A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

Those who wish to find out about the real-life of Virginia Hall* should read this book. It tells a specific tale about a woman spy though we also learn something about the life and times of those she experiences in her life. This quote provides a basic summary of the book. This book is rather an attempt to reveal how one woman really did help turn the tide of history. This book is not a military account of the battle of France, nor an analysis of the shifting shape of espionage or the evolving role of Special Forces, although, of course, they weave a rich and dramatic background to Virginia’s tale. Largely unknown, Hall and other women involved in essential secret operations now have obtained their rightful recognition.

But, many of her “team” did not survive.Īfter the war, she served over fifteen years in the CIA. To help the Americans this time, both as a wireless operator and guerilla organizer. Hall established a vast spy network in France, escaped on her fake leg (nicknamed “Cuthbert”) over the mountains to Spain, and later returned. On the way to Britain, she was recruited into their new secret service. Hall served as an ambulance driver in her beloved France as it fell to the Germans in 1940. She continued on even after she lost half her leg in an accident.

The country was not ready for that yet, but her service in lower-level diplomatic positions overseas as well as the force of her will served her well. But, Virginia had higher dreams of a life in the diplomatic corps, hopefully as an ambassador. As the daughter of a socialite and Baltimore banker, the most someone in her position in the 1920s could hope for was a good marriage. This book is the true-life story of Virginia Hall. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, by Sonia Purnell (368 p.) Brief Overview

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell