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Setting the Med Ablaze

It was Christmas 1942. Eleven young women boarded the troopship Strathaird and braved the attentions of U-Boats in the deep Atlantic.

Borrowing a cricketing phrase, they called themselves the First Eleven. But they were not the first to arrive at the Special Operations Executive’s secret North African base near Algiers. Code-named Massingham, it was formed by SOE to spearhead subversion and sabotage in what Winston Churchill called ‘the soft underbelly’ of Europe.

Massingham was hidden away at the Club des Pins, a former luxury resort nestling among pines next to a Mediterranean beach. By the time SOE had got to work, there was little luxury left.

Setting the Med Ablaze tells the true stories of the men and women of Churchill’s secret base. Its life was short. Less than two years after its formation, its job was done. But Massingham played a key role in the Allied offensive in the Mediterranean islands, Italy and France.

If you enjoy historical nonfiction, this book is for you.

Hardback, paperback and Kindle editions now available at https://getbook.at/Ablaze.

Don’t have a Kindle? Don’t worry. Like me, you may prefer physical books, but the Kindle editions are often worth snapping up. You probably know that you don’t have to own a Kindle; you can read your books on your Ipad, phone or laptop. Look out for this link on the book’s Amazon page.

Find out more here

The paperback and hardback editions are available at your local or online bookstore: ISBN 978-1916027329 (paperback), 978-1916027336 (hardback) . Order now!

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