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Wise gals : the spies who built the CIA and changed the future of espionage  Cover Image Book Book

Wise gals : the spies who built the CIA and changed the future of espionage / by Nathalia Holt.

Summary:

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls comes the never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA--women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage(and blazed new paths for equality in the workplace) in the treacherous post-WWII era"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780593328484 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: xiv, 382 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
  • Publisher: New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2022]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subject: United States. Central Intelligence Agency > History.
United States. Central Intelligence Agency > Officials and employees.
Discrimination in employment > United States > History > 20th century.
Intelligence officers > United States > Biography.
Intelligence service > United States > History > 20th century.
Spies > United States > Biography.
Women intelligence officers > United States > Biography.
Women spies > United States > Biography.
Genre: Biographies.
Personal narratives.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Cookstown Branch 327.1273009 Hol 31681010292167 NONFIC Available -

  • Baker & Taylor
    Meticulously researched, the New York Times best-selling author, drawing on firsthand interviews with past and present officials and declassified government documents, tells the never-before-told story of four female agents who were critical in helping to build a new organization that we now know as the CIA.
  • Baker & Taylor
    "From the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls comes the never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA--women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage (and blazed new paths for equality in the workplace) in the treacherous post-WWII era"--
  • Penguin Putnam
    From the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls comes the never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA—women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage (and blazed new paths for equality in the workplace) in the treacherous post-WWII era.

    In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organization that we now know as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the “wise gals” by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humor and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. They were smart, courageous, and groundbreaking agents at the top of their class, instrumental in both developing innovative tools for intelligence gathering—and insisting (in their own unique ways) that they receive the credit and pay their expertise deserved.
         Throughout the Cold War era, each woman had a vital role to play on the international stage. Adelaide rose through the ranks, developing new cryptosystems that advanced how spies communicate with each other.  Mary worked overseas in Europe and Asia, building partnerships and allegiances that would last decades. Elizabeth would risk her life in the Middle East in order to gain intelligence on deadly Soviet weaponry. Eloise would wield influence on scientific and technical operations worldwide, ultimately exposing global terrorism threats. Through their friendship and shared sense of purpose, they rose to positions of power and were able to make real change in a traditionally “male, pale, and Yale” organization—but not without some tragic losses and real heartache along the way.   
         Meticulously researched and beautifully told, Holt uses firsthand interviews with past and present officials and declassified government documents to uncover the stories of these four inspirational women. Wise Gals sheds a light on the untold history of the women whose daring foreign intrigues, domestic persistence, and fighting spirit have been and continue to be instrumental to our country’s security.

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