Operation Pimento

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What to expect

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.

Critics Review

Frank Griffiths' incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. This is a unique book because Frank's outstanding deeds are only part of the story. We also follow the writer's own emotional journey through Europe as he follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather and discovers the incredible bravery of those who risked their lives to help Frank escape. Truly inspiring.
Andy McNab
An affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero, told by his great grandson. 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, Women's Prize-longlisted author of 'Agent Zo'
A wonderfully evocative tale of one man's escape from occupied Europe and the countless people who helped along the way, their extraordinary courage and sacrifice brought movingly to life across the generations by the author retracing his great-grandfather's footsteps to freedom.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston KCB CBE, Chief of the Air Staff, 2019-2023
A classic tale of Second World War derring-do, told with flair. A wonderful debut.
Robert Penn

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