I adore reading about how different intelligence services were formed, grew, and stories about the people involved. Whilst there have been books about individual females, I think that this is the first history of women in the service . Highly recommended!

Just a fabulous look at women in intelligence. I haven’t read anything like it before, and am so glad for the look. I will definitely be recommending it.

I've always adored spy stories, especially non fiction. This is an extremely well researched collection of women who would definitely deserve more recognition for the incredible work they did. I really loved so much reading this one and I definitely recommend to anyone who likes the period of World War II.

I really enjoyed this. What an interesting read. This is everything I love ! Cannot recommend enough.

Helen Fry, Women in Intelligence The Hidden History of Two World Wars, Yale University Press, October 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Helen Fry has achieved two things in writing this book: she has assembled a wealth of information that ensures that women take their place in the history of intelligence, and she has, particularly in the World War two section of the book, delivered some awe-inspiring stories in detail. This is not to say that the earlier information is not awe inspiring- it is – however, the easier access to information in the later period has made given the writing a liveliness that is not so readily apparent in the accumulation of facts in the earlier chapters.

Helen Fry explains the discrepancy in her very informative conclusion. Many of the files associated with women’s intelligence work during World War 1 remain classified. This includes in particular SIS operations which involved men’s work as well. She mentions trailblazers of the period, suggesting that at least some material is available, and hope is held out that more will appear.

In the meantime, this book is a marvel of information. As expected, there is a huge commitment to the women who worked at Bletchley. However, this does not overtake the achievements described by Fry that took place in the various secret services, even the boy scouts and girl guides, and in Britain and overseas. The sexism that dogged the services, as in other aspects of society, is referred too. But so too, is the actions of men who believed that the women in their areas of expertise and command deserved more, and fought for better treatment, pay, conditions and work for women. Fry is meticulous in providing both single and married names for the women she discusses, adding to the ease with which other writers might follow up these women in both their professional and domestic spheres.

The citations are numerous and informative, and the bibliography a dream source of further information. The professionalism of these rounds off an excellent read which is thoroughly engrossing. Thank you, Helen Fry, for an insightful compendium of information about the women who worked in intelligence.

This book was very well researched and as a result a bit dense. However I found all of the stories very interesting and enjoyed all of the intersections to history I already have some experience with. It was a great book to enhance my knowledge.

Who knew so many women were involved in spy-work during the two world wars? I knew that there was women involved, but it was always made to sound like it was one or two extraordinary women, not the many, many brave and patriotic women that actually were. Sadly, we know about many of these women because they were caught and faced a deadly end that brought shudders to me as I read about them. I did sigh in relief when spy or spymistress managed to survive because dang, even though it was many years ago, I am still rooting for them! As for the women who worked in the Homefront with the War Office or SIS or MI5/1, I enjoyed learning about how they did all this un-sung work they did in both making the offices work but also being incredible women who did amazing contributions (and this was made even more enjoyable thinking about Bletchley Park and when I visited it earlier this year-- remembering made it all the more vivid as I learned). I only wish we got to spend more time with these women!

This book is about the unsung heroines of the world wars. It is a compelling piece. It reads like a riveting espionnage novel. I enjoyed learning about these women's secret accomplishments.

However it sometimes felt a bit too rushed in the sense that it covers so many different women that their different fates seem to unfold like a catalogue.

Regardless it is a noteworthy book about brave women who changed the course of time and deserve to be better recognised.

A rich and well researched collection of women working in Intelligence in Britain in the twentieth century. A great overview but I admit I miss the interior world of fictional stories -- from this book I read about accomplishments but didn't get a lot of insight into the women themselves.

I have always been fascinated with spies. This non-fiction work is a comprehensive look at female British spies during the first half of the 1900s. At first women were not allowed in this line of work, and then only as secretaries. However, women soon proved very effective spies and their assignments expanded into many important locations and roles. Records have been released that detail much more involvement of women than was previously public knowledge. This time frame including both World Wars and the Cold War was a very important time for spies. Very detailed and well researched which focuses not on the mission of one female spy, but of many, bringing to light the significance of their contributions during this decisive period in history.

From the twentieth century onwards, women took on an extraordinary range of roles in intelligence, defying the conventions of their time.

Very informative and interesting!

An in-depth look at the roles women played in the British Intelligence services in both World Wars. Far from being confined to being secretaries or typists, sometimes these roles concealed jobs working in decoding, setting up & running spy networks in Europe, & even being parachuted into occupied territory to work undercover. These women were not merely the 'femme fatales' of films but hardworking, courageous, intelligent women who put their lives on the line for the Allies.

The author has obviously carried out painstaking research in putting together the stories of these forgotten women. There's a wealth of information in these pages with probably much more to come if the rest of the files are ever declassified. Some of the stories were staggering in the bravery that these women showed under pressure, saving not only their own lives but the lives of Allied soldiers & other undercover operatives. There were also many who disappeared & it was unknown what had happened to them. It's a fascinating subject but at times, the writing was a little dry to read with many dates, names etc to remember. Overall it was an informative read & these women deserve to have their stories told & their sacrifices acknowledged. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Yale University Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

"Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars" by Helen Fry is an eye-opening acccount of the unsung contributions of women in the field of military and civilian intelligence, particularly during the Second World War. Fry shines a light on the women who served at Bletchley Park and in signals intelligence, revealing that two-thirds of the workforce were women. These women were instrumental in clandestine missions behind enemy lines, forming a vital part of the intelligence machinery. This is a really useful reference book for many disciplines, from war history to women's studies.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

These were brave and interesting people. The book is like reading and memorizing dates for college exams. Basically a spew of never ending names. These individuals are important in history and i find treating them as names and dates wrong. Very little insight to anyone, very few backgrounds of more than one sentence. Hard to be invested and care with one wee bit of info. Unfortunate. I could not finish and would not recommend. I will say it is well researched.

We love when women finally get their place in history. This book does an excellent job of highlighting female heroes that have been on the shadows too long. The writing on this was beautiful and made me feel so empowered that these women helped change the course of history.