title: The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy
author: Judith L. Pearson
description: Although Pearson's chronology wobbles early on and her prose is less than elegant, her account of Virginia Hall's work as a secret agent in German-occupied France is nevertheless riveting, thanks to the inherent drama of the time. Gifted with languages, Hall sought a career in Foreign Service in 1930s Europe, but a physical handicap (she had one wooden leg), her gender and her outspoken political views stymied her diplomatic ambitions. She escaped to London shortly after Germany's 1940 invasion of France and came to the attention of a secret British intelligence group that trained her in non-traditional sabotage techniques, cryptology and radio communication. As a newly minted secret agent, she returned to France, where she passed on information about German positions, transported downed Allied pilots and escaped prisoners to safety, oversaw the retrieval of supply drops and organized resistance fighters. Hall's espionage career ended with the allied victory and the dawn of the cold war, for which the CIA wanted a different breed of agent. Though commendable for its portrayal of Hall's unflagging courage and energy in dangerous and desperate conditions, the story is told in bland prose that fails to live up to the exceptional times it chronicles.<br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My Lady, the Spy
  
  Barbara Devlin
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COPYRIGHT
  
  Cover art by Lyndsey Lewellen*
  
  *Cloaked figure used by permission of photographer Matt N Johnson from the licensed image “Cloaked Girl With Black Cat,” which can be found on FLICKER
  
  Copyright © 2013 Barbara C. Noyes
  
  All Rights Reserved
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
  mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
  permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
  brief passages in a review.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  DEDICATION
  
  This book is dedicated to my courageous little sister Tina Castillo. Thank
  you, Tina, for always smiling patiently whenever I announce my next great
  endeavor. You cheered through the sleet and biting winds of an exceptionally
  cold January day while I ran a marathon. You stood proudly as I donned a
  uniform and entered law enforcement. You held my hand when that career ended
  abruptly due to a line-of-duty inju