AUTHOR

Sonia Purnell

Biographies & Memoirs | Politics & Social Sciences | Children's Audiobooks
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Sonia Purnell is the highly acclaimed biographer, journalist and public speaker whose New York Times bestselling book 'A Woman of No Importance' about the heroic American one-legged spy Virginia Hall is out now. The tale of extraordinary derring-do has been acclaimed as 'one of the most breathtaking stories yet told of female courage behind enemy lines' and has been optioned by JJ Abrams and Bad Robot in tandem with Paramount Studios for a major Hollywood movie with Daisy Ridley attached to star. Her book is one of USA Today's Five Must Reads and has been hailed as 'gripping' by NPR and 'a very smooth read about a rocky life' andas 'brilliant' by the Irish Times while The Economist said: 'As tales of wartime derring-do go, it would be hard to beat'. 'It's a joy to read,' said Booklist, ' and will swell readers' hearts with pride.' Sonia's book has also been hailed as one of the best Books of the Year in The Times of London. Details of forthcoming lectures in the US will appear shortly on her website www.soniapurnell.com Her last book - the bestselling Clementine: The Life of Mrs Winston Churchill' - also received fulsome praise on both sides of the Atlantic and was shortlisted for the Plutarch prize for Best Biography of the Year. Critics hailed it as 'admirable', 'engrossing', 'eye-opening', 'scrupulous' 'enthralling' 'compellingly readable' and 'full of surprises.' Praise poured in from such esteemed sources as Lynne Olson, the Wall Street Journal, Amanda Foreman, Miranda Seymour, Margaret MacMillan and Blanche Wiesen Cook. The Daily Telegraph and Independent named it as one of the best books of 2015. Members of the Churchill family have also given a warm welcome to a work that drew on a variety of new sources, as well as the considerable expertise and material of the Churchill Archives in Cambridge and the Imperial War Museum in London. The book is also published in the UK under the title, First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill. Sonia's first work 'Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition' was long-listed for the Orwell prize for best political writing and was variously described as 'brilliant' 'rollicking' and 'devastating'. A distinguished journalist and commentator, Sonia lives in London with her husband and two sons.
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The Best Fiction Podcasts for Listeners Who Love a Good Story

You can’t beat a good story. Luckily, humans are great at storytelling, and the best fiction podcasts are all the proof that the modern listener requires. Get the popcorn ready; it’s storytime.

Featured Article: The Best Fiction Podcasts for Listeners Who Love a Good Story

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  • A Woman of No Importance cover art

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  • Clementine cover art

    • Clementine

    • The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill
    • Written by: Sonia Purnell
    • Narrated by: Susan Lyons
    • Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
    • Release date: 2015-10-27
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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  • La femme de l'ombre cover art

    • La femme de l'ombre

    • Les vies secrètes de Virginia Hall, l'ennemie no1 de la Gestapo
    • Written by: Sonia Purnell
    • Narrated by: Alysson Paradis
    • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 2021-12-09
    • Language: French
    • 5 out of 5 stars 3 ratings

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  • Agent Most Wanted cover art

    • Agent Most Wanted

    • The Never-Before-Told Story of the Most Dangerous Spy of World War II
    • Written by: Sonia Purnell
    • Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt
    • Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
    • Release date: 2022-08-09
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 1 rating

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  • First Lady cover art

    • First Lady

    • The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill
    • Written by: Sonia Purnell
    • Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens
    • Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
    • Release date: 2016-07-06
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 1 rating

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    • Kingmaker

    • Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
    • Written by: Sonia Purnell
    • Length: 15 hrs
    • Release date: 2024-09-17
    • Language: English
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