heres_the_thing's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to find new approaches to WWII nonfiction, but this is spectacular (I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend, but make sure to check the print copy so you can see the pictures). I was amazed and enthralled--it's a delightful mix of "ridiculous hobbies that have a brief tenure of importance" and "deeply human attempts to fix what is unfixable." I liked this book so much that I created an impromptu discussion club by making both of my parents read it. It was poignant and made me wonder about how the course of the war could have changed...if only there had been more pigeons.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
When I saw this book a few months ago at the National Army Museum in London, I had not idea that I would become so engrossed in the central narrative that I would forget that it was a school night and blew past my bedtime, finishing the book in one sitting.
As a young girl, my cousin and his friends tried their hand at raising homing pigeons and since then I have been fascinated by not just homing pigeons, but racing pigeons as well. However, I was not aware of the missive that inspired the author to research this story which is why I found it riveting.
As a young girl, my cousin and his friends tried their hand at raising homing pigeons and since then I have been fascinated by not just homing pigeons, but racing pigeons as well. However, I was not aware of the missive that inspired the author to research this story which is why I found it riveting.
lainecid's review
2.0
This would've made a great long form article, but I had trouble getting into the non-pigeon spy plot lines.
jessferg's review against another edition
2.0
I guess closer to 2.5 - I'm on the line between "it's okay" and thinking it deserves more because I probably learned something.
I suppose it's hard to discuss the pigeon service without explaining the intertwining of the various MIs and projects but the result is an awful lot more about the resistance and strategy than about the pigeon service. It starts out strong but really bogs down in the middle with a lot of minutiae - names and dates seem to take up pages before they connect.
There's a lot of research here and this is probably a great read for historians interested in WW2 and looking for less-known details and stories but I found it a little dry.
I suppose it's hard to discuss the pigeon service without explaining the intertwining of the various MIs and projects but the result is an awful lot more about the resistance and strategy than about the pigeon service. It starts out strong but really bogs down in the middle with a lot of minutiae - names and dates seem to take up pages before they connect.
There's a lot of research here and this is probably a great read for historians interested in WW2 and looking for less-known details and stories but I found it a little dry.
lifegivinglearning's review
4.0
There are so many books written about WWII, and it's not often that a book about WWII keeps my attention. Yet this one was so interesting!
I had no idea that carrier pigeons were used during the second world war. During the war, the British intelligence agencies dropped carrier pigeons in Nazi occupied companies along with sheets of small rice paper so that people could send important information back to the Allies. This book follows the heroic actions of the men and women on the ground who spied on the Nazi occupiers and risked their lives to send intelligence back to the Allies.
This book is a fascinating look into a lesser known piece of history.
I had no idea that carrier pigeons were used during the second world war. During the war, the British intelligence agencies dropped carrier pigeons in Nazi occupied companies along with sheets of small rice paper so that people could send important information back to the Allies. This book follows the heroic actions of the men and women on the ground who spied on the Nazi occupiers and risked their lives to send intelligence back to the Allies.
This book is a fascinating look into a lesser known piece of history.
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