Agent Sonya cover art

Agent Sonya

Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy

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Agent Sonya

By: Ben Macintyre
Narrated by: Ben Macintyre
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About this listen

The incredible story of the greatest female spy in history, from one of Britain's most acclaimed historians.

In the quiet Cotswolds village of Great Rollright in 1944, a thin and unusually elegant housewife emerged from her cottage to go on her usual bike ride. A devoted mother of three, attentive wife and friendly neighbour, Sonya Burton seemed to epitomise rural British domesticity.

However, rather than pedalling towards the shops with her ration book, Sonya was heading for the Oxfordshire countryside to gather scientific secrets from a nuclear physicist. Secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the atomic bomb.

Far from an obedient homemaker, Sonya Burton was a dedicated communist, a decorated colonel and a veteran spy who risked her life to keep the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race. Her husband was also a Soviet agent, and her children had three different fathers from lovers she'd encountered throughout her incredible career.

In Agent Sonya, Ben Macintyre reveals the astonishing story behind the most important woman spy in history and the huge emotional cost that came with being a mother, a wife and a secret agent at once.

©2020 Ben MacIntyre (P)2020 Penguin Audio 20th Century Freedom & Security Military Modern Politics & Government Espionage Marriage Soviet Union War Funny Thought-Provoking Imperialism Socialism Village Solider

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All stars
Most relevant
Another brilliant book from Ben Macintyre. A fascinating story of a remarkable spy and some incompetent British spy catching! The book is excellently narrated by the author and I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in spies and history.

Superb

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What a complex woman. While her politics are not mine, she led a fascinating life of principle and danger, mixed with the everyday, mundane frailties of human beings through some of the darkest days of 20th Century history. Her life touched so much of the history we know today

Fascinating story

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Accurately gets under the skin of a real anti-fascist intelligence drama, danger, commitment and family over 20 years.

Convincingly authentic and great read

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I listened to an interview the author had done and was intrigued that all things in the book were true and verifiable. What a brilliant story/memoir/telling of events. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.

Female spy!

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I really enjoyed listening to this - I was gripped from start to finish! Sometimes there were a lot of names being thrown around and it was a little confusing as to who was who, but I guess that was needed in order to tell the story. Would definitely recommend and I'll be looking out for other books by the same author.

Really enjoyed this!

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