{"title":"Roland Philipps","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"victoire-9781847925817","title":"Victoire","description":"\u003cb\u003e'The wartime spy career of Mathilde Carre - aka \"the Cat\" and \"Agent Victoire\" - is so extraordinary it almost defies belief'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A truly astonishing story, meticulously and brilliantly told'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ePhilippe Sands, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Ratline\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eRESISTANCE, COLLABORATION AND BETRAYAL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eOccupied Paris, 1940.\u003c\/b\u003e A woman in a red hat and a black fur coat hurries down a side-street. She is Mathilde Carre, codenamed 'the Cat', later known as Agent Victoire. She is charismatic, daring, and a spy; her story is one of heroism and survival against the odds.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e These are the darkest days for France, half-occupied by Nazi Germany, half-governed by the collaborationist Vichy regime; and dark days for Britain, isolated and under threat of invasion. Yet Mathilde is driven by a sense of destiny that she will be her nation's saviour.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e With little training or support, Mathilde and her Polish collaborator, Roman Czerniawski, create a huge web of agents in a matter of weeks to form the first great Allied intelligence network of the Second World War. They risk torture and execution to deliver their coded reports, London's sole source of reliable information about the Occupation.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But the 'Big Network' is threatened at every turn and when the Germans inevitably close in Mathilde makes a desperate compromise. She enters a hall of mirrors in which any bond is doubtful and every action could be fatal. Nobody is certain where her allegiances lie - her German handler, the founder of the Resistance she ensnares and the British who eventually succeed in extracting her on a fast boat all have to make their own calculations. Is she a double, possibly even a triple agent, and, if so, can she be trusted to turn yet again?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eVictoire\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of a passionate, courageous spy but also of a fragile hero, desperate to belong - a portrait of patriotism and survival in momentous times. Drawing on a wide range of new and first-hand material, Roland Philipps has written a dazzling tale of audacity, complicity and the choices made in wartime.","brand":"Roland Philipps","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50925146702166,"sku":"9781847925817","price":23.56,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0886\/3206\/6390\/files\/9781847925817.jpg?v=1753811483"},{"product_id":"spy-named-orphan-9781784703578","title":"Spy Named Orphan","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the intriguing life of Donald Maclean in \u003cstrong\u003eA Spy Named Orphan\u003c\/strong\u003e by Roland Philipps. Published in 2019, this captivating biography spans 480 pages and delves into the world of espionage, revealing how Maclean, a prominent diplomat and insider in British politics, became one of the West's most notorious spies for Russia. Codenamed 'Orphan' by his handlers, Maclean leaked invaluable intelligence while evading capture from an international code-breaking operation. Just moments before his true identity was revealed, he made a daring escape to Moscow. Drawing from a wealth of previously classified materials, Philipps offers an unparalleled look into the life of a man who was both a national hero and a traitor. This compelling narrative not only uncovers the secrets of Cold War espionage but also explores the complex motivations behind Maclean's betrayal. Perfect for history enthusiasts and readers fascinated by the world of spies, \u003cstrong\u003eA Spy Named Orphan\u003c\/strong\u003e is a must-read.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Roland Philipps","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50980131111254,"sku":"9781784703578","price":15.31,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0886\/3206\/6390\/files\/9781784703578.jpg?v=1754250896"},{"product_id":"roland-philipps-vintage-publishing-broken-archangel-the-tempestuous-lives-of-roger-casement-9781529931532","title":"Broken Archangel, The Tempestuous Lives of Roger Casement","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBroken Archangel, The Tempestuous Lives of Roger Casement\u003c\/strong\u003e by Roland Philipps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished by Penguin Random House, (2025), 400 pages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopics: Great britain, history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Roland Philipps","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52027484242262,"sku":"9781529931532","price":15.31,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0886\/3206\/6390\/files\/9781529931532.jpg?v=1764947692"},{"product_id":"victoire-vintage-publishing-9781529111293-a-true-story-of-espionage-and-resistance-in-ww2-roland-philipps","title":"Victoire","description":"","brand":"Roland Philipps","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52255525011798,"sku":"9781529111293","price":12.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0886\/3206\/6390\/files\/9781529111293.jpg?v=1767784871"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.laufgard.com\/collections\/roland-philipps.oembed","provider":"Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}