- 368 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
A chronicle of the perilous European mountain escape route used during World War II, with epic stories from survivors and their families.
After the Nazi invasion of Belgium in 1940, an underground network was established to help British servicemen escape German-occupied Europe. As the war progressed, others began using the secret route as well, traveling to the south of France, over the Pyrenees mountains, and into neutral Spain.
The Chemin de la Liberté runs forty miles across the central Pyrenees. Since 1994, it has been hiked each July to commemorate those who made the courageous journey during the Nazi occupation of France. BBC Radio presenter Edward Stourton made the trek in 2011, and from his fellow hikers, he uncovered amazing stories of wartime bravery and perseverance.
In Cruel Crossing, Stourton draws on interviews with survivors, as well as family members of those who were there, to paint a history of this little-known aspect of World War II. It is colored by tales of hardship from soldiers trapped behind enemy lines, persecuted Jews fleeing Hitler and Vichy France, and bold resistance fighters aiding their escape. There are scrambles across rooftops in the dead of night, drops from speeding trains, treachery, murder, romance, and of course, heroism.
These personal stories offer a dramatic and moving trip through the past, preserving the memories of those who endured so much to gain back their freedom.
Praise for Cruel Crossing
"Stourton writes evocatively and with sensitivity of the people who made the arduous trek. . . . An engaging collection of tales." â Daily Express
"In Mr. Stourton's hands, the Pyrenees become a grim amphitheatre for heroism and betrayal, collusion and rebellion. . . . Cruel Crossing recaptures much of the adventure and the fun, as well as the horror and the bitterness, as it brilliantly conjures up the voices of the past." â Country Life
"Heart-breaking and breath-taking . . . thoroughly moving and very readable." âSimon Mawer, author of The Glass Room
"An important book packed with poignant stories, remarkable characters and uncomfortable truths." âClare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved
After the Nazi invasion of Belgium in 1940, an underground network was established to help British servicemen escape German-occupied Europe. As the war progressed, others began using the secret route as well, traveling to the south of France, over the Pyrenees mountains, and into neutral Spain.
The Chemin de la Liberté runs forty miles across the central Pyrenees. Since 1994, it has been hiked each July to commemorate those who made the courageous journey during the Nazi occupation of France. BBC Radio presenter Edward Stourton made the trek in 2011, and from his fellow hikers, he uncovered amazing stories of wartime bravery and perseverance.
In Cruel Crossing, Stourton draws on interviews with survivors, as well as family members of those who were there, to paint a history of this little-known aspect of World War II. It is colored by tales of hardship from soldiers trapped behind enemy lines, persecuted Jews fleeing Hitler and Vichy France, and bold resistance fighters aiding their escape. There are scrambles across rooftops in the dead of night, drops from speeding trains, treachery, murder, romance, and of course, heroism.
These personal stories offer a dramatic and moving trip through the past, preserving the memories of those who endured so much to gain back their freedom.
Praise for Cruel Crossing
"Stourton writes evocatively and with sensitivity of the people who made the arduous trek. . . . An engaging collection of tales." â Daily Express
"In Mr. Stourton's hands, the Pyrenees become a grim amphitheatre for heroism and betrayal, collusion and rebellion. . . . Cruel Crossing recaptures much of the adventure and the fun, as well as the horror and the bitterness, as it brilliantly conjures up the voices of the past." â Country Life
"Heart-breaking and breath-taking . . . thoroughly moving and very readable." âSimon Mawer, author of The Glass Room
"An important book packed with poignant stories, remarkable characters and uncomfortable truths." âClare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, weâve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere â even offline. Perfect for commutes or when youâre on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Cruel Crossing by Edward Stourton in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & European History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Introduction
- 1: Tales of Warriors
- 2: The Lines
- 3: Jeanne, Jews and the Camps
- 4: Ninetteâs Tale
- 5: Fanny/Joanâs Tale 1
- 6: Tales of Children
- 7: Belgians, Bravery and Betrayal
- 8: The Officer and the Legionnaire
- 9: Françoise and the Americans
- 10: Tales of Resistance
- 11: Guides, Smugglers and Spaniards
- 12: Death in the Mountains
- 13: Endings
- 14: Fanny/Joanâs Tale 2
- 15: Remembering
- Postscript
- Image Gallery
- Appendix: Itinerary of the 2011 Chemin de la Liberté
- Source Notes
- Acknowledgements
- Text and Picture Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Copyright