HELEN FRY

WOMEN IN INTELLIGENCE

Across the twentieth century women took on an extraordinary range of roles in intelligence, defying the conventions of their time. In both world wars, far from being a small part of covert operations, they ran spy networks and escape lines, parachuted behind enemy lines and interrogated prisoners.

And, back in Bletchley and Whitehall, women’s vital administrative work in Military Intelligence offices kept the British war engine running.

In this major, panoramic history, Helen Fry looks at the rich and varied work women undertook as civilians and in uniform. From spies who worked for the Belgian network ‘La Dame Blanche’, knitting coded messages into jumpers, to those who interpreted aerial images and even ran entire sections, Fry shows just how crucial women were in the intelligence mission.

Filled with book-exclusive unknown stories, Women in Intelligence places new research on record for the first time and showcases the inspirational contributions of these remarkable women.

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The book has made the honorary list of Waterstones' Best Books of 2023, in the Military History category and a Silver Award Recipient of the Military History Matters Magazine Book of the Year 2024, voted for by the public.​