Skis Against the Atom: The Exciting, First Hand Account of Heroism and Daring Sabotage During the Nazi Occupation of Norway

The film is not faithful to the raid that crucially delayed Hitler's quest for the atom bomb. This is the real story, and I have visited the site, where the railway, ferry boat, gorge and zigzag escape track to the plateau are still visible. True heroism.

This is a superb account of one of the most dangerous missions of the second world war, written by a man who was there and whose bravery and dedication to ridding his country of the Nazis over an extended period of time is truly breathtaking. I have an uneasy feeling that if it was not for this man and his comrades the world would be a very different place for us today. Well worth reading and re-reading.

Bought this for my husband after we visited Telemark area and the actual place it happened in Norway in May this year. We climbed one of the big mountains just above the town of Rijukan. He has not read it, saving it for holiday in August.

"The Hero's of Telemark" is one of my favourite films. This book tells the true story and a lot more. The film is pretty accurate but the book tells you more of what the Norwegian resistance had to endure. A book that is hard to put down once started.

Great book written by a true legend. Seriously this is a must read. They really don't make them like that anymore!!! One mans true account of the destruction of the Germans heavy water production facilities. Heavy water that would have been used in their nuclear weapons program!Without these guys things would have been soooooo different around here. The real heroes of Telemark for sure.

I just bought this to read on the train. The cover is a winner. Good story as well.

A fine and scaring story about an audacious endeavour that could have gone very wrong but came up with a with "happy" ending

Bought for my son for study purposes. He was well pleased.

Such an amazing story told by one of the main people involved. Translated from Norwegian so a couple of phrases were slightly off, however still an exciting read. Book arrived within expected time in great condition

Leider war mir, wie vielen in meinem Umfeld, die Geschichte nicht bekannt und als ich davon hörte war ich fasziniert, auch wenn ich kein besonderes Interesse an Kriegsberichten habe. Ich finde es toll, dass es diesen Bericht eines Zeitzeugen, der auch noch dazu Agent war, gibt. Die Geschehnisse aus seiner Perspektive liefern eine ganz neue Einsicht. Welche Banalität zu absoluten Schwierigkeiten wurden, während die eigentliche Operation dahingegen einfach erscheint. Das gesamte historische Bild wird sicherlich nicht wiedergeben, aber das war nun mal auch nicht die Perspektive des Agenten. Seinen genauen Auftrag hat er aus Sicherheitsgründen erst vor Ort erfahren und die Bedeutung erst nach dem Krieg. Wenn er probiert die physikalisch-chemischen Hintergründe probiert zu erklären, wird es holprig. Aber das ist auch voll ok so.

This is the REAL story of the heroes of Telemark - told without romance but showing the very strong love that Knut Haugelid had for his country. I was born and brought up in Norway and my father Sven was a friend of Knut's - I have a photo of them fishing together so I understand the deep love that the author has for the mountains and the snow. My father was also in the resistance as were his four siblings. His brother Iacob was head of Intelligence of Milorg until his arrest in 1942 when he was held at Grini and tortured before being executed. Its the most extraordinary story, told simply but well. It never pretends to be a literary work but an honest record of one of the most daring and courageous acts of espionage that was carried out by very few men against the might of the Germans during the occupation of Norway from 1940-1945. If the Germans had managed to get the heavy water to Germany, London would have capitulated and the outcome of the war would have been very different. We owe our way of life and our freedoms to men like this and it is something we should never forget.

Watched the movie and then read the book. The movie pales in comparrison!

This book war originally published soon after the war, I bought my first copy 1955. When I noticed that it was available at Amazon,I immediately ordered it. It is written by the the leader of the operation, so it is really first hand information. 1949 in Noway they made a film about the attack at Rjukan, where the Norwegians who participated in the raid were the actual players. NO Hollywood nonsense like the turkey film that came 1976.