It was early spring 1942, and under the pitiless sky of the Libyan desert the climax of the great siege of Bir Hakeim was about to begin. General Koenig, the commander of the Free French and the Foreign Legion in North Africa, and his two thousand troops had been surrounded for fifteen days and nights by Rommel's Afrika Corps. Outnumbered ten to... more » one, pounded by wave after wave of Stuka and Heikel bombers, the general and his men seemed doomed. Though their situation was hopeless, they chose to reject the Desert Fox's demand for surrender. Instead, one moonless night, the French made an audacious and suicidal bid for freedom by charging directly through the German lines. Leading the way was Susan Travers. The only woman ever to serve officially in the French Foreign Legion, there was the indomitable Englishwoman, speeding across the minefields of 'no man's land' directly towards Rommel's deadly Panzer tanks, her foot hard on the accelerator, doing her job: driving the general's car. That it was leading two thousand men in one of the great military exploits of the Second World War, the legendary mass break-out from Bir Hakeim, that it would see her hailed as the heroine of the night and eventually earn her both the Military Medal and the Légion d'Honneur, was not on her mind as the night exploded around her and German artillery lit up the desert sky. Her only thought was this: she was trying to save the life of the man she loved. Tomorrow to be Brave is the story of Susan Travers's extraordinary life, from her privileged childhood in England through her rebellious youth partying her way across interwar Europe, to her rash decision to join the Free French forces at the outbreak of World War II. In search of adventure -- and a break from her stifling upper-class world -- she could never have dreamed the pivotal role she would play. From her part in the North African campaign through her time after the war serving in the French Foreign Legion as a regular officer -- the only woman ever to have achieved this -- there was enough adventure and passion, heartbreak and heroism, to fill a hundred lifetimes. This, in her own words, is her story. It is a tale of exceptional courage against overwhelming odds and of an epic love affair played out against the backdrop of war as she risked everything for the country -- and the man -- she loved.

ISBN-13: 9780743200011
ISBN-10: 0743200012
Publication Date: 6/14/2001
Pages: 304
Rating:

Currently 5/5 Stars.

5 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: Free Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 6
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Similar books to this author and title:

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

Legionnaire: Five Years in the French Foreign Legion

The History of the French Foreign Legion: From 1831 to Present Day

Voices of the Foreign Legion: The French Foreign Legion in Its Own Words

The Naked Soldier: A True Story of the French Foreign Legion

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Historical >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Professionals & Academics >> Military & Spies
Biographies & Memoirs >> Specific Groups >> Women
Biographies & Memoirs >> Leaders & Notable People >> Military >> General
History >> Europe >> France >> General
History >> Military >> World War II >> Personal Narratives

My Account
Post Books
Wish List
Bookshelf
Member Tools
Under the Hood
Newsletter Archive

Search for a Book
Browse My Favorite Genres
Advanced Book Search
Book Browser
Club Tag Cloud
NYT Best Sellers
Newbery Medal Winners
Pulitzer Prize Winners
Books Posted Today
Award Winning Books
Mobile / PDAs

Help Center
How to Swap Books
Ask the Librarian
Live Help
Browser Test
Feature List

Community
Spread the Word
Widgets & APIs
Feeds RSS/XML
Box-O-Books
Discussion Forums
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Company
Press & Media
Pulse of PBS
Contact Us
Careers
Privacy & Security

Sister Sites
SwapaDVD.com
SwapaCD.com

Back to the Top ↑

Tell a friend about this book...

Search - Tomorrow to Be Brave : A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion