MI9

A History of the Secret Service for Escape and Evasion in World War Two

By: Helen Fry

Narrated by: Helen Lloyd

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

A thrilling history of MI9 - the WWII organization that engineered the escape of Allied forces from behind enemy lines

When Allied fighters were trapped behind enemy lines, one branch of military intelligence helped them escape: MI9. The organization set up clandestine routes that zigzagged across Nazi-occupied Europe, enabling soldiers and airmen to make their way home. Secret agents and resistance fighters risked their lives and those of their families to hide the men.

Drawing on declassified files and eye-witness testimonies from across Europe and the United States, Helen Fry provides a significant reassessment of MI9’s wartime role. Central to its success were figures such as Airey Neave, Jimmy Langley, Sam Derry, and Mary Lindell, who was one of only a few women parachuted into enemy territory for MI9. This astonishing account combines escape and evasion tales with the previously untold stories behind the establishment of MI9 - and reveals how the organization saved thousands of lives.

©2020 Helen Fry (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Not what I thought it would be

I thought this would be a lot of stories about people helping POW'S and downed pilots to get to safety. While there is some stories like that, mostly it's a lot of statistics and names of people in MI9. The book jumps around and repeats a lot of information. It is very long and I just couldn't finish it. It became boring. I wish it would have been better.

Super informative

This was a very informative book. It is broken down into the interactions with different agencies and people. It was very thorough and clearly well researched. I love books like this where I can imagine what I would have done in such a situation. The reader was British (obviously) and she is easy to understand and has great speed and cadence.

It puts all the allied players in perspective

I understand why the secrets act in England was extended well pass the end of WW 2. Having separate secret agencies prevent having a complete compromised agency.
A great view of the war not through American eyes.

Great Information

M19 contains a plethora of information for the history buff. Almost too much. I think the author went into a bit too much detail in this book. It made the book drag and just go on forever. The narrator just droned on also. If you are a history buff, and have lots of patience I recommend this book. It is fill with lots of detail (too much in my opinion) but is worth a listen.

Learn about an unknown history of WW 2

Do you like spies and espionage then take a look about how the escape and evasion routes were set up and what MI9 did. This is an really under looked part of the history of WW2.