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A Woman of No Importance

The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

Purnell S. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. Viking;
Illustrated edition (April 9, 2019); 368 pp; ISBN 978-0-7352-2531-2
Reviewed by Scott P. Graverson, PhD

his historical biography details the daring ex- The story details her larger-than-life exploits. The tale
ploits of Virginia Hall, an American woman work- describes Virginia’s successful attempt at breaking 12
Ting in Europe during the beginning of World War compadres out of the infamous Périgueux prison in
II. The story takes the reader from the wealthy suburbs southwest France. The Nazis used this freezing and
of Baltimore at the beginning of Virginia’s life to the somber fortress with stinking dungeons to imprison 6
slums of Paris, where Virginia honed her British and 6 French spies. When she was
spycraft, reporting on Nazi movements to finally in the sights of the Gestapo, Virginia
MI6. The daughter of socialite parents, her was forced to flee France on foot – cross-
family wished nothing than for Virginia to ing the Pyrénées Mountains at Mantet
return to her roots, marry well, and have Pass, 6,000 feet above sea level in the dead
children. These familial desires could not of winter, walking on a prosthetic leg. Once
be further from Virginia’s interests. She in the safety of Spain, Virginia returned to
dreamt of a diplomatic career that took her Great Britain for a period of recuperation
to exotic lands from a young age. After her before rejoining the fight in France. She
commencement from George Washington eventually earned great trust in the intel-
University, Virginia accepted a position in ligence community and provided vital in-
the State Department in Poland. telligence, which enabled the successful
D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach.
As the Third Reich and Adolph Hitler came to power,
this position gave her unique access to gather vital in- Virginia was one of the first agents selected to work
telligence for Allied Forces in their bid to defeat the with General William “Wild Bill” Donovan in the Of-
Nazi occupation. Virginia had to overcome ableism fice of Strategic Services (OSS), laying the foundational
and sexism from both American and British intelli- groundwork for what is now the Central Intelligence
gence agencies, having to prove her worth over and Agency (CIA). Virginia was highly decorated for her
again. As an amputee, her handlers believed her miss- actions, earning the Distinguished Service Cross, the
ing leg would hinder her ability to perform her duties; French Croix de Guerre, and induction as a Member
however, she used that unique characteristic to her of the Order of the British Empire. In 2019, Virginia
advantage, quickly getting lost in the crowds of Paris – was inducted into the Commando Hall of Honor at the
nobody believing an amputee to be a danger to the United States Special Operations Command.
Third Reich. Eventually, this characteristic became her
trademark and was well known to the Gestapo when
they were hot on her trail.

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