VNA Publishing House launches book on female spies
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Publishing House has published a book featuring the secrets of world-famous female intelligence agents to mark the 95th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).
Cover of the book “Lat Lai Nhung Trang Ho So Mat – Nhung Bong Hong Diep Vien," roughly translated as Turning Over the Confidential Files – Beautiful Spy Girls.(Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - TheVietnam News Agency (VNA) Publishing House has published a book featuring thesecrets of world-famous female intelligence agents to mark the 95thanniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).
The book titled “Lat LaiNhung Trang Ho So Mat – Nhung BongHong Diep Vien” (TurningOver the Confidential Files – Beautiful Spy Girls), is the seventh book ofthe series “Lat Lai Nhung Trang Ho So Mat” and comprises informationand documents published in the column “Ho so - Tu lieu” (Profile– Documentation) of Tin Tuc (News)newspaper under the VNA. The series has been published and reprinted many timessince 2008.
It is also a collection ofarticles and added with interesting and new details, including 26 articleswhich are new documents having been declassified for the first time about theworld of female spies and associated with major historical events.
The book focuses on the dangerof intelligence collecting, and while male spies had a lot ofdifficulties in keeping their activities secret, females suffered much moresevere conditions that required them to have an iron will.
The book features someagents who became spies to prove their patriotism and hatred toward warswhile others who simply wanted to protect the country.
There are some whoseachievements have been recognised since they were awarded medals but alsoothers who were unknown.
The book posits that glory andbitterness always go hand in hand in these silent careers,but the information they provided undeniably made a greatcontribution to changing the wars.
Among the spies mentioned areMata Hari, Vera Atkins, Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, JosephineBaker, Olga Chekhova and Chevalier d’Éon.
Hari, for example, was aprofessional dancer and mistress who became a spy for France during World WarI. Suspected of being a double agent, she was executed in 1917.
Atkins was an influentialfemale agent who managed an entire intelligence network with hundreds of members.
Hall was one of the mostsuccessful spies in World War II, first for the British and then for theAmericans, despite a hunting accident that cost her left leg.
The VNA Publishing House saidin a statement that the book aimed to celebrate the Vietnam RevolutionaryPress Day./.
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Cover of the book “Lat Lai Nhung Trang Ho So Mat – Nhung Bong Hong Diep Vien," roughly translated as Turning Over the Confidential Files – Beautiful Spy Girls.(Photo: VNA)
