Secret servants of the crown : the forgotten women of British intelligence / Claire Hubbard-Hall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hubbard-Hall, Claire, author.

Standardized Title:

Her secret service

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Espionage, British.

Women spies--Great Britain.

Women spies.

Secret service--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Secret service.

Great Britain. MI5--History--20th century.

Great Britain. MI5--Officials and employees.

Local Subjects:

Great Britain. MI5--History--20th century.

Great Britain. MI5--Officials and employees.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 336 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Kensignton Publishing Corp., [2025]

Summary:

"To the undiscerning eye, they were secretaries, typists, personal assistants, and telephonists. But those innocuous job titles provided the perfect cover for what were in reality a range of complex technical, clerical, and occupational roles. Often overlooked and underestimated by outsiders, the women of British intelligence encoded, decoded, and translated enemy messages, wrote propaganda, and oversaw agents, performing duties as diverse as they were indispensable. One of those women was Kathleen Pettigrew, super-secretary to three consecutive Chiefs of MI6, the secret foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, and widely regarded as the inspiration for author Ian Fleming's Miss Moneypenny. Serving her county loyally for four decades, Kathleen amassed a formidable knowledge of people and events.From the surprise apprehension of World War I courtesan spy Mata Hari to the unmasking of MI6 officer Kim Philby, the 'Third Man' of the Cambridge spy ring, Kathleen created, organized, and archived an empire of top-secret information. Though most women toiled in offices and backrooms, there were also agent-runners and agents, prized for their ability to hide in plain sight. Drawing on extensive research and unique access to family archives, Claire portrays many of these remarkable figures--including the brilliant, multi-lingual Lunn sisters, glamorous spy Olga Gray; and Jane Sissmore, MI5's first female officer-- and reconsiders the priceless contributions they made. In a field where women were often assumed to be little more than window-dressing, Miss Moneypenny reveals their multi-faceted, essential roles, offering a powerful and compelling testament to their many accomplishments."--Amazon.

Contents:

The real Miss Moneypenny

Licence to type

The Nameless

From Petrograd with love

The Lunn Sisters

Through the looking glass

The secretary spy

Station X

The Ministry of Unwomanly Warfare

Old admiralty and the citadel

MI5 trailblazers

Rita and Ena

The Inner Circle

Tinker, Tailor, Spy, Secretary.

Notes:

Originally published in October 2024 as Her secret service by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (UK).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

080654371X

9780806543710

OCLC:

1474938605

Publisher Number:

90100727815