The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Dark Invasion, channels Erik Larson and Ben Macintyre in this riveting biography of Betty Pack, the dazzling American debutante who became an Allied spy during WWII and was hailed by OSS chief General “Wild Bill” Donovan as “the greatest unsung heroine of the war.”
Betty Pack was charming, beautiful, and intelligent—and she knew it. As an … intelligent—and she knew it. As an agent for Britain’s MI-6 and then America’s OSS during World War II, these qualities proved crucial to her success. This is the remarkable story of this “Mata Hari from Minnesota” (Time) and the passions that ruled her tempestuous life—a life filled with dangerous liaisons and death-defying missions vital to the Allied victory.
For decades, much of Betty’s career working for MI-6 and the OSS remained classified. Through access to recently unclassified files, Howard Blum discovers the truth about the attractive blond, codenamed “Cynthia,” who seduced diplomats and military attachés across the globe in exchange for ciphers and secrets; cracked embassy safes to steal codes; and obtained the Polish notebooks that proved key to Alan Turing’s success with Operation Ultra.
Beneath Betty’s cool, professional determination, Blum reveals a troubled woman conflicted by the very traits that made her successful: her lack of deep emotional connections and her readiness to risk everything. The Last Goodnight is a mesmerizing, provocative, and moving portrait of an exceptional heroine whose undaunted courage helped to save the world.
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Every person who wants to be a spy should read this book. Her life was controlled by others but she accepted the challenge.
Don’t be a spy and raise children.
Just an amazing story. Unparalleled.
Liked it very much and recommended it to people. Part of history we know nothing about. What a women. She had some stones.
Did not receive this book order it but no dice jojo
Story of a captivating and courageous free spirited woman.
This is the story of World War II spy, Betty Pack, codenamed Cynthia. Betty was born Amy Elizabeth Thorpe on November 22, 1910, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Betty was meant to be a spy. She was certainly masterful in the art of deception, and had no compunction about using people to gain the information she was after.
Betty’s father was a distinguished U.S. Marine Corps officer and her mother’s life mission was to further the family, and her children, in society. She entertained lavishly, and her dinner guests included the vice president. Betty, however, wasn’t having any of that. She was pregnant by one man, but chose another, Arthur Pack, to be her husband. Pack was with the British embassy, and perhaps Betty saw marriage to him as a way to travel the world. They never loved each other, and she seemed to barely tolerate him later in life. Betty’s son was born, and it was determined to be best that a foster family raise him as Arthur was being sent to Spain. Once in Spain, Betty is still presumably sleeping with her husband, she has a lover, and is also sleeping with a priest who is helping her convert to Catholicism! That’s right. You can’t make this stuff up. Her lover is imprisoned, and she leaves her husband and a second child, Denise, to try and free her lover. Well, she frees a marquis along the way, and ends up being recruited as a spy for MI6.
Betty loved the intrigue. She would seduce men, become their lover, and elicit all manner of secrets. She was quite effective at her job, and even after some men found out they had been played and she didn’t love them, they were heartbroken that the relationship ended. They weren’t heartbroken over the fact that she didn’t love them and just used them. They would have waited the remainder of their lives for her.
Betty was credited with obtaining valuable ciphers, codes and secrets that helped the Allies immensely and changed the course of the war. Betty was never troubled by her actions, until later in life when she was facing her own mortality and examining her life. Like I said, she was meant to be a spy.
By the way, the movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Betty, is being filmed.
http://www.candysplanet.wordpress.com/
I had to keep reading to learn about all of Betty’s affairs.
Granted, I’m a true crime fan; therefore biased. But I’ve begun reading about the ‘innocents wrongly convicted’. This one is particularly tragic because of Marty’s age and diligence and faith that he’d arrive proper outcome. Albeit after 20 years. However, it’s far too wordy. Way too much repetitive detail. Took too long to read.
I didn’t finish it. I found the central person in the book rather repugnant. I pegged her as having some kind of personality disorder. She saw her only son 3 times in his short life. Not exactly mother of the year. I can’t admire someone like that. And anybody who lives in a 1,000 year old castle by choice has got to be nuts.