This thrilling wartime adventure tells the true story of the downed American aviators who were rescued by French resistance fighters, taken to Nazi-occupied Paris, and hidden under the very noses of the Gestapo. Escape from Paris is the true story of a small group of U.S. aviators whose four B-17 Flying Fortresses were shot down over German-occupied France on a single, fateful day: July 14, 1943, … fateful day: July 14, 1943, Bastille Day. They were rescued by brave French civilians and taken to Paris for eventual escape out of France. In the French capital, where German troops walked on every street and Gestapo agents hid around every corner, the flyers met a brave Parisian resistance family living and working in the Hôtel des Invalides, a complex of buildings and military memorials, where Nazi officials had set up offices. Hidden in the complex the Americans, along with dozens of other downed Allied pilots and resistance operatives, hatched daring escape plots. The danger of discovery by the Nazis grew every day, as did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him–a noir tale of war, courage and desperation in the shadows of the City of Light.
Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author’’s interviews with several of the story’’s key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world’’s most beautiful and captivating cities. did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him–a noir tale of war, courage and desperation in the shadows of the City of Light.
Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author’’s interviews with several of the story’’s key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world’’s most beautiful and captivating cities. did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him–a noir tale of war, courage and desperation in the shadows of the City of Light.
Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author’’s interviews with several of the story’’s key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world’’s most beautiful and captivating cities. did an unlikely romance when one of the American airmen begins a star-crossed wartime romance with the twenty-two-year old daughter of the family sheltering him–a noir tale of war, courage and desperation in the shadows of the City of Light.
Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author’’s interviews with several of the story’’s key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world’’s most beautiful and captivating cities. ity of Light.
Based on official American, French, and German documents, histories, personal memoirs, and the author’’s interviews with several of the story’’s key participants, Escape from Paris crosses the traditional lines of World War II history with tense drama of air combat over Europe, the intrigue of occupied Paris, and courageous American and Allied pilots and French resistance fighters pitted against Nazi thugs. All of this set in one of the world’’s most beautiful and captivating cities.more
From Stephen Harding, a brilliant and thrilling recreation of a great World War II story, a story of love in time of war. Harding is a scrupulous and knowledgeable author and, caution; you will not put Escape from Paris down until you’ve finished it. Very highly recommended.
“Escape from Paris” is an excellent true story of WWII which I would highly recommend to all fans of the genre. It’s non-fiction and is full of details, yet it doesn’t read like a dry historical account but more like a work of fiction at times and really places you in the middle of the action and makes you root for the “characters.” It’s a story of personal bravery of American and British pilots and the people of the French Resistance, but it mostly revolves around four particular ones. Joe Cornwall, a B-17 “Flying Fortress” gunner, who narrowly escapes death and capture after his “Fortress” is downed by the enemy fire over occupied Paris, and the Morin family – George, his wife Denise, and their daughter Yvette – who put their own lives at risk to help guide downed pilots like Joe to safety.
The research for this work must have taken a lot of time and effort and it shows in the tiniest of details. The names and dates of the missions flown; the aerial battles and the enemy’s techniques; the layout of the Hôtel des Invalides and its history; the Resistance cells functioning around Greater Paris area at that time and details of their operations and even the names of the agents – all these factual details will be a true feast for any history buff. And of course, the human factor which the author presents with such emotion is extremely important to mention. It turned an already-compelling WWII story into a truly amazing and riveting read. By the way, the author actually met with Yvette, so her part was narrated to him personally, and what can be better for any history lover than stories told by the people who lived to tell them, right? A perfect choice for everyone who’s interested in the history of the French Resistance.
Stephen Harding’s Escape from Paris is fascinating and a terrific read. I honestly could not turn the pages fast enough. It is thrilling and terrifying in equal measure; an amazing story of love and resistance that — almost unbelievably ― happens to be true.
Stephen Harding has done it again. With this well-researched, well-written, and genuinely exciting account of American airmen shot down over Occupied France and hidden by the French Resistance in Paris, he has proved that he has an extraordinary feel for the hitherto untold stories of World War II.
Escape from Paris is a thrilling, brilliantly told true tale of heroism, love, and escape, set in the dark shadows of Nazi Paris. Tense and compulsively readable from beginning to end.
Escape from Paris has the emotional pull of a great thriller, yet it’s a true and memorable account of the interlinked heroism of courageous American bomber crews downed in enemy territory and intrepid French resisters who risked everything to spirit them to safety. History of a high order rendered with verve and riveting authenticity.
From the first exhilarating moments of a fierce air battle over France, Stephen Harding delivers page-after-page of high adventure, intrigue, and drama. He paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of Nazi-occupied Paris and the efforts of a band of resistance fighters who risk everything to secret downed Allied airmen to freedom. Bravo!
Escape from Paris by Stephen Harding is a fabulous, gripping, suspenseful historical fiction novel based smack dab in the middle of WWII occupied Paris.
This novel will suck you right in to its vortex of suspense, romance, and espionage.
The main characters had complexity and were like able. The stories were adventurous, but believable, which is good considering it is based on true events of downed American pilots on Bastille Day and their interactions with the French Resistance and locals, and the events that folded thereafter. Sometimes authors can make a real-life story unbelievable, which was not the case with this excellent selection.
You felt vested in the downed pilots and Resistance and championed their cause.
There was just the right dash of romance and realism thrown in to add a human nature aspect that continued to draw the reader in and invest in their ending.
A great, thrilling read. Anyone that loves suspense, and a great war epic will love this novel.
5/5 stars
4 stars
This is a well written story of the near capture and escape of some American flyers in France during WWII.
The book spends quite a bit of time setting up the scene, such as describing the B-17 planes and the structure of the flying corps. It talks about the individual soldiers, but the main focus is on Joe who is one of the bombardiers. Shot down and avoiding capture by the Germans is a harrowing part of the tale.
The soldiers find some helpful French citizens who escort them to Hotel des Invalides. This is a huge collection of buildings inhabited by the Nazis, but unbeknownst to them, it is also the place of a family who belong to a resistance group. The Nazis are arrogant enough to assume that the fortress is unassailable. These brave resistance souls help the airmen to find their way back to England.
What I liked about this book was that it is based on actual historical events. I am unsure how much is actually true, but it makes very good reading for the relatively uninitiated to the history of WWII. I liked the facts given about the planes and so on. As I said earlier, it is well written and plotted. One event logically follows another. I liked the colorful descriptions. It is very well researched, complete with footnotes.
I want to thank NetGalley and Hatchette Books/Da Capo Press for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book to read, enjoy and review.
The Morin family—Georges, his wife Denise, and daughter Yvette—are caretakers at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris. They hide Allied airmen, including American Joe Cornwall of the 94th Bomb Group.
During the time together, Joe and Yvette fall in love and promise to marry after the war. Joe escapes back to England. The Morin family is arrested by the Germans with frightful consequences.
After the war, Yvette chose to remain in Paris to care for her mother. The war brought Joe and Yvette together, but peace separated them.
The way the Morins’ lives turn out is so sad. They did what was right and suffered horribly. Had Denise and Yvette known what happened to Georges, they probably would have found closure and had a happier rest-of-their-lives.
Escape from Paris offers a horrifying view of life in a country occupied by a brutal enemy, and the courage required to resist evil.