‘Beautifully written and elegiac . . . a masterpiece’ Damien Lewis, author of multiple Sunday Times Bestsellers

‘Riveting, original and meticulously researched’ Richard J Aldrich, author of GCHQ

‘Phenomenal . . . genuinely pioneering, undoubtedly essential, and a great read’ Rory Cormac, author of How to Stage a Coup

Since the founding of the Secret Service Bureau in 1909, women have been at the very heart of British secret intelligence – yet their contributions have largely been erased from history. Now, drawing on private and previously classified documents, leading historian Claire Hubbard-Hall brings their captivating true stories to life.

From encoding orders and decrypting enemy messages to producing propaganda and infiltrating organizations, the women of British intelligence played a crucial role in both World Wars. Meet the true custodians of Britain’s military secrets, from Kathleen Pettigrew, personal assistant to MI6 Chief Stewart Menzies, who later declared ‘I was Miss Moneypenny, but with more power’, to Jane Archer, the first female MI5 officer who suspected Soviet spy Kim Philby long before he was officially exposed, and Winifred Spink, the first woman officer sent to Russia in 1916.

In Her Secret Service, Hubbard-Hall rescues these silent voices and many other fascinating women from obscurity to provide a definitive account of women’s contributions to the history of intelligence services.

Pages: 368, Year of Publication: 0421, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm