The Last Goodnight: A World War II Story of Espionage, Adventure, and Betrayal
by Howard Blum
Harper Books
Hardcover
From the publisher's website:
The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Dark Invasion,
channels Erik Larson and Ben Macintyre in this riveting biography of
Betty Pack, the dazzling American debutante who became an Allied spy
during WWII and was hailed by OSS chief General “Wild Bill" Donovan as
“the greatest unsung heroine of the war.”
Betty Pack was charming,
beautiful, and intelligent—and she knew it. As an agent for Britain’s
MI-6 and then America’s OSS during World War II, these qualities proved
crucial to her success. This is the remarkable story of this “Mata Hari
from Minnesota” (Time) and the passions that ruled her
tempestuous life—a life filled with dangerous liaisons and death-defying
missions vital to the Allied victory.
For decades, much of
Betty’s career working for MI-6 and the OSS remained classified. Through
access to recently unclassified files, Howard Blum discovers the truth
about the attractive blond, codenamed “Cynthia,” who seduced diplomats
and military attachés across the globe in exchange for ciphers and
secrets; cracked embassy safes to steal codes; and obtained the Polish
notebooks that proved key to Alan Turing’s success with Operation Ultra.
Beneath
Betty’s cool, professional determination, Blum reveals a troubled woman
conflicted by the very traits that made her successful: her lack of
deep emotional connections and her readiness to risk everything. The Last Goodnight is a mesmerizing, provocative, and moving portrait of an exceptional heroine whose undaunted courage helped to save the world.
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