This WWII espionage biography brings “one of America’s greatest spies back to life” in a “story of derring-do and white knuckles suspense” (Patrick O’Donnell, author of Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs) Virginia Hall left her comfortable Baltimore roots in 1931 with dreams of becoming a Foreign Service Officer, but her gender—and her wooden leg—kept her from pursuing politics. As Hitler advanced … politics. As Hitler advanced across Europe, she put her gift for languages to use with the British Special Operations Executive, a secret espionage organization. She was soon deployed to occupied France where she located drop zones, helped prisoners of war flee to England, and secured safe houses for agents.
Soon, wanted posters appeared throughout France, offering a reward for Hall’s capture. By 1942, Hall had to flee France via the only route possible: an arduous hike on foot through the frozen Pyrénées Mountains. Upon her return to England, the American espionage organization, the Office of Special Services, recruited her and sent her back to France disguised as an old peasant woman. While there, she was responsible for killing 150 German soldiers and capturing 500 others. Sabotaging communications and directing resistance activities, her brave work helped change the course of the war.
more
An epic figure from the early days of Special Operations. She started in the British SOE and was part of the fledgling American OSS.
True story of Virginia Hall a very smart and brave woman who helped organize the French resistance against the Germans during World War 2. She was an amazing and brave person that didn’t receive credit for all she did at the time. I was amazed by what she accomplished and at the problems that she overcame during her service to the war effort in …
This compelling story was completely new to me, for I’d never heard of Virginia Hall, an American woman who served as a spy in WWII. Generally I appreciate books that recover women’s history, as so many stories about WWII focus on men’s heroics. And Hall was extraordinarily brave, putting herself back in France to work with the Resistance when she …
This really got me interested in ww2 spy books (especially nonfiction) and spy books in general. So many gave so much for future generations.
Absolutely fascinating. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
It seems that when exceptional events happen, there are exceptional people who step forward to help solve the world’s dilemma. Such a person was Virginia Hall, a secret agent for Britain during WWII. She was a remarkable woman and should be remembered for her bravery.
I must admit that as a man who has an advanced degree in history and as someone who was interested in World War II, the issue of women in war was not alien to me at all. On the other hand, when dealing with such matters, it must be remembered that every woman or man who acted as an “agent” behind enemy lines sacrificed himself theoretically …