Secret Pigeon Service
By Gordon Corera
Couldn't load pickup availability
Gordon Corera uses declassified documents and extensive original research to tell the story of MI14(d) and the Secret Pigeon Service for the first time.
‘This is an amazing story’ Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2
Between 1941 and 1944, sixteen thousand plucky homing pigeons were dropped in an arc from Bordeaux to Copenhagen as part of 'Columba' – a secret British operation to bring back intelligence from those living under Nazi occupation. The messages flooded back written on tiny pieces of rice paper tucked into canisters and tied to the legs of the birds. Authentic voices from rural France, the Netherlands and Belgium – they were sometimes comic, often tragic and occasionally invaluable with details of German troop movements and fortifications, new Nazi weapons, radar system or the deployment of the feared V-1 and V-2 rockets that terrorized London.
Who were the people who provided this rich seam of intelligence? Many were not trained agents nor, with a few exceptions, people with any experience of spying. At the centre of this book is the ‘Leopold Vindictive’ network – a small group of Belgian villagers prepared to take huge risks. They were led by an extraordinary priest, Joseph Raskin – a man connected to royalty and whose intelligence was so valuable it was shown to Churchill, leading MI6 to parachute agents in to assist him.
A powerful and tragic tale of wartime espionage, the book brings together the British and Belgian sides of the Leopold Vindictive’s story and reveals for the first time the wider history of a quirky, quarrelsome band of spy masters and their special wartime operations, as well as how bitter rivalries in London placed the lives of secret agents at risk. It is a book not so much about pigeons as the remarkable people living in occupied Europe who were faced with the choice of how to respond to a call for help, and took the decision to resist.
Carbon Neutral Deliveries
All of our deliveries are now carbon neutral.
UK Delivery
Standard Delivery
Orders under £5
- Shipping cost: £3.50
- Delivery time: 3 to 5 working days from date of dispatch (usually within 24 hours)
Orders of £5 or more
- Shipping cost: £5.00
- Delivery time: 3 to 5 working days from date of dispatch (usually within 24 hours)
Please allow up to 7 working days from placing your order before contacting us about an undelivered item.
Please note: Standard delivery is not available for custom prints or custom clothing.
Local Collection
Local collection is free and allows you to order online and collect from either:
- The British Library Shop, St Pancras, London
- Reception, Boston Spa
Please note: Local collection is not available for custom prints, custom clothing, or custom accessories.
St Pancras, London Collection
- Orders placed before 3pm will usually be ready to collect from 12 noon the following day, including weekends.
Boston Spa Collection
- Orders placed before 3pm are usually ready within 2 to 4 working days.
Please note: The British Library site at Boston Spa is not open to the general public. Visitors must present ID and an order confirmation to Security on arrival and will be directed to Reception, where their order will be available for collection.
Collecting Your Order
Please wait for the email saying your order is ready for collection and check our opening times before visiting to pick up your order.
You must bring:
- Your order confirmation email
- Proof of identity (for example, a driving licence or debit/credit card)
If someone is collecting on your behalf, they must present:
- Your order confirmation email
- ID in the purchaser's name
Collection Terms
- Orders will be held for 10 working days.
- Uncollected orders will be refunded.
- If you are unable to collect your order, please contact us.
International Delivery
- Delivery times are estimates and may vary due to customs processes.
- Not all international orders are sent using a tracked service.
- Please allow 30 working days before contacting us regarding a missing international order.
- Check Royal Mail's international service updates for country-specific delivery information.
International Availability
Europe and the United States
We have resumed shipping selected products to Europe and the United States following changes to EU GPSR regulations and recent US tariff updates.
British Library Publications, including subscriptions, are now available to customers throughout Europe and the United States.
We are continuing to expand our international offering and will release additional products in stages. Customers browsing from Europe or the United States will only see products currently available to order in their location.
Rest of the World
A full list of countries currently available for delivery can be found at https://shop.bl.uk/pages/delivery-information.
Please note: Print-on-Demand Art Prints, Clothing, and Accessories are manufactured and shipped separately and are not included in the shipping rates listed below.
Europe and EU Delivery
Due to EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), some products are not yet available for delivery to European destinations. We are actively working to increase the range available.
Shipping Charges
- Orders under £25: £15
- Orders £25 to £49.99: £25
- Orders £50 to £99.99: £36
- Orders £100 and over: £45
Estimated delivery: 2 to 4 weeks
Shipping method: Airmail
United States Delivery
Selected products are now available for delivery to the United States.
All US orders are shipped by Airmail and typically arrive within 2 to 4 weeks.
Please note: Applicable customs duties, taxes, and tariffs are not included in the purchase price or shipping cost and must be paid by the customer upon delivery.
Rest of the World Delivery
Shipping Charges
- Orders under £25: £20
- Orders £25 to £49.99: £30
- Orders £50 to £99.99: £40
- Orders £100 and over: £50
Estimated delivery: 2 to 4 weeks
Shipping method: Airmail
Customs Duties, Taxes and Tariffs
All international orders are shipped on a Delivered at Place (DAP) basis.
Import duties, customs charges, tariffs, VAT, and other local taxes may be payable when your order arrives in the destination country.
These charges:
- Are set by local authorities
- Are not included in product or shipping prices
- Must be paid by the recipient
- Are the responsibility of the customer, not the British Library
Returned Orders
If an order is returned because customs duties, taxes, or tariffs were not paid, we will refund the cost of the products only. Any original shipping charges incurred will be deducted from the refund.
We recommend checking local customs requirements before placing your order.
For more information, please visit our Delivery Information page: https://shop.bl.uk/pages/delivery-information
Answers to frequently asked questions about deliveries and shipping can be found at Delivery & Shipping FAQs