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A Life in Secrets

Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII

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About this listen

From an award-winning journalist comes this real-life cloak-and-dagger tale of Vera Atkins, one of Britain’s premiere secret agents during World War II.
As the head of the French Section of the British Special Operations Executive, Vera Atkins recruited, trained, and mentored special operatives whose job was to organize and arm the resistance in Nazi-occupied France. After the war, Atkins courageously committed herself to a dangerous search for twelve of her most cherished women spies who had gone missing in action. Drawing on previously unavailable sources, Sarah Helm chronicles Atkins’s extraordinary life and her singular journey through the chaos of post-war Europe. Brimming with intrigue, heroics, honor, and the horrors of war, A Life in Secrets is the story of a grand, elusive woman and a tour de force of investigative journalism.

 Historical Military Military & War Women World War II Espionage War

Critic reviews

“Brilliant. . . . One can only admire the way that Helm put together all the pieces of the puzzle.” —The Washington Post“Fascinating. . . . Compelling. . . . Gripping. . . . A stupendous job of reporting.” —The New York Times“Helm's account is a chilling reminder of the ghastliness of WWII.” —Entertainment Weekly“A Life in Secrets is a work of history that is at once a compelling thriller, an intriguing mystery, and a biography of bravery. . . . Better than CSI because it is all true and inspiring.” —Tina Brown
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An interesting listen but not necessarily a bed time listen. Descriptions are graphic in places.

Really interesting

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Excellent account of the men and women of the Special Operations Executive. Comprehensive and detailed and does justice in honouring the bravery of those who worked behind enemy lines. The narrator is perfect. Clear, straight forward and sensitive where necessary. She certainly did the book justice on all levels.

Excellent

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Splendid information. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. No stone left unturned. Very sad also.

Excellent

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The depth and detail of Sarah Helm’s research, discoveries and excellently written and structured narrative made this a cut above other military and intelligence history books and biographies.

Depth and detail

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loved the detail provided by the research of this remarkable story. How much owe the brave people that risked their lives during WWII.

Brilliant.

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