A Question of Resistance

Blurb

Two young friends, Jacques and Georges, arrive in occupied France in an unorthodox manner and are confronted with a German roadblock. Not understanding what is happening to them they run the barrier, missing the bullets from the Nazi guards and attempt to hide in a thicket. Unaccustomed to stealth, the friends are surrounded by rough looking men from the French resistance. Jacques Brettagne accent saves them from being shot immediately and they are assimilated into the maquis, which is the name given to resistance camps. Not everybody is happy about Jacques and Georges' arrival and Henri, a bear of a man, suspects them of being spies and makes their life difficult. As a test, Bernar...Two young friends, Jacques and Georges, arrive in occupied France in an unorthodox manner and are confronted with a German roadblock. Not understanding what is happening to them they run the barrier, missing the bullets from the Nazi guards and attempt to hide in a thicket. Unaccustomed to stealth, the friends are surrounded by rough looking men from the French resistance. Jacques Brettagne accent saves them from being shot immediately and they are assimilated into the maquis, which is the name given to resistance camps. Not everybody is happy about Jacques and Georges' arrival and Henri, a bear of a man, suspects them of being spies and makes their life difficult. As a test, Bernard, the camp commander, sends Jacques and George on a mission to collect weapons and equipment dropped by the British. The friends are drawn into the resistance web and are picked for more sabotage missions against the occupying forces. The first operation is accomplished successfully but their retreat is marred by the ambush of the second group of maquisards, as members of the maquis are known, and the death of two of the team. This mission cements Jacques and Georges position within the resistance and Henri accepts them too. At this point Jacques meets Elise and he is attracted to her from the start and a romance commences. Jacques hears of the atrocities committed by the occupied forces and his hatred starts to grow until, finally, it is absolute. The first mission created a strong team of Luc, Henri, Jacques and Georges; the bond between the men was strong. They were chosen for a second and much more difficult operation to destroy the fuel tanks at a military airport. The story is told through Jacques eyes as a diary of the extraordinary events that happen to him. At first Jacques is overwhelmed and is swept along until finally, he takes control. At nineteen Jacques is barely a man but he matures quickly as events demand. The characters he meets are rich in personality and the camaraderie creates lifetime bonds. (more)

Author Comment

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Paul Smith

Who said the French are “Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys”? Well, maybe they did throw down the towel pretty quickly when Adolf came to call in WWII but they didn’t stop fighting.

Resistance came in many forms and the allies would not have advanced as quickly had it not been for the sabotage of the Free French and the millions of small acts of both active and passive resistance by ordinary French citizens taking extreme risks with their lives.

This is my second novel and is a rapid fire adventure story with strong characters. You’ll find all human emotions in this novel and it has been well researched. Many of the atrocities done by the Nazi occupation force are real, or based upon real events.

This is a story that all young people should read lest we forget and repeat the madness again.