Larry Loftis

The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis is a phenomenal success as both a biography of a spy and the story of a spy. By that I mean it is compelling as both nonfiction while reading a lot like fiction.

Many readers, myself included, enjoy both spy stories as well as true espionage stories. We also have different expectations for each. We certainly anticipate some excitement in both but are content when the nonfiction accounts show more don't read like the fictional accounts. This biography reads very much like a novel while being a true accounting of an exceptional person. That is almost like winning the lottery.

While not particular to the espionage aspect, I was particularly drawn to the fact that so many things in our lives, things that later in life appear to others as inevitable, are the result of coincidence and being in the right place at the right time. If not for a casual conversation at a dinner party, this entire chapter of history might never have been written.

As an aside, just ignore people who don't understand either socialism, Marxism, or the current incarnations of either. If this book illustrates any evil it is not of a particular ideology but of allowing tyrants and fascists to attain power, regardless of whether they cloak their power hungry actions as democracy, fascism, or communism.

Highly recommended to readers of both history and fiction. Well researched and documented yet written in a way that will keep you turning pages.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

What an incredible story! This is one of those gems you come across now and then—perhaps not a pretty one, but one that’s worth keeping, all the same. I wasn’t at all sure about it in the beginning; it looked like the kind of book that could be interesting, but could also turn in ways I don’t like to read or listen to. Thankfully, for the most part, that didn’t happen—but what did happen was history lifted from the realms of history books into an unforgettable saga.

I’ve always show more loved codes and spy stories and things like that—which is probably, in a good part, why I love Roseanna M. White’s Codebreakers series. But when you come across a real-life spy story, that is even better! Odette, or Lise, as she became known in the spy world, was a mother of three when she unexpectedly ended up in contact with the British Army—and soon after, she became heavily involved with training to be a courier for a network. When she proved her value there, her superiors were quite impressed—and I was impressed at the number of things she had to learn to be able to do what they needed her to do! Her time in France, and ultimate capture, were also quite interesting. She did things I’d never want to do, and did them with skill and bravery.

One of the things I was most impressed with in this book, besides all the fascinating historical details, was the writing style. Some biographies can be quite dry, but Loftis did an amazing job pulling us into the setting, stepping out to explain something that might not be readily apparent—or just another related tidbit from history we may not come across elsewhere—and then pulling us back into the story. Even though some things are almost a given about stories like this, I still wanted to keep going to find out how it happened! Also, in the prologue, he mentioned that all dialogue was actually found in historical documents, except for four lines that he added. I was impressed at his dedication to consistent history telling to that degree! And I never noticed the lack of dialogue (if there was any)—the book flowed perfectly!

All in all, I really enjoyed listening to this book, and I hope I can remember to look up Larry Loftis and see what other books he’s written. I’d love to study his writing style more, because it’s very good. A fascinating story, and well worth the time spent if you love learning more about history!

*Warning: This is a war story, so keep that in mind—some of the things in here are very unpleasant, such as some description of torture, so if graphic or semi-graphic scenes are triggers to you, you might not want to read this book show less

The Publisher Says: The true story of the woman who became WWII's most highly decorated spy

The year is 1942, and World War II is in full swing. Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill.

As they successfully complete show more mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them. They are sent to Paris’s Fresnes prison, and from there to concentration camps in Germany where they are starved, beaten, and tortured. But in the face of despair, they never give up hope, their love for each other, or the whereabouts of their colleagues.

In Code Name: Lise, Larry Loftis paints a portrait of true courage, patriotism, and love—of two incredibly heroic people who endured unimaginable horrors and degradations. He seamlessly weaves together the touching romance between Odette and Peter and the thrilling cat and mouse game between them and Sergeant Bleicher.

A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY FIND. IT'S GONE BACK THERE NOW.

My Review: I like spy stories because it never ceases to fascinate me why people who obviously think they're good, solid, honest people tell themselves it's okay to lie, cheat, and steal. "The end justifies the means" said Ovid 2,000+ years ago. A very consequentialist viewpoint that I worry about promoting, since it presupposes the agent knows what "good" really is and thus empowers lowlife scum to act in the bad ways they want to act to achieve something they think is "good."

Well, anyway.

This woman's life is one that, absent documentation, I'd say was a myth. If someone wrote it exactly like this as fiction, I'd snort mightily and tell 'em to rein it in and make the story believable. The author's prose is adequate to the task at hand. The reason to read the book is the story not the storytelling. For spy-story lovers it's proof that truth is still weirder than fiction. For history readers, the same. For all its fascinating turns and proofs that women lie, cheat, and steal with the same verve as men do, it fails the Bechdel Test dismally, as Odette is motivated and manipulated by LUUUV for men. Don't think she's some fempower icon, y'all. Literally everything she does is for some man or another, living or dead.

My rating is based on how much fun I had reading it not necessarily on its objective merits. show less

I’ve been a fan of Dusko’s story since I read his autobiography many years ago. He didn’t like the comparison of his real adventures to the too fanciful fictional James Bond that Ian Fleming modeled after him. “In some ways It’s an insult to my intelligence to be known as the real-life James Bond.” I agree, impossible superheroes leave me cold, while uncovering the gritty truth turns me on. That’s why I’m so enthralled by this new, well researched book by Larry Loftis. He show more uses the now declassified files and interviews with surviving friends and family to get behind the myth to the real events that Dusko was unable or unwilling to relate. James Bond was a bland, upper crust Brit, whereas Dusko was a complex weave of Balkan ethnicity with aristocratic opportunities and education. While as much a randy playboy as Bond, he was less reptilian and fell hard for some of his paramours, like the movie star Simone Simon, but the duties of his secret life in a genocidal war that directly impacted his family and friends prevented his holding just one love until after the smoke cleared. Of course, the casual reader should skim over some of the detailed notes and cross references given here, unless he wants to probe deeper into the complex web of characters, like the jealous narcissist J. Edgar Hoover, who betrayed him and stained the FBI’s reputation by not passing on Dusko’s timely warning about Axis interest in Pearl Harbor. All true heroes are flawed humans like the rest of us, but this triple cross spy fooled the Nazis to pave the way for the Allied invasion of Normandy, among other fantastic coups, which would have been bloodier and more costly otherwise. Enjoy! show less