Marcus Binney

The Special Operations Executive was formed by Winston Churchill in 1940 to "set Europe ablaze." In the SOE women were trained to handle guns and explosives, work undercover, endure interrogation by the Gestapo, and use complex codes. In The Women Who Lived for Danger, acclaimed historian Marcus Binney recounts the story of ten remarkable women who were dropped in occupied territories to work as secret agents. Once they were behind enemy lines, theirs was the most dangerous war of all, as they led apparently normal civilian lives while in constant danger of arrest. They organized dropping grounds for arms and explosives destined for the Resistance, helped operate escape lines for airmen who had been shot down over Europe, and provided Allied Command with vital intelligence. SOE women agents came from all walks of life: from the dazzling Polish Countess Krystyna Skarbek (alias Christine Granville) and the American Virginia Hall, who was from a rich Baltimore family, to Marguerite Knight, a secretary in Walthamstow. Petite Lisa de Baissac lived next to Gestapo headquarters in Poitiers playing the part of a quiet widow, while twenty-year-old student Paola Del Din was sent to find a way through the German front line in Florence. Hot-tempered Paddy O'Sullivan deflected a German officer from examining her suitcase by making a date with him, and Alix d'Unienville feigned madness when captured. The stories of these women agents -- some famous, some virtually unknown -- are told with the help of extensive new archive material. Their exploits form a new chapter of heroism in the history of warfare matched only by their determination, resourcefulness, and ability to stay cool in the face of extreme danger.

The Agents of the Special Operations Executive

The Women Who Lived for Danger

Anouska Hempel

"Anouska Hempel is the founder and creative force behind Anouska Hempel Design, her London-based studio that is invovled in architecture, interior, product, graphic, and landscape design on four continents. This book is a window onto the creative mind of Hempel, one of today's most celebrated and influential designers. The book explores the sources of her inspiration and presents tetailed surveys of her luxurious yet idiosyncratic designs. Its lavish spreads showcase her signature brand of comfortable luxury that combines grand "big picture" views with attention to the smallest detail. Most famous for her three significant and groundbreaking boutique hotels - Blakes London, Blakes Amsterdam, and the Hempel - she brings a sense of high style and understated extravagance to anything she touches." -- Inside front book jacket flap.

David Lowenthal

Why Do We Save It?

Our Past Before Us

Founded by Churchill, Special Operations Executive (SOE) was the forerunner of the SAS, and during WWII they sent many hundreds of specially-trained agents deep undercover in Nazi-occupied Europe. Here Marcus Binney explores the extraordinary stories and daring exploits of some of the male agents who made up these little-known war heroes, and who helped change the course of the twentieth century with their bravery and sacrifice. The author has undertaken ground-breaking research in previously classified Foreign Office files in order to write this book.

Secret War Heroes

Most books on country homes focus only on those open to the public. Here, celebrated architectural campaigner Marcus Binney goes further, presenting 500 of the most remarkable and unusual houses that survive on the British islands. Gabled Cotswold manors, 14th-century timber-framed hall houses, cozy Queen Anne rectories, and grand Regency villas are all here, shown in full-color photographs that wonderfully compliment Binney’s descriptions of each exquisite piece of architectural heritage. From Highcliffe Castle in Christchurch, Dorset to Tyninghame House in East Linton, Scotland, you’ll find over 900 pages of dream homes arranged by county—each page overflowing with spectacular cupolas, luxuriant gardens, eccentric histories, lavish domestic comforts, and extravagant foyers. It’s a unique view into the architectural practices and decorative fashions of centuries past.

Marcus Binney

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