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The Resource Scholars of mayhem : my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France, Daniel C. Guiet and Timothy K. Smith

Scholars of mayhem : my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France, Daniel C. Guiet and Timothy K. Smith

Creator
Author
Contributor
Summary
  • "The astonishing untold story of the author's father, the lone American on a 4-person SOE commando team dropped behind German lines in France, whose epic feats of irregular warfare proved vital in keeping Nazi tanks away from Normandy after D-Day"--
  • "The astonishing untold story of the author's father, the lone American on a four-person team of Allied secret agents dropped into Nazi-occupied France, whose epic feats of irregular warfare proved vital in keeping German tanks away from Normandy after D-Day. When Daniel Guiet was a child and his family moved country, as they frequently did, his father had one possession, a tin bread box, that always made the trip. Daniel was admonished never to touch the box, but one day he couldn't resist. What he found astonished him: a .45 automatic and five full clips; three slim knives; a length of wire with a wooden handle at each end; thin pieces of paper with random numbers on them; several passports with his father's photograph, each bearing a different name; and silk squares imprinted with different countries' flags, bearing messages in unfamiliar alphabets. The messages, he discovered much later, were variations on a theme: I am an American. Take me to the nearest Allied military office. You will be paid. Eventually Jean Claude Guiet revealed to his family that he had been in the CIA, but it was only at the very end of his life that he spoke of the mission during World War II that marked the beginning of his career in clandestine service. It is one of the last great untold stories of the war, and Daniel Guiet and his collaborator, the writer Tim Smith, have spent several years bringing it to life. Jean Claude was an American citizen but a child of France, and fluent in the language; he was also extremely bright. The American military was on the lookout for native French speakers to be seconded to a secret British special operations commando operation, dropping clandestine agents behind German lines in France to coordinate aid to the French Resistance and lead missions wreaking havoc on Germany's military efforts across the entire country. Jean Claude was recruited, and his life was changed forever. Though the human cost was terrible, the mission succeeded beyond the Allies' wildest dreams. [This book] tells the story of Jean Claude and the other three agents in his 'circuit,' codenamed Salesman, a unit of Britain's Special Operations Executive, the secret service ordered by Churchill to 'Set Europe ablaze.' Parachuted into France the day after D-Day, the Salesman team organized, armed, and commanded an underground army of 10,000 French Resistance fighters. National pride has kept the story of SOE in France obscure, but of this there is no doubt: While the Resistance had plenty of heart, it was SOE that gave it teeth and claws. Scholars of Mayhem adds brilliantly to that picture, and further underscores what a close-run thing the success of the Allied breakout from the Normandy landings actually was."--Dust jacket
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xvii, 252 pages
Isbn
9780735225206
Instance
Label
Scholars of mayhem : my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France
Title
Scholars of mayhem
Title remainder
my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France
Statement of responsibility
Daniel C. Guiet and Timothy K. Smith
Title variation
My father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France
Creator
Contributor
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • "The astonishing untold story of the author's father, the lone American on a 4-person SOE commando team dropped behind German lines in France, whose epic feats of irregular warfare proved vital in keeping Nazi tanks away from Normandy after D-Day"--
  • "The astonishing untold story of the author's father, the lone American on a four-person team of Allied secret agents dropped into Nazi-occupied France, whose epic feats of irregular warfare proved vital in keeping German tanks away from Normandy after D-Day. When Daniel Guiet was a child and his family moved country, as they frequently did, his father had one possession, a tin bread box, that always made the trip. Daniel was admonished never to touch the box, but one day he couldn't resist. What he found astonished him: a .45 automatic and five full clips; three slim knives; a length of wire with a wooden handle at each end; thin pieces of paper with random numbers on them; several passports with his father's photograph, each bearing a different name; and silk squares imprinted with different countries' flags, bearing messages in unfamiliar alphabets. The messages, he discovered much later, were variations on a theme: I am an American. Take me to the nearest Allied military office. You will be paid. Eventually Jean Claude Guiet revealed to his family that he had been in the CIA, but it was only at the very end of his life that he spoke of the mission during World War II that marked the beginning of his career in clandestine service. It is one of the last great untold stories of the war, and Daniel Guiet and his collaborator, the writer Tim Smith, have spent several years bringing it to life. Jean Claude was an American citizen but a child of France, and fluent in the language; he was also extremely bright. The American military was on the lookout for native French speakers to be seconded to a secret British special operations commando operation, dropping clandestine agents behind German lines in France to coordinate aid to the French Resistance and lead missions wreaking havoc on Germany's military efforts across the entire country. Jean Claude was recruited, and his life was changed forever. Though the human cost was terrible, the mission succeeded beyond the Allies' wildest dreams. [This book] tells the story of Jean Claude and the other three agents in his 'circuit,' codenamed Salesman, a unit of Britain's Special Operations Executive, the secret service ordered by Churchill to 'Set Europe ablaze.' Parachuted into France the day after D-Day, the Salesman team organized, armed, and commanded an underground army of 10,000 French Resistance fighters. National pride has kept the story of SOE in France obscure, but of this there is no doubt: While the Resistance had plenty of heart, it was SOE that gave it teeth and claws. Scholars of Mayhem adds brilliantly to that picture, and further underscores what a close-run thing the success of the Allied breakout from the Normandy landings actually was."--Dust jacket
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
LBSOR/DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Guiet, Daniel
Dewey number
  • 940.54/2142092
  • B
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
Index
index present
LC call number
D810.S8
LC item number
G83 2019
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
Smith, Timothy
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Guiet, Jean Claude
  • Great Britain
  • Great Britain
  • World War (1939-1945)
  • Spies
  • Espionage, American
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • Espionage, British
  • Espionage, American
  • Espionage, British
  • Military intelligence
  • Secret service
  • Spies
  • Underground movements, War
  • France
  • Great Britain
  • United States
  • HISTORY / Europe / France
  • HISTORY / Military / World War II
  • POLITICAL SCIENCE / Intelligence & Espionage
Label
Scholars of mayhem : my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France, Daniel C. Guiet and Timothy K. Smith
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages [239]-241) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
  • text
  • still image
Content type code
  • txt
  • sti
Content type MARC source
  • rdacontent
  • rdacontent
Control code
on1052420595
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xvii, 252 pages
Isbn
9780735225206
Lccn
2018060307
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)1052420595
Label
Scholars of mayhem : my father's secret war in Nazi-occupied France, Daniel C. Guiet and Timothy K. Smith
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages [239]-241) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
  • text
  • still image
Content type code
  • txt
  • sti
Content type MARC source
  • rdacontent
  • rdacontent
Control code
on1052420595
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xvii, 252 pages
Isbn
9780735225206
Lccn
2018060307
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)1052420595

Subject

Genre

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