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Edward Stourton
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Cruel Crossing: Escaping Hitler Across the Pyrenees Hardcover – International Edition, May 13, 2013

by Edward Stourton (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 290 ratings
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The secret history of the WW2 escape route through the Pyrenees from France to Spain: personal stories of endurance, betrayal and remarkable bravery.
 
- Midnight scrambles across rooftops to flee the Gestapo
- Bayonets jabbed into haystacks and suspicious ticket inspectors
- Nazi collaboration and Resistance betrayals
- Gadgetry, burning Lancasters and evil SS officers
- Doomed love affairs and heroic self-sacrifice
 
Everything you would expect of a tale of wartime escape and evasion is here in this collection of stories and reminiscence from the Chemin de Libertie -- the perilous climb through the Pyrenees used by men, women and children escaping Occupied France to Spain. Bringing history alive, Ed undertakes the walk to experience some of the hardship of the wartime refugees, finding himself with fellow pilgrims each with their own personal reasons for commemorating an extraordinary and desperately moving aspect of WW2. The walk, interviews with the few remaining survivors, and previously unseen primary source material, combine into a hugely accessible, poignant dramatic and inspiring history.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Doubleday UK
  4. Publication date
    May 13, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6.37 x 1.19 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780857520517
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0857520517
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

• "Edward Stourton'’s portrayal of the escape lines across the Pyrenees -- the courage and endurance of those involved and above all, the heroism in one man (or woman) risking their life for another -- is rich in detail and a remarkable testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. A compelling read." --James Holland




From the Trade Paperback edition.

About the Author

EDWARD STOURTON is the author of six previous books. He is newspaper columnist, writer and presenter of several high-profile current affairs programmes and documentaries for radio and television, and regularly presents BBC Radio Four programmes such as The World at One, The World this Weekend, Sunday and Analysis. He is a frequent contributor to the Today programme, where for ten years he was one of the main presenters.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0857520512
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday UK (May 13, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780857520517
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857520517
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.37 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.37 x 1.19 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 290 ratings

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Edward Stourton

Edward Stourton

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
290 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kathesme
5.0 out of 5 stars Could not put it down!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
I live in the area and know the area that the author covered..I had also seen part of the crossing.
The back ground stories were a marvellous way to learn about the use of the paths up over the Pyrenees and also the sheer bravery of the Passeurs who risked their lives each time and sometimes lost them..
It also brought out that the enemy was not just the Nazi occupation but some of the French themselves.

This was a marvellous read and it is one story that I will not forget in a hurry.
4 people found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not compelling
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2013
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A well-written account of escapes across the Pyrenees in the second world war. Interesting stories and characters but not as exciting as I might have hoped.
One person found this helpful
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars Escape
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
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Excellent book. A well-told story of the dangerous work undertaken by Belgian and French resisters to smuggle those on the run from Nazi forces across the Pyrenees into neutral Spain.
2 people found this helpful
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L.G.Turner
3.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting but rather confusing!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Rather confusing as he dashes around from character to character but extremely interesting as I live in the Pyrenees and know a lot of the places mentioned.
2 people found this helpful
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Birch Creek
5.0 out of 5 stars WW2 History - excellent addition
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
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Very enlightening book regarding how people escaped across the Spanish Alps from occupied France
2 people found this helpful
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Familia
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it.
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2018
Love it.... I'm familiar with the story and I life in Andorra, so I have read books and seen the good Catalan film between the "Torp (blizzard) and the Gestapo", where you really see the conditions on how the refugees cross the Pyrenees...

This book is really well documented, enjoyable to read and I had never realised that the refugee camps where they lock up jews, pilots, conscripts .... where the same facilities used to lock up Republicans fleeing the Spain after Franco took over with the coup d'etat in 1939.
One person found this helpful
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H.Hovers
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2013
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A chapter of WW II history that too few know about. Informative, moving and inspiring a story of unsung heroes.
2 people found this helpful
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M. D Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Fluent and absorbing accounts of a neglected subject.
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013
This excellent book is at times a truly emotional experience. In some ways it is also a form of tribute to the courage and persistence of the members of the underground forces and opponents of the Nazi regime in Europe, who assisted the escape of refugees, Allied airmen and other military personnel across the Pyrennean mountains into Spain during World War 2.

Comprising of a fascinating collection of accounts of individuals and groups involved, the reader is given an insight into the differing underground networks of agents and the personal experiences of those concerned. Individual chapters/sections being provided for the different elements involved; eg. Jews fleeing the Holocaust, Resistance fighters, downed Airmen etc..

Packed with incident, the accounts evoke the fears of being captured, and brilliantly illuminate the desperation behind both the physical and emotional barriers encountered by those fleeing for their very lives. This well written book brings the reader as near as possible to the true life experiences of those concerned, without actually being there. Highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

pmed
5.0 out of 5 stars A good gripping read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have walked extensively in the pyrenees and rreading this book I can imagine the stress and pain the people who walked this route in fear for their lives. I have only hiked in good weather but have experienced the extremes at lower altitudes, no chance I would have made it across.
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Barbara Erskine
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story, history told with style
Reviewed in Italy on March 11, 2017
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I bought this book because I wanted to know what went on in The Pyrenees during WW II. I had no idea he is such a good writer. He makes the stories so interesting, I am holding on to it because I don't want the book to end.
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C Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on February 13, 2018
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Interesting stories of the escape routes used during the war and being used again today for recreation.
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JAG
5.0 out of 5 stars Very touching
Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2015
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I cannot recommend this book highly enough! The author has researched and presented something which should be read by every teenager. It is both engaging and harrowing at the same time. Extremely well written - hard to put down once started! Thank you for preserving this vital history.
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David
5.0 out of 5 stars A reminder of the heroism in WW 2
Reviewed in France on September 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
A book that everyone who was born after WW 2 should read. The sacrifices that ordinary men and women made to rescue military and persecuted people from certain death makes compulsive reading, and the author tells the story well. As one who has crossed the Pyrenees many times by car, I find it hard to imagine, what a journey it was in the 1940s.
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