This is the riveting story of Noor Inayat Khan, a descendant of an Indian prince, Tipu Sultan (the Tiger of Mysore), who became a British secret agent for SOE during World War II. Shrabani Basu tells the moving story of Noor’s life, from her birth in Moscow – where her father was a Sufi preacher – to her capture by the Germans. Noor was one of only three women SOE agents awarded the George Cross and, under torture, revealed nothing, not even her real name. Kept in solitary confinement, her hands and feet chained together, Noor was starved and beaten, but the Germans could not break her spirit. Ten months after she was captured, she was taken to Dachau concentration camp and, on 13 September 1944, she was shot. Her last word was ‘Liberte.’

About the AuthorShrabani Basu is also the author of Curry: The Story of the Nation’s Favourite Dish. She lives in London.Reviews

The inspiring Noor Inayat Khan – posthumous holder of the George Cross and the Croix de Guerre, a Muslim princess and Indian nationalist who gave everything for our freedom – ought to be as popular a heroine in British schools as Florence Nightingale once was. Basu’s moving and scrupulous biography might help that to happen

— Boyd Tonkin, Independent

The true life story of Noor Inayat Khan is the stuff legends are made of: it is indeed stranger than fiction … It has been meticulously researched …. It makes compelling reading

— Khushwant Singh, The Tribune (India)

One of the most inspirational stories of World War II … Reading this book is like watching a butterfly trapped in a net

— Christopher Hudson, Daily MailBook InformationISBN 9780750950565Author Shrabani BasuFormat PaperbackPage Count 288Imprint The History Press LtdPublisher The History Press LtdWeight(grams) 330gDimensions(mm) 198mm * 124mm * 10mm