Scholars of Mayhem

Winner of the Colorado Book Award in History

“[A] riveting story … A true-life mix of James Bond, Lawrence of Arabia and ‘Casablanca,’ Jean Claude [Guiet]’s story of resistance and heroism is beautifully told. Scholars of Mayhem packs the punch of an armored division and adds weight to the fresh titles taking on the Normandy landings 75 years after Eisenhower opened the Longest Day.” —Wall Street Journal

“Thrillingly told, with a deep sense of history.” —The National Book Review

“Recently declassified documents add detail to [this] fascinating historical narrative … Guiet’s tribute to his father’s remarkable life will appeal to readers interested in World War II history and the American OSS and British SOE wartime spy agencies.” —Library Journal

“[An] astonishing tale of heroic clandestine work during WWII … This well-composed and gripping story contains fresh and illuminating details … Scholars of Mayhem lives up to its enticing title. It’s an exciting, informative, and stirring tribute to a heretofore secret war hero’s life.” –Booklist

“A remarkable World War II story of an American within the French Resistance … In this page-turning, exciting book, the authors demonstrate an eye for significant details and a strong feel for the players. Any World War II buff will love this tale of heroism.” — Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“A wonderful account of agents behind enemy lines that reads like a thriller, and a very human story of the discovery of family secrets.” –Robert Gildea, author of Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Revolution

“In Scholars of Mayhem, the authors brilliantly reconstruct the story of the British SOE’s secret war, and First Lieutenant Jean Claude Guiet’s harrowing double-life as a field agent. It is a riveting tale, beginning with a son’s discovery of the shocking contents of an old bread tin and spinning out to reveal the extraordinary tale of how his father, a French-speaking American soldier, was recruited, trained as a radio operator, and dropped into the savage ground war in Nazi-occupied France. When the war was over he packed away his guns, transmitting codes, and multiple passports and identity cards. He never spoke of the past, but the nightly terror of being detected and killed never left him. The haunting fate of the lovely Violette, a captured agent, is a reminder that very few undercover operatives made it home, and their bravery and sacrifice should never be forgotten.” –Jennet Conant, best-selling author of Tuxedo Park and The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington

Daniel C. Guiet is the son of Jean Claude Guiet, who began his clandestine career as an embedded agent in occupied France during WWII. Daniel Guiet attended the University of Colorado and subsequently became the Associate Director of Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood. He later moved to Durango, Colorado, where he founded a number of businesses. He has two sons and three grandchildren. Daniel lives in Durango and Nevy-sur-Seille, Jura, France with his wife Carol.Timothy K. Smith has written and edited feature stories for periodicals for many years. He was the senior features editor at Fortune magazine, and before that he worked as a reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal. A native New Yorker, he was educated at Brown University and the Sorbonne. He has three children and lives with his wife, Jennifer, on the Connecticut shore. He is a recipient of the Gerald Loeb career achievement award for editors.

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