Kix, a journalist and editor, reports this largely untold story in compelling detail.
Paul Kix... already did the heavy lifting, providing more particulars in 227 pages than most academic historians do in backbreaking tomes.... Kix leaves very little for the reader to imagine on their own. Some of the descriptions are extremely terrifying... but they’re also necessary if one is to understand the plight of the protagonist.
[The Saboteur ] is very engaging. [Kix] moves quickly along, striking a good balance, with tangential explanations when needed. He builds and maintains a sense of Rochefoucauld’s ever-present fear of betrayal and capture. He does not gloss over the complicity of most of the French people, nor does he spend inordinate time railing against them. His focus in the biography is the courage, luck, skill, and determination of a freedom-loving Saboteur.
San Francisco Book Review
Kix takes the reader from adventure to adventure, and all of it is narrated with a curiously effective combination of historical perspective and fictional thriller dramatics... The reminder that “The Saboteur” is at heart a hero’s tale is very refreshing.
Christian Science Monitor
…intense, highly detailed and well-written…Working from La Rochefoucauld's 2002 memoir, and the video of an oral history produced by the La Rochefoucauld family, Kix has produced a narrative that is both chilling and powerful…[The Saboteur ] is first-class adventure writing, which, coupled with a true-life narrative of danger and intrigue, adds up to all-night reading.
The New York Times Book Review - Alan Furst
Kix has produced a narrative that is both chilling and powerful… These many narratives, about holding dear to one’s honor in the face of persecution by a powerful enemy, will never go out of style. The reason they remain popular and widely read today is this implicit question: What would you have done?... Reading The Saboteur , one understands how a certain person at a certain time answered it. La Rochefoucauld faced torture and death, yet he carried on. There is inspiration in his example, and that makes The Saboteur well worth reading.” — New York Times Book Review
“The Saboteur is a mesmerizing book that builds up propulsive momentum until its final twists. It was a joy to disappear into this story. Like only the very best historical biographers, Paul Kix has turned years of deep reporting into a tightly coiled narrative that you never want to put down.” — Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President
“Set in motion by a steamed-open letter and a burning hatred of Hitler, a dashing young aristocrat embarks on a campaign of clandestine warfare. The Saboteur sounds like a World War II spy thriller, but in fact it is a rip-roaring true story, wonderfully told by Paul Kix.” — Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours and Lost in Shangri-La
“The Saboteur is completely engrossing and elegantly told, which means any reader of this work will inevitably want more and more.” — Washington Post
“A winner: the stories are fascinating, the pages nearly turn themselves, and La Rochefoucauld is a true hero.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Kix’s sharp, well-paced writing is perfect for telling La Rochefoucauld’s story. But this is more than a gripping yarn of daring-do. La Rochefoucauld was a complex character, and Kix’s portrait is nuanced and moving… [posing] the big questions: What is duty? What is courage? What is loyalty?” — BookPage
“Journalist Kix had to do first-class detective work using primary sources to create this riveting story. Fans of World War II history will eagerly read this story, which is almost as exciting as a James Bond novel.” — Library Journal
“This thoroughly sourced account is highly readable and effectively showcases the life of a fascinating, complex man whose too-little-known role in the Resistance will be of great interest to followers of WWII history.” — Booklist
“Kix, a journalist and editor, reports this largely untold story in compelling detail.” — New York Jewish Week
“This is nonfiction that reads like a straight-up thriller, and the fact that the story is true just makes it that much more incredible. History buffs, adrenaline junkies, and WWII nerds—this one is for you.” — Bookish
“Kix takes the reader from adventure to adventure, and all of it is narrated with a curiously effective combination of historical perspective and fictional thriller dramatics... The reminder that “The Saboteur” is at heart a hero’s tale is very refreshing.” — Christian Science Monitor
“Mr. Kix has consulted numerous diaries, interviewed survivors and spent much time with La Rochefoucauld’s family and friends. For the most part his research is meticulous, …[ and The Saboteur] provides a lively picture of a brave man, for whom patriotism, nobility and duty were immutable principles of life.” — Caroline Moorehead, Wall Street Journal
“This is first-class adventure writing, which, coupled with a true-life narrative of danger and intrigue, adds up to all-night reading.” — Alan Furst, New York Times
“Paul Kix... already did the heavy lifting, providing more particulars in 227 pages than most academic historians do in backbreaking tomes.... Kix leaves very little for the reader to imagine on their own. Some of the descriptions are extremely terrifying... but they’re also necessary if one is to understand the plight of the protagonist.” — DigBoston
“[The Saboteur ] is very engaging. [Kix] moves quickly along, striking a good balance, with tangential explanations when needed. He builds and maintains a sense of Rochefoucauld’s ever-present fear of betrayal and capture. He does not gloss over the complicity of most of the French people, nor does he spend inordinate time railing against them. His focus in the biography is the courage, luck, skill, and determination of a freedom-loving Saboteur. — San Francisco Book Review
The Saboteur is completely engrossing and elegantly told, which means any reader of this work will inevitably want more and more.
The Saboteur is a mesmerizing book that builds up propulsive momentum until its final twists. It was a joy to disappear into this story. Like only the very best historical biographers, Paul Kix has turned years of deep reporting into a tightly coiled narrative that you never want to put down.
Set in motion by a steamed-open letter and a burning hatred of Hitler, a dashing young aristocrat embarks on a campaign of clandestine warfare. The Saboteur sounds like a World War II spy thriller, but in fact it is a rip-roaring true story, wonderfully told by Paul Kix.
This is nonfiction that reads like a straight-up thriller, and the fact that the story is true just makes it that much more incredible. History buffs, adrenaline junkies, and WWII nerds—this one is for you.
Kix has produced a narrative that is both chilling and powerful… These many narratives, about holding dear to one’s honor in the face of persecution by a powerful enemy, will never go out of style. The reason they remain popular and widely read today is this implicit question: What would you have done?... Reading The Saboteur , one understands how a certain person at a certain time answered it. La Rochefoucauld faced torture and death, yet he carried on. There is inspiration in his example, and that makes The Saboteur well worth reading.
New York Times Book Review
Kix’s sharp, well-paced writing is perfect for telling La Rochefoucauld’s story. But this is more than a gripping yarn of daring-do. La Rochefoucauld was a complex character, and Kix’s portrait is nuanced and moving… [posing] the big questions: What is duty? What is courage? What is loyalty?
This is first-class adventure writing, which, coupled with a true-life narrative of danger and intrigue, adds up to all-night reading.
Mr. Kix has consulted numerous diaries, interviewed survivors and spent much time with La Rochefoucauld’s family and friends. For the most part his research is meticulous, …[ and The Saboteur] provides a lively picture of a brave man, for whom patriotism, nobility and duty were immutable principles of life.
The Saboteur is completely engrossing and elegantly told, which means any reader of this work will inevitably want more and more.
This thoroughly sourced account is highly readable and effectively showcases the life of a fascinating, complex man whose too-little-known role in the Resistance will be of great interest to followers of WWII history.
Author Paul Kix has performed a masterful task with research and writing. The book has also been very well edited. The Saboteur is fast reading, exciting and haunting; driving the reader onward at every turn. That this is a true story filled with powerful and persuasive characters, makes it all the more enticing. Here we witness the birth of contemporary international spy agencies, including America’s Central Intelligence Agency.
New York Journal of Books
11/01/2017
The story of Robert de La Rochefoucald, a French aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur during WWII, reads like a novel—and that’s exactly the way Malcolm Hillgartner narrates it. He adds no false drama. The story is compelling by itself. His steady pace keeps listeners engaged, but he varies it ever so slightly at times for variety and impact. His facility with French names and places also keeps the reading flowing. His somewhat somber voice adds exactly the right atmosphere to this story, in which one wrong step by the Frenchman can mean death. Hillgartner also narrated WHEN PARIS WENT DARK—about the Nazi occupation of the city. This latest audiobook offers a nice complement. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
The story of Robert de La Rochefoucald, a French aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur during WWII, reads like a novel—and that’s exactly the way Malcolm Hillgartner narrates it. He adds no false drama. The story is compelling by itself. His steady pace keeps listeners engaged, but he varies it ever so slightly at times for variety and impact. His facility with French names and places also keeps the reading flowing. His somewhat somber voice adds exactly the right atmosphere to this story, in which one wrong step by the Frenchman can mean death. Hillgartner also narrated WHEN PARIS WENT DARK—about the Nazi occupation of the city. This latest audiobook offers a nice complement. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
★ 2017-09-14
