
A Woman of No Importance
The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
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Narrateur(s):
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Juliet Stevenson
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Auteur(s):
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Sonia Purnell
À propos de cet audio
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
Chosen 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 London
Shortlisted for the Plutarch Award for Best 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.
©2019 Sonia Purnell (P)2019 Penguin AudioVous pourriez aussi aimer...
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Ce que les critiques en disent
"[An] excellent biography...if Virginia Hall herself remains something of an enigma - a testament, perhaps, to the skills that allowed her to live in the shadows for so long - the extraordinary facts of her life are brought onto the page here with a well-judged balance of empathy and fine detail. This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down." (The New York Times Book Review)
“Purnell’s writing is as precise and engaging as her research, and this book restores overdue attention to one of the world’s great war heroes. It’s a joy to read, and it will swell readers' hearts with pride.” (Booklist)
"A gripping take…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.org)
An exceptional recounting of an exceptional woman.
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What a remarkable story!
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I strongly recommend this detailed historical account of a great woman’s life.
A more suitable title would be…
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Juliet Stevenson is the perfect narrator. I'll be recommending and listening again.
EXCELLENT book
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A very well written story about a woman who is not well known. At least not before this book was released. It is dumbfounding why she lived in relative obscurity, from the public consciousness, considering her accomplishments during WWII.
Riveting
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While I was utterly amazed at Virgina’s accomplishments, the story “glosses over” her later years, but, nonetheless, this is an amazing story and accomplishment of a true pioneer of spies from the Second World War.
Amazing lady!
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No issues with EXCELLENT narration!
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Stunning!!!
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exceptional wartime story
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A great book!!
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