A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men

The Forgotten British Special Operations Soldiers of World War II

By: Shannon Monaghan

Narrated by: George Weightman

The untold story of four special operations officers who fought together behind enemy lines across multiple theaters of World War II, and then continued to serve, officially and unofficially, for decades after in the hottest parts of the Cold War

There have always been special warriors; Achilles and his Myrmidons are the obvious classical examples. What we now think of as “special operations,” however, were born in World War II, and one of the earliest and most exciting units formed was Britain's SOE. In the early years of the war, when Britain stood alone against the Nazis, Winston Churchill put them on a mission to “set Europe ablaze”: to foment local revolt, to gather intelligence, to blow up bridges, and to do anything that could help to disrupt the Axis cause. A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men follows four SOE officers who distinguished themselves in this fight: the Spanish Civil War veteran Peter Kemp, the demolitions expert David Smiley, the born guerrilla leader Billy McLean, and the political natural Julian Amery.

With new and extensive research, including unprecedented access to private family papers that reveal the men's unbreakable bonds and vibrant personalities, Shannon Monaghan has uncovered a story of war in the twentieth century that, due to the secretive nature of the SOE’s work, has remained largely unknown. A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men is a thrilling and inspiring story of four remarkable men who, through sheer determination and daring, as well as unwavering friendship and loyalty, fought for a better world.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF containing the Cast of Characters and Maps from the printed book.

©2024 Shannon Monaghan (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A well-told tale that sets the fictional worlds of Ian Fleming and John le Carré in real-life perspective."—Kirkus Reviews

“A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men is a thoroughly researched book that brings to life some of the incredible personalities who pioneered special operations for the SOE. It sheds new light on how, long before D-Day, the British were taking the fight far behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Europe.”—Sam Kleiner, author of The Flying Tigers

"The heroic exploits of Britain’s Special Operations soldiers finally receive in A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men a comprehensive and objective study, rich in humanity, anecdote, and, above all, relevance to a world once more in the throes of The Great Game.”—Richard Bassett, author of Hitler’s Spy Chief

Bravery

We have now listened to the audiobook. We will now buy the book and read again. History but still contemporary - we are still living some of these battles! Best audio book ever. A must to listen to. Truth is more incredible than fiction.

Disappointing

I found the title compelling; and, the topic/subject is one with which I have a natural affinity.

As hard as I tried to like this book, I stopped with 5 hours remaining. Rather than a coherent narrative, this seems more a series of vignettes linked by having main characters intersect at points.

Certainly the idea of the book is one of exceptional individuals and the beginnings of SOE. It just did not seem to come together or move in a direction that impelled me to continue. In fact, at one point I fell asleep listening and when I awakened did not perceive that I had missed anything.

[Having one long section focusing on an errant brother seemed a non-sequitur and did not help me develop a sense of the main character.]

It is hard to create an overarching narrative premised on the challenges of small unit organization and combat actions. I am sure each vignette would have made a great short story.