Customer Reviews
When is a lie not a lie? - By: HuddyBolly, 21 Jul 2009 
This book is not a spy story. It is a forensic examination of the mountain of evidence, gathered at painstaking length by the author, over a period of 40 years to determine the truth about Dericourt; certainly the most contentious person ever to have worked for S.O.E.
In 1947 Dericourt had been tried & acquitted by the French Military Tribunal of Paris, having been charged with maintaining contacts with the Sicherheitsdienst, to whom, he allegedly passed information whilst serving as S.O.E. F Section's Air Movements Officer.
In May 1949 the author learned that her friend Noor Inayat Khan had posthumously been awarded the George Cross. She began her quest to learn the circumstances of Noor's death. That quest lead to S.O.E. & ultimately to Dericourt.
The author, using the little official information that was available at that time,and a talent for investigation began her first book on the subject. 'Madeleine' was publishedin 1952,and suggested grave treasonous actions by someone within F Section, which resultedin the deaths of many agents who were captured as a result. Dericourt was never named.
Then,in May 1957 the author managed to meet Dericourt, & she questioned him at length. There followed a protracted international correspondence between them which ended with a final letter from Dericourtin March 1961. He was killedin a flying accident 4 years later.
Dericourt was conundrum. A pathological liar & dissembler, he habitually played word games with those who tried to pin him down on any specific point. From the outset, knowing he could not be re-tried, he admitted to having lied to the Military Tribunal to gain his acquittal.
The word games continued throughout his correspondence with the author. Meanwhile, the author painstakingly acquired a vast amount of testimony from virtually every source, human & written,allied & (former)enemy, associated with the subject. She updated the story via a number of books, becoming the person others turned to, including the official historian of S.O.E. M.R.D.Foot.
This book is at times hard going; & would be especially so to someone who has no prior knowledge of the subject matter. But to those who are still wondering; just what did happen, & who actually did what throughout this sorry affair; and,given the length of time that has elapsed since the events to which it refers, the evidence presented here povides a much as we are ever likely to know about who was or was not guilty.
( Always assuming of course that the post war fire that allegedly destroyed the S.O.E. files, never actually occurred, & that the 'missing files' were somehow to turn up )
Now THERE'S a thought!!!
Eyes Wide Shut - By: , 25 Dec 2004 
I surmise the discoveries of Ms. Overton Fuller, on this subject, were neither intended nor expected to see the light of day. It is surprising that Ms. Overton Fuller's documented work is almost 50 years old, yet knowledge of events transpired therein so obscure. Time, lost primary source material & myth have conspired to cloak truth. Yet, Ms. Overton Fuller's work unambiguous, faithful & honest retains a recordin uncorrupted form.
We can only thank her. And thank her again.
