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Operation Pimento

My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape

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Operation Pimento

By: Adam Hart
Narrated by: Adam Hart
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About this listen

 A moving, thrilling account of one man's extraordinary escape from the Nazis - as told by his great-grandson. Perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre and Damien Lewis

'Frank Griffiths' incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. Truly inspiring.' - ANDY McNAB

'An affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero. Adam Hart is a writer to watch out for.' - ANTHONY HOROWITZ

'A thrilling tale of courage, bravery and survival, brought to life by Hart's gripping narrative and fascinating personal connection. A superb debut.' - ALICE LOXTON

'This moving family history pays fitting tribute to the courage and resilience of the Special Duties Squadrons' crews, and the heroism of the French resisters serving alongside them.' - CLARE MULLEY

'A classic tale of Second World War derring-do, told with flair. A wonderful debut.' - ROBERT PENN

On 14 August 1943, Adam Hart's great-grandfather Frank Griffiths took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE 'Special Duties' airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France.

Only Frank survived.

Though seriously injured, Frank felt it was his duty to get back to England to continue the fight against the Nazis. He embarked on a perilous, 1,200-mile, 108-day escape across Europe, via the attic of a brothel, a Frenchwoman's chimney and a Spanish prison cell. Seventy-nine years later, Frank's 22-year-old great-grandson Adam Hart retraced the epic escape through France, Switzerland and Spain. His emotional encounters with descendants of people who'd risked their lives to help his great-grandfather reveal the enduring legacy of Operation Pimento and how we should never forget their sacrifice.

Operation Pimento is not only a riveting true story, but also a vivid account of one young man's journey to discover more about a man he'd never met, but always knew to be a hero.©2025 Adam Hart (P)2025 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Adventure Travel Historical Military Resilience
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What a great story, the author piecing together and then following the journey of his great-grandfather’s escape. What a man he was, and how fascinating it is to hear of his great-grandson managing to trace the families of those who helped in the escape.

Wonderful account

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This is a cracking read - a young historian sets out to retrace his great grandfather's great escape from the Nazis. Hart has a great way with words and you will find yourself racing to get back to the book to find out what happens next. Told with great maturity and a light touch.

Gripping and heartfelt

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This was a moving tale of history being kept alive and rediscovered. With each passing day the sacrifices and challenges faced by that generation fade in to myth and forgotten. This is a humbling reminder of the lengths people went to in those dark hours.

keeping the personal experience of war alive

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a superb book to listen to finished it in one listen & will definitely listen to it again

wow what a excellent book

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It is very rare I review anything, but felt compelled to do so as I thoroughly enjoyed this. A fascinating snapshot of the whole resistance movement, accompanied with Adam's personal journey of discovery.

A superb journey

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