The Wolves at the Door

The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy

By: Judith Pearson

Narrated by: Patrice O’Neill

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

The remarkable story of one of WWII's greatest spies.

Virginia Hall left her comfortable Baltimore roots in 1931 to follow a dream of becoming a Foreign Service Officer.

After watching Hitler roll over Poland and France, she enlisted to work for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), a secret espionage and sabotage organization. She was soon deployed to occupied France where, if captured, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Gestapo was all but assured. Against such an ominous backdrop, Hall managed to locate drop zones for money and weapons, helped escaped POWs and downed Allied airmen flee to England, and secured safe houses for agents. And she did it all on one leg: Virginia Hall had lost her left leg before the war in a hunting accident.

Soon, wanted posters appeared throughout France, offering a reward for her capture. By winter of 1942, Hall had to flee France via the only route possible: A hike on foot through the frozen Pyrnes Mountains into neutral Spain. 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 transportation links and directing resistance activities, her work helped change the course of the war. This is the true story of Virginia Hall.

©2005 Judith Pearson (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Anxious to see the movie!! What a brave woman’!!

A fantastic heroine
She needs to be known to everyone. It has to be made into a film.

very few MAKE it happen. She would be one

history is not & may never be herstory. gender was huge - & +

The worst reader ever

It was painful to listen to this overdramatized
Reading. It was almost nauseating. I have rarely bumped up against this problem in all the many many books I have listened to.

Cunning at its best

Enjoyed listening to the adventures of a brave
Woman as she assists fellow citizens and allied forces during WWII. Exciting and anxious as she bravely succeeds at her job.

Incredible story!

I never heard of this person or this story before a friend referred this audiobook to me. It's truly amazing how Virginia Hall was able to overcome huge physical obstacles and work in WW2 occupied France as first a British then an American spy. Great story! I recommend that you listen at 1.25x speed. The narrator speaks rather slowly, and you if you listen at 1X speed its pretty slow.

Great Woman in history

I did not expect to love this book, not sure learning about war would keep my attention, turned out I loved learning about the human-ness during this horrific World War, and admiring this woman and all the people whose bravery, strength and determination really led to winning the war. Really enjoyed it.

A Different & Unique Slice of WW2

I could have listened for hours and hours longer. I can only imagine the details left out for brevity and stories not told. And this is just a fraction of an individual's remarkable life. Additionally, the narration of this very personal story was superb.

Awesome Story Disappointing Performance

The narrator is very precise but not particularly interesting or engaging. Her performance is so tedious that it detracts from an exciting and fascinating story about an amazing and brave woman.

Story long not told

Very well written and read. Great story of great people. History needs to be remembered.

Humbling

There will never be a bottom to the story if WWII. This story truly resounds that sentiment. Wolves At the Door is the hallmark of what we don’t know but should. I am so glad I know the story of Virginia Hall. All should read this.