The Greatest Raid

I loved this book, as I love any good adventure story sublimely told…This book has the same effect as that drug. It’s a gloriously exciting high, followed by a crushing realisation of war’s enormous waste – Gerard deGroot * The Times *Enthralling … the heroism on display that night was unsurpassed, and Whittell is right to call his book The Greatest Raid – Simon Griffith * Mail on Sunday *Absorbing … The extraordinary bravery of the participants shines out from the narrative – Patrick Bishop * Sunday Telegraph *A story of extraordinary courage … Without Chariot there might have been no further raids such as the much larger, and ultimately disastrous, attack on Dieppe five months later – Jonathan Boff * Spectator *A compelling page-turner, the work of a master storyteller. The drama of the March 1942 operation is cinematic in its sweep and detail – and Whittell’s detective work on the real reasons for the raid is extraordinary. It is also beautifully written – Matthew d’AnconaA spellbinding account of one of the most astonishing episodes of the whole war. Thrilling and tragic in equal measure, it is a story of self-sacrifice, comradeship and courage on an unimaginable scale – Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichChurchill called St Nazaire “a deed of glory intimately involved in high strategy.” This vivid and moving book shows why – David Reynolds, author of Island Stories: An Unconventional History of BritainGiles Whittell’s crisp, tight, prose is perfectly suited to record one of World War 2’s great moments of heroism: his journalistic skills tease apart the flaws in the plan, while expertly bringing back to life the rich cast of protagonists – Charles Spencer, author of The White ShipWorld War Two’s Operation Chariot against Nazi Germany’s battleship repair facility is the greatest commando raid of all time. So bravo to Giles Whittell for this meticulously researched and utterly gripping account of the heroism at St Nazaire. The Greatest Raid does great justice to its subjects – Dr Amanda Foreman

Giles Whittell is the author of Bridge of Spies, Spitfire Women of World War II and Snow- A Scientific and Cultural Exploration. He is World Affairs Editor at Tortoise Media, and was previously a writer for The Times in Los Angeles, Moscow, Washington and London.

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