Churchill's Legionnaire Edmund Murray

Edmund Murray

Publisher: Unicorn

Summary

In 1937 aged just 19, Edmund Murray left his family and a comfortable job in London, caught the boat train to France and signed up for the minimum of five years' service with the French Foreign Legion. Armed with little more than school-boy French and a desire for a life of adventure, Murray travelled through France and on to the Legion's headquarters in Algeria where he completed a gruelling three-month basic training programme. He went on to serve in Morocco and Indochina (now Vietnam) where towards the end of the War, his regiment were forced to retreat from invading Japanese forces into China where his service ended after eight years as a Legionnaire. Throughout the Second World War, Murray's overwhelming sense of duty compelled him to try to leave the Legion and join the Allied forces, but he was thwarted at every attempt. He was an Englishman, in a French organisation, by definition a home for 'the men with no names', during a time of global conflict where battle lines and countries' boundaries changed almost daily. He was an anomaly, a diplomatic puzzle. But as such, his was an extraordinary war-time experience. This book, which borrows heavily from Murray's earlier book, Churchill's Bodyguard, includes rare personal insights into Legion life from drills and manoeuvres, to feast-days and festivals as well as accounts of friendships forged in exceptional circumstances and which would last a lifetime. It also documents a unique war-time experience of the man whose sense of duty never faltered and led him, in later life, to become bodyguard to Sir Winston Churchill. Edited by his son Bill Murray, this is the story in his own words of Edmund Murray, Churchill's Legionnaire, and his service in the French Foreign Legion from 1937 to 1945.

Available since: 07/01/2021.

Print length: 160 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Tango Lessons - A Memoir

Meghan Flaherty

A woman’s story of learning to dance, and becoming comfortable in her own skin and in the arms of others: “Witty, incisive [and] vibrantly intelligent.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Tango was an unlikely choice for Meghan Flaherty. A young woman living with the scars of past trauma, she was terrified of being touched and shied away from real passion. But by her late twenties, she knew something had to change. So she dug up an old dream and tried on her dancing shoes. In tango, there’s a leader and a follower, and, traditionally, the woman follows. As Meghan moved from beginner classes to the late-night dance halls of New York’s vibrant tango underground, she discovered that more than any footwork, the hardest and most essential lesson of the dance was to follow with strength and agency; to find her balance, regardless of the lead. And as she broke her own rule—never mix romance and tango—she started to apply those lessons in every corner of her life. Written in wry, lyrical prose, and beautifully enriched by the vivid history and culture of the dance, Tango Lessons is a transformative story of conquering your fears, living your dreams, and enjoying the dizzying freedom found in the closest embrace. “Like Sweetbitter, this is a memoir of a young woman trying to make it in contemporary New York City. Like H Is for Hawk and Julie and Julia, it is also portrait of obsession...Flaherty is self-aware and writes beautifully.”—New York Journal of Books “Flaherty's writing contains moments of real beauty.”—Newsday

Show book

Haughey

Gary Murphy

With exclusive access to the Haughey archives, Gary Murphy presents a reassessment of Charles Haughey's life and legacy.
Saint or sinner? Charles Haughey was, depending on whom you ask, either the great villain of Irish political life or the benevolent and forward-thinking saviour of a benighted nation. He was undoubtedly the most talented and influential politician of his generation, yet the very roots of his success – his charisma, his intelligence, his ruthlessness, his secrecy – have rendered almost impossible any objective evaluation of his life and work.
That is, until now. Based on unfettered access to Haughey's personal archives, as well as extensive interviews with more than eighty of his peers, rivals, confidants and relatives, Haughey is a rich and nuanced portrait of a man of prodigious gifts, who, for all his flaws and many contradictions, came to define modern Ireland.
'A superbly balanced exploration of the life and politics of one of the most fascinating figures in 20th century Ireland.' Professor John Horgan
'An indispensable read for anyone with an interest in modern Irish history.' David McCullagh
'Offers much new detail –  and not a few surprises –  about the personality and career of a political titan who is still, in equal measure, revered and reviled in 21st century Ireland.' Conor Brady

Show book

But For God

Aaze Tom Adaba

"A panoramic overview of this memoir traverses my lifespan from conception and birth till date – my growing up years and foster care, my pursuits of education and career, and the cultivation of family – interspersed with failures, disappointments and health challenges, amid moments of exhilaration, surprise encounters and joyful outcomes along the way." - A T Adaba.

Show book

Summary and Analysis of Fatal...

Worth Books

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Fatal Vision tells you what you need to know before or after you read Joe McGinniss’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader.    This short summary and analysis of Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss includes:  Historical contextSection-by-section overviewsDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work  About Joe McGinniss’s Fatal Vision:   In 1970, the country was gripped by a brutal triple-murder at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Colette MacDonald, then pregnant, and her two young daughters were beaten and stabbed to death in their home. The prime suspect was Colette’s husband, a charismatic military doctor and Green Beret named Jeffrey MacDonald.   MacDonald invited writer Joe McGinniss to write a book about the case. Fatal Vision, published in 1983, has become a true crime classic, but not without controversy. In 1984, MacDonald sued McGinniss for fraud, claiming he misrepresented his intentions, making Fatal Vision an incredibly compelling story and an excellent example of the complex questions surrounding free speech and journalistic integrity.   The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

Show book

Warrior - Frank Sturgis—The...

Jim Hunt, Bob Risch

The press called him a "real-life James Bond." Fidel Castro called him "the most dangerous CIA agent." History remembers him as a Watergate burglar, yet the Watergate break-in was his least perilous mission.Frank Sturgis--using more than 30 aliases and code names--trained guerilla armies in 12 countries on three continents and spearheaded assassination plots to overthrow foreign governments including those of Cuba, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.  Warrior follows the shocking, often unbelievable adventures of Sturgis, brought to life by his nephew, Jim Hunt, who lived with Sturgis, and his co-writer, Bob Risch.  Also included are never-before-seen personal photos of Sturgis and his compatriots.Frank Sturgis was well-versed in a life of shadows: familiar to world leaders and underground kingpins, to spies and couterspies...Warrior is his story.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Show book

Gone Native - Called by the...

Donald MacIntosh

Donald MacIntosh had never left his native Scotland until, at the age of 23, he embarked on a career as a tree surveyor and forest botanist which took him to some of the most remote parts of the rainforests of West Central Africa. From Nigeria and Liberia to Cameroon and Gabon he worked, from Newfoundland to the Hebrides.
A self-effacing observer, Donald revelled in his odyssey in which he encountered witch doctors, hunters, gypsies, dictators, rogues and heroines. Sheltering under mahogany trees, sitting by a camp fire or sleeping in a mud hut, Donald heard tales of love, of ghosts and wild beasts, of humour and of passion.

His sense of the beauty and mystery of the human soul shines through each skillfully-crafted tale of his encounters.

Show book