A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERChosen as a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, the Seattle Times, the Washington Independent Review of Books, PopSugar, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, BookBrowse, the Spectator, and the Times of LondonWinner of the Plutarch Award for Best Biography“Excellent…This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down.” — The New … Biography
“Excellent…This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down.” — The New York Times Book Review
“A compelling biography of a masterful spy, and a reminder of what can be done with a few brave people — and a little resistance.” – NPR
“A meticiulous history that reads like a thriller.” – Ben Macintyre
A never-before-told story of Virginia Hall, the American spy who changed the course of World War II, from the author of Clementine.
In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: “She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.”
The target in their sights was Virginia Hall, a Baltimore socialite who talked her way into Special Operations Executive, the spy organization dubbed Winston Churchill’s “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” She became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines and–despite her prosthetic leg–helped to light the flame of the French Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare as we know it.
Virginia established vast spy networks throughout France, called weapons and explosives down from the skies, and became a linchpin for the Resistance. Even as her face covered wanted posters and a bounty was placed on her head, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped through a death-defying hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown. But she plunged back in, adamant that she had more lives to save, and led a victorious guerilla campaign, liberating swathes of France from the Nazis after D-Day.
Based on new and extensive research, Sonia Purnell has for the first time uncovered the full secret life of Virginia Hall–an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance, and personal triumph over shocking adversity. A Woman of No Importance is the breathtaking story of how one woman’s fierce persistence helped win the war.
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Virginia Hall may have started out of no importance and may have slipped somewhat into oblivion later on but in the middle she became incredibly important and continued to be so throughout WWII and beyond. Her determination to resist the evils of Nazi control of France was fascinating. It wasn’t really her fight but she certainly took it on and prevailed. This is a little known piece of history which I truly appreciate. An inspirational work.
Simply the best biography I’ve ever read. Never boring, always interesting, and so good I’m pissed I was never taught about Virginia Hall in school. An absolute hero, and I’m thrilled the world will now know her name.
The most fascinating and comprehensive Virginia Hall biography to date.
A Woman of No Importance, The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II is a very well researched and informative book about Virginia Hall. A woman few if any of us have heard of before. Hall’s experiences over the course of the of WWII and post war are an enlightening read both about her role and that of the expectations of what a woman can do vs. what they actually can accomplish. Reading this book I learned a lot more about the war in France and the formation of a coordinated French Resistance as well as how the “dispatching a one-legged thirty-five year old desk clerk on a blind mission into France” went from being “on paper, an almost insane gamble” to a pure stroke of genius.
Although I would have liked to rate the book as 4 stars, I reduced it to 3 stars because the writing style is so fact driven that is reads much like a college history essay leaving the reader at times wanting to know more about the characters and feeling they are reading from a timeline that would be in a history textbook.
This is the true story, meticulously researched, of Virginia Hall, a real woman spy, American by birth and British by training, who was probably the most influential spy in Germany-occupied France during WWII. Not only was she unique as a woman spy, she was also handicapped. Her fearlessness and determination are legendary. The first part of the book is a bit slow, but it is necessary to show the reader how and why Ms. Hall became the intrepid spy of the French underground. She was instrumental in helping us win WWII. Author Sonia Purnell should win awards for bringing her incredible story to life.
The story of a woman who succeeded against all odds is awe-inspiring. A truly exceptional woman who put her life on the line in Nazi-occupied France. Unfortunately, the writing style is at times pedestrian along the lines of this happened and then that happened. I don’t believe the reader needs to learn every last detail of every mission. Focusing instead on the spirit of this passionate and courageous woman would have served the story better. Despite the shortcomings of the writing style, I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the extraordinary accomplishments of this remarkable woman who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles and despite betrayal played a big role in freeing France from Hitler’s army.
Peter Bernhardt, Author: The Stasi File, 2011 ABNA Quarter Finalist; Kiss of the Shaman’s Daughter [sequel]; Red Romeo;
http://tinyurl.com/a7rnpql – http://sedonaauthor.com – https://tinyurl.com/ycyvps3b
What an amazing story. And to think almost no one knows about this woman’s essential work.
Reading almost like a novel, this is a detailed account of how she overcame numerous problems to be taken seriously (after all, what can a mere woman do?).
In spite of all she accomplished and all the accolades from those who worked with her, even those who at the time resented her, she was pushed aside and replaced by much less qualified and experienced men.
If you like to read histories, whether fictional or not, this is an excellent and educational book.
We can all learn from it.
In this astonishing, intriguing book, Sonia Purnell presents one of the most breathtaking stories yet told of female courage behind enemy lines. Its strength lies not only in Purnell’s intimate and moving portrayal of Virginia’s secret work, but also in the new light shed on the betrayal, bravery, and bungling of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive for which Virginia worked.
Impressively researched and compellingly written, this brilliant biography puts Virginia Hall — and her prosthetic leg, Cuthbert — back where they belong: right in the heart of Resistance history.