A Woman of No Importance

The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

De: Sonia Purnell

Narrado por: Juliet Stevenson

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 Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[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)

Fantastic Story, Distracting Narration

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I appreciate the research that went in (even i there IS a bit too much speculation about what "Virginia must have felt" for my taste). Where I had real difficulty was with the narration. From the get-go I couldn't understand 1) Why a book about an American woman is narrated by someone with a British accent and 2) Why such a HEAVY, over-enunciating, Downton Abby style narration? It really didn't seem to fit the feel of the story - Virginia was anything but a prim and proper lady, so I don't understand.
Additionally, the put-on accents (especially the American accent that sounded a lot like when Raj on Big Bang Theory does his joke American Accent) were really distracting and pulled focus from the story.
The continuous forays into French, as well as the French pronunciations of the names made it very difficult to follow as one who speaks literally no French (yes, I understand that its correct, but for an American audience trying to make sense of an Audiobook with 100+ French names being said with a French accent... its highly confusing).

So basically, I loved the story, its told well, provides the right details, hits its most important points well. I would opt for reading rather than listening though, if I could do it over.

Great story, narration didn’t do it Justice

This is a worthwhile book to read as it’s both an incredible and important story. Unfortunately, despite many exciting twists in the true life plot, the narration was dry and made the experience of listening to the book feel more like I was listening to a history textbook. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I read the book the old fashioned way. I read some similar reviews about the narration and tried to be open minded but I now definitely agree with the other reviewers, especially after listening to some other books with amazing narration that truly brought characters and action to life.

Amazing story of incredibly capable woman...

... and the all too familiar misogynist leaders who refused to allow her talents to be recognized. Yet during her time in occupied France, she created and led resistance fighters to help overthrow the Nazis. Hers is a story that needed to be told about the woman the Gestapo called the "most dangerous Allied spy". There have been 5 previous books written about Virginia Hall's life and courageous exploits so I was extremely surprised that I had not heard of her before this book. I rarely write reviews but this book must be heard. Juliet Stevenson's narration is wonderful. (One tiny glitch at the very end of the book - heard only by American ears. She mispronounces Alan Dulles name - 'Dulls' instead of 'Dull ess'). As the CIA secret report on her career states, "the CIA admitted that her fellow officers felt she had been sidelined, shunted into backwater accounts because she had so much experience that she overshadowed her male colleagues who felt threatened by her." Virginia Hall's story is one to be celebrated and not to be missed.

Poor choice of narrator.

Ms. Hall was an American and her story should have been read by either an American or someone who could do a credible American accent. Unfortunately, Juliet Stevenson was neither.

Worthwhile read!!

Don’t pass this by. It’s riveting.
It will stay with you for days. Well written and narrated.

Amazing

What an amazing story, I was completely hooked from the first minute to the last

I had never heard of her!

What a strange thing to get so far along in life, having read many books , and never heard of Virginia Hall. What an extraordinary woman, what an extraordinary life. The challenges she met and overcame are remarkable. I'm recommending this book to all my friends and family. What an example to us all. I only regret that she was not treated better after the war.

Great “Herstory”!

I have been wanting some history on the French Resistance, and found exactly that and more in this great story. The fact that it was educational and entertaining, intriguing and dramatic along with a true female hero was an awesome experience. I’m sorry it takes us so long to recognize the influence and valor of so many at a time of such darkness and need, so long after the fact. We should have all grown up knowing about Virginia Hall. Thank you for the great listen.

A great read

Although this is non-fiction, it reads like a great spy novel - & its all true. Very exciting & suspenseful. Virginia Hall makes me proud to be a woman & an American. Well researched, it taught me a lot about what happened in France during WW II-very illuminating. Also very frustrating about the way women were treated at the time.

Riveting story

An amazing story about an amazing woman. I couldn’t stop listening to find out what happened.