A Woman of No Importance
The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
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A Woman of No Importance
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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Written by:
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Sonia Purnell
About this listen
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 AudioWhat the critics say
"[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)
What listeners say about A Woman of No Importance
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Noel
- 2021-06-29
An exceptional recounting of an exceptional woman.
An awesome, well told story of an exceptional woman. I highly recommend, you won't regret it if you are interested in WW2 history of espionage.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AnneL
- 2019-12-31
What a remarkable story!
Virginia Hall’s life story is in itself an amazing one, and this biography tells it beautifully. It reads in many ways more like a spy novel than a biography and brings scenes from the war to life with vivid imagery and quotes from later reports. I have been recommending it to anyone who acts half interested and bought it for my father who loves both spy novels and World War Two stories. The reader creates a great performance with distinct voices and a matter-of-fact style which allows the author’s words to convey the drama. Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LK
- 2022-10-19
A more suitable title would be…
A woman of great importance but lost because she was a woman fighting for a foreign country during WWII when she was expected to stay at home marry and have children. Highly intelligent women had few venues to express their talents.
I strongly recommend this detailed historical account of a great woman’s life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ron Larocque
- 2019-07-16
No issues with EXCELLENT narration!
Well written and researched. Enjoyable listen. WWII agents(whether OSS or SOE), behind enemy lines are my absolute favourite listens(Reads!). Juliet Stevenson does a fantastic job with this complex, at times material. Virginia Hall was courageous and resourceful, as well, as relentless in her drive to get the job done. Really captivating listening, as the Gestapo and Vichy Police were hard on her heels the entire time. I do agree with other reviewers that accents are usually hard to listen to and add very little to these great stories. eg. We all have seen newsreels of 'Winston' speaking and don't need a narrators interpretation. That being said, as a musician I listen carefully to the narrators voice before I decide. Juliet Stevenson gets a 10+ in my opinion for her reading here. Highly recommended. - Ron L.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Iain Colquhoun
- 2023-08-16
Stunning!!!
Seriously, one if the best books I’ve listened to in years! This woman was an example to us all.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Theresa
- 2020-08-30
Riveting
The writing and narration of this book are excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator was excellent!
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.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marge Gunderson
- 2023-03-18
Amazing lady!
Ms Hall was a trailblazer for her time and her valuable contributions for the Allies saved lives. This is an engrossing and true story but the listener will find that after the war she was often “passed over” for assignments and promotions because of her gender.
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2019-05-08
exceptional wartime story
exceptionally written and narrated - balancing detail and sensitivity with intrigue, chronicling this hero's wartime contibutions that were at times uselessly and solely stymied by gender issues.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Meta P.
- 2021-06-28
A great book!!
Well written and well read!! The story of an extraordinary woman. To think that the rest of her career was hog tied by the fact that she was a woman is indeed quite sad. I recommend it highly to anyone who has an interest in the resistance during the second world war.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Bridget
- 2023-10-27
Fabulous Story
This is the most interesting book I’ve ever encountered. Well worth your time. You won’t be able to stop listening! Betsy, Vancouver, Canada.
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