Diana Hope Rowden had a privileged background. Born in London in 1915 she spent her early years at Cap Ferrat and the Italian Riviera where her mother rented a villa and yacht. Coincidentally, the yacht was named the Fearless One, it was a name that would later describe Diana perfectly. After boarding school in England, she returned to France with her mother, embarking on a career in journalism at the Sorbonne.
Nancy Wake was the most decorated servicewoman of World War II, and one of the most wanted agents in France. Awarded the France Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the French Foreign Legion d’Honneur and awarded the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association Badge in Gold.
Le Havre stands not just as a city but as a living museum of architectural innovation, political history, and the enduring spirit of community and reinvention
Violette Szabo and other female agents were sent to France by F Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during WWII. F Section (French Section), part of SOE, set up as a clandestine organization “to set Europe ablaze”, as Winston Churchill once said.
Elsa Behr, Drue Leyton and Sylvia Beach - a wonderful story of these 3 women, the Resistance and WWII.
Experience Le Croisic: a town so steeped in Breton charm you'd expect it to be in the heart of Brittany. Except, amazingly, it's not.
Restoring France to what he saw as its former glory became an obsession.
When Churchill and de Gaulle agreed they were like starry-eyed lovers. When they were not, it was daggers drawn.
Harriet Welty Rochefort paints this complex tableau of war in France with a fine brush and a great deal of humanity.
Badly hit in battle - find out more about the French castle Bonaguil as we revisit stories of war in France.
Come with us to experience French life beyond the cliché.
Magazine – Events – Experiences
Wherever you live, if you’re a francophile or French and you’d like to join our team of Contributors then we’d love to hear from you – check out our submissions page. We’re also constantly seeking savvy interns – please check on available internships
