Code Name Madeleine

A Sufi Spy in Nazi-Occupied Paris

De: Arthur J. Magida

Narrado por: James Gillies

A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2020

The captivating story of the valiant Noor Inayat Khan, daughter of an Indian Sufi mystic and unlikely World War II heroine.

Raised in a lush suburb of 1920s Paris, Noor Inayat Khan was an introspective musician and writer, dedicated to her family and to her father’s spiritual values of harmony, beauty, and tolerance. She did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazi violence and the German occupation of France, Noor joined the British Special Operations Executive and trained in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. She returned to Paris under an assumed identity immediately before the Germans mopped up the Allies’ largest communications network in France. For crucial months of the war, Noor was the only wireless operator there sending critical information to London, significantly aiding the success of the Allied landing on D-Day. Code-named Madeleine, she became a high-value target for the Gestapo. When she was eventually captured, Noor attempted two daring escapes before she was sent to Dachau and killed just months before the end of the war.

Carefully distilled from dozens of interviews, newly discovered manuscripts, official documents, and personal letters, Code Name Madeleine is both a compelling, deeply researched history and a thrilling tribute to Noor Inayat Khan, whose courage and faith guided her through the most brutal regime in history.

©2020 Arthur J. Magida (P)2020 Recorded Books

Excellent biography

The author and the narrator are both wonderful. They have brought alive Noor, a remarkable human being. She should never have been sent as a spy though, in my opinion. I'm delighted to have listened to this for `free' with my Audible membership.

True spy story of artistic sensitive young woman

A unlikely WWII heroine who came from Indian royalty, a musically and spiritually gifted family, displaced from the family estate in Surenes, France, by the Nazi invasion. Her family fled to England, where her brother enlisted in the navy, and she joined the Special Operations Executive, and became a spy in France. Her efforts as a clandestine radio operator became essential to the French Resistance and Allied effort, and resulted in posthumous awarding of the Croix de Guerre, the George Cross, and several memorials.

A purposeful life

Loved the history. Even more, I loved the inclusion of the backstory of the protagonist's family, religion, life challenges, etc. that enlightened her motives, her sacrifice, her convention-breaking, etc. This book earns your investment of time.