they may not return.

Martin Willoughby, The Wessex Branch of the Western Front Association

In this compelling directory John Grehan and Martin Mace attempt to lift the lid on much of the smokescreen that continues to hide so many of the amazing men and women of the Special Operations Executive from our view … This book is awash with merit and was no mean feat to put together. It is a worthy addition to any library and I recommend it.

Read the full review here

War History Online

This is the official List of SOE casualties and their stories of bravery and betrayal, incompetance and misfortune, brutal torture and untimely deaths.

Pennant Online

This book recounts the remarkable bravey of agents from Churchill's Special Operations Executive who were rounded up, interrogated and put to death by the Germans. The exploits of Violet Szabo are famous but who has heard of Brian Rafferty and Diana Bowden, two of many who simply disappeared into a concentration camp? The monsters in Berlin who knew the war was lost yet ordered brutalisation and execution may all be dead now but it is worthwhile nailing their names in a prominent place as “never brought to justice”.

Soldier Magazine

The author has told the stories of a group of these very brave individuals from released records and subsequent research. The covert nature of SOE will appeal to readers who may not consider themselves either war enthusiasts or historians but are interested in mystery and suspense. This is a story of a very dangerous was and an often very lonely war where betrayal and discovery were threats never far away.

Firetrench Reviews

This is more than just a book. It is an epitaph to the men and women who died in the service of the SOE, and is a worthy tribute to their bravery and self sacrifice.

Military History Monthly

Authors John Grehan and Martin Mace may already be well known to readers through their work for Key Publishing's popular Britain at War magazine. Here they turn their attention to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), one of the most secretive organisations of World War Two, its activities cloaked in mystery. The fate of many of its agents was not often made public, save for the most basic details. John and Martin now tell the stories of all officially recognised SOE casualties in full for the first time. The information covered by the authors has never been brought together in a single publication, until now. These are tales of bravery and betrayal, incompetence and misfortune, of brutal torture and untimately death.

Flypast

Few know of the SOE – Churchill's secret army. It's authors John Grehan and Martin Mace, who accessed top secret documents only released to the public in 2003, tell of the bravery of those who fought.

Hull Daily Mail

The agents of the Special Operations Executive had a profound impact on the course of the Second World War, achieving great success in organising resistance forces, gathering intelligence and carrying out acts of sabotage. Their work, however, was exceedingly dangerous and this superb book reveals the price paid by those whose missions went awry. It profiles every man and woman who are known to have been killed whilst in the service of SOE, concisely detailing what is known of their recruitment and operations, and the circumstances leading up to their death. Executed in concentration camps, tortured, committing suicide when cornered, or simply being killed when their parachute failed to open, this book serves as a sobering reminder of the risks which each agent faced when they entered Occupied Europe, and it is deserving of a prominent place on the bookshelves of anyone with an interest in SOE.

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