Rating: 
Summary: Chercher la femme
Review: The woman being searched for could be either THE ENGLISHMAN'S DAUGHTER herself - an old French woman named Helene, whose father - Pvt. Robert Digby, is one of the central characters of this true story. Digby was an English soldier serving in France in 1914 during WWI. Or the author could be looking for the identity of the woman in the French song known by all the people of Villeret. A woman "so jealous and wicked" as one verse says, that she betrayed Digby and three other allied soldiers to the Germans. All four men were promptly executed. Three others managed to escape to Britain. The villagers had initial success in hiding these seven soldiers, first in the nearby forest then in outlying buildings. The author - Ben Macintyre - clearly shows that the villagers had contrasting emotions. Honor and pride in hosting and looking after their guests, yet also trepidation and fear from recognition of the great risk that they were taking. As time passed it was decided to cease hiding the men and to try and incorporate them into village life. Macintyre creates an almost palpable sense of danger when writing that the villagers "set about the courageous but daunting task of turning these English and Irish soldiers into northern French peasants." Danger only grew as time stretched to two years. The year 1916 saw an increase in the German presence and the harsh rules of occupation enforced by the German commandant Major Karl Evers made the situation very trying indeed. Poignancy enters by way of the ultimately doomed romance between Digby and Claire Dessenne, a beautiful young villager. Helene was the result but the cost was great. The relationship put a strain on the inherent kindness of the populace, the war was taking its toll, and the eagerness to continue hosting the soldiers began to wane. The outcome was the arrival on the morning of May 16th of a group of Germans at the sleeping quarters of Digby and three others. Their roundup and execution by month end in the neighboring village of Le Catelet provides the sad denouement of the romantic story but the end for Villeret came a year later when the Germans destroyed every building in the village as they withdrew. We began with a quest and Macintyre ends the same way. The woman who betrayed the Englishmen may have been Claire's mother but there is reason to suspect others, most prominently Villeret's acting mayor, the postman, and the baker. Perhaps in keeping with the sadness of the story it is appropriate that in the final outcome we never know who.
Rating: 
Summary: if you are really interested in WW1...
Review: this book might be for you. seeing as i am but a 10th grade student forced to read this book, i didnt really have a choice. after reading the back of the book, i was actually excited about reading the book but i found what i was hoping for to be much different from the content. i was excited to read about a more social aspect of war(aka the love afair between digby and claire), but it seemed almost casually thrown in at certain places. I didnt really find a character to connect with and nothing about the book was particularly touching. maybe i set my sights too high but this book just wasnt for me.
Rating:
Summary: if you are really interested in WW1...
Review: This is a wonderfully written book on several levels. To begin with, and perhaps most importantly, Macintyre is a terrific writer, researcher, and storyteller. This is not a dry history about names and dates, but rather about relationships and the misfortune of living in the wrong area at the wrong time. Macintyre beautifully illustrates the shifting alliances in a small town in France, Villeret, which found itself tucked just behind enemy lines. Into this village come lost English soldiers in the opening months of World War 1, cut off from their divisions and a means of escape. Their impact upon Villeret during their 18-month stay is profound as one of the soldiers, Robert Digby, falls in love with a young French woman. Macintyre helps us understand the prejudices, jealousies, and emotions which shift and change among the townspeople throughout the war. During that time, the Englishmen become a little less loved and revered and their presence becomes resented. The Germans, conversely, become less reviled. Macintyre also deftly weaves the mystery of who betrayed the Englishmen into his tale, giving a convincing argument for his "best guess" at the end. In Macintyre's hands, this history truly comes back to life.
Rating:
Summary: History at ground level
Review: This is a wonderfully written book on several levels. To begin with, and perhaps most importantly, Macintyre is a terrific writer, researcher, and storyteller. This is not a dry history about names and dates, but rather about relationships and the misfortune of living in the wrong area at the wrong time. Macintyre beautifully illustrates the shifting alliances in a small town in France, Villeret, which found itself tucked just behind enemy lines. Into this village come lost English soldiers in the opening months of World War 1, cut off from their divisions and a means of escape. Their impact upon Villeret during their 18-month stay is profound as one of the soldiers, Robert Digby, falls in love with a young French woman. Macintyre helps us understand the prejudices, jealousies, and emotions which shift and change among the townspeople throughout the war. During that time, the Englishmen become a little less loved and revered and their presence becomes resented. The Germans, conversely, become less reviled. Macintyre also deftly weaves the mystery of who betrayed the Englishmen into his tale, giving a convincing argument for his "best guess" at the end. In Macintyre's hands, this history truly comes back to life.
Rating:
Summary: A true story of courage, love and betrayal in World War On
Review: This little gem is well researched and well written by an author who tells the tale of a group of British soldiers trapped behind German lines in 1914. The people of a small village, Villeret near the Somme River harbor the men for nearly two years as the Germans press the search for them and other British stragglers. An outstanding tale of love, romance, danger, narrow escapes and brutal suppression by the Germans and it is all true. Finally, after many long months of brutal treatment by the Germans, someone in the village betrays the British. Who betrays them and why? Read the book. You will not be disapointed by this one. A film just waiting to happen.
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