Wednesday 18 September 2013

Review of Cruel Crossing by Edward Stourton

Cruel Crossing is a fascinating book full of the horror and tragedy that occurred during World War Two. In France, the pyrenees were used as a daring and extremely dangerous escape route into France. As Stourton takes part in the Chemain de la liberte, a walk commemorating the route used by so many to escape the Nazi, he pieces together the stories from people who were actually involved.

The horrors that befell both ordinary people and the armed forces are all too apparent in this book, but what really stands out is the unwavering selflessness and bravery shown by those who helped the escapees. Cruel Crossing is thorough and brilliantly researched and has made me want to visit this area of France that I knew little about.

It is a heart-wrenching, but utterly compelling collection of accounts of people involved in the daring escapes across the Pyrenees during the Second World War.

I highly recommend this book and would rate it as a 5 star read.

I read this as part of the Transworld Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

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