M. R. D. Foot CBE was the official historian to the SOE. In 1942 he was serving at Combined Operations Headquarters, but wanting to see action he joined the SAS and was parachuted into France after D-Day. He became a prisoner of war and was severely injured attempting to escape. For service to the French Resistance he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. After the war Foot taught at Oxford University before becoming Professor of Modern History at Manchester University. His experiences during the war gave him a lifelong interest in intelligence matters and the experiences of prisoners of war. Becoming the official historian of SOE, with privileged access to its records, he wrote the definitive accounts of its wartime work. Nigel West is an author specialising in security, intelligence and espionage issues. He is the European Editor of the 'World Intelligence Review', published in Washington DC. He was voted 'The Experts' Expert' on intelligence by the Observer. He writes regularly for Spears Wealth Management Survey and works with the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies.