William Stevenson - Spymistress. The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II [2011][A]

Book Description
She was beautiful. She was ruthless. She had a steel trap for a mind and a will of iron. Born Vera Maria Rosenberg in Bucharest, she became Vera Atkins, legendary spy and holder of the Legion of Honor. Recruited by William Stevenson—the spymaster who would later come to be known as “Intrepid”—when she was only twenty-three, Vera spent much of the 1930s running countless perilous espionage missions. When war was declared in 1939, her fierce intelligence, blunt manner, personal courage, and knowledge of several languages quickly propelled her to the leadership echelon of the highly secretive Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert intelligence agency formed by, and reporting to, Winston Churchill. She recruited and trained several hundred agents, including dozens of women, whose objectives were to penetrate deep behind enemy lines.
The stirring exploits and the exemplary courage of the SOE agents and the French Resistance fighters—who in the words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower together “shortened the war by many months”—are justly celebrated. But the central role of Vera Atkins has until now been cloaked in silence. William Stevenson was the only person she trusted to record her life; he kept his promise that he would not publish her story until after her death. Here is the extraordinary account of the woman whose intelligence, beauty, and unflagging dedication proved key in turning the tide of World War II.

Reviews
“Every bit as fascinating and shot through with ambiguity as a spy novel.” (Salon.com)

“In the real world of spies, Vera Atkins was the boss.” (Ian Fleming)

“More intricate and exciting than the world of James Bond.” (Atlantic Monthly)

About the Author
William Stevenson was trained in aerial espionage as a British naval fighter pilot during World War II. A respected historian and expert on covert warfare, he is the author of sixteen books, including Intrepid’s Last Case, Kiss the Boys Goodbye, and Ninety Minutes at Entebbe. He lives in Toronto.

Most Helpful Customer Review
Amazing and important history
By Henry C. Walther MD on January 19, 2014
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Highly readable history of free individuals organizing secret networks against the Nazis, in the face of government indifference and apathy; an extraordinary history. It was difficult to put down. Where does such courage and talent arise from, and can the world hope to find it again? There are many lessons to be learned from this history for our current day and time of dense, narcissistic, uneducated, and cowardly politicians. An associated must-read is "A Man Called Intrepid" by the same author. Better reading, and deeper meaning, than any fiction.

An Amazing Time in Our History
By Mary and Dave Edrington on January 11, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
It was great to find out that there were women in these very important roles. It seems this part of history has never been really publicized and very refreshing to find out. The courage and guts of these women made me feel proud for their patriotism.