logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
28m 55s

The Milkmaid Spy

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
About this episode

Virginia Hall dreamed of being America’s first female ambassador. Instead, she became a spy. Joining the ranks of the U.S.’s first civilian spy network, she operated alone in occupied France, where she built French Resistance networks, delivered critical intelligence, and sold cheese to the enemy. All on one leg.

Guests:

Sonia Purnell, author of “A Woman of No Importance: the Untold Story of the American Spy who Helped Win World War II.” 

Randy Burkett, CIA Staff Historian

Christina Gebhard, museum specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

Up next
Aug 20
Back to School: Origins of the Pledge
Children say it every day in school, but have you ever wondered why we recite the pledge of allegiance? We journey back to the late 1800s to understand how a massive wave of immigration and sagging magazine subscriptions gave rise to this vow of patriotism. From the Civil War to ... Show More
31m 30s
Aug 6
Bear Trouble
When a black bear in Minnesota woke up from hibernation in the middle of winter and attacked three people and a dog, researchers were left with one question: Why?***This episode of the Points North podcast is part of our summer playlist to keep you entertained while Sidedoor is o ... Show More
17m 20s
Jul 23
Shellshocked II: Turtle Thieves
Turtles are built like tiny tanks—ancient, armored, and famously tough. But in the modern world, that toughness may be their greatest vulnerability. In part two of our turtle two-parter, we dive into the shadowy world of turtle trafficking, where backyard collectors, internationa ... Show More
30m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Liza Mundy - The Secret History of Women at the CIA
In this episode of the Spybrary Podcast, host Adam Brookes interviews Liza Mundy, author of "Code Girls" and "The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women and the CIA". Mundy discusses the often overlooked contributions of women to the CIA, highlighting the challenges they faced d ... Show More
52m 49s
Sep 2022
"Wild" Bill Donovan, Super Spy Extraordinaire
On this episode of Our American Stories, Drew Newman, of JC Newman Cigars, tells the story of cigars in the United States, a story his family played a big part in. “Wild Bill" Donovan was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals—the man President Franklin Roosevelt m ... Show More
38m 16s
May 2020
The Widow Spy
Martha Peterson handled one of the most valuable Soviet spies of the Cold War, code-named TRIGON—until the KGB got wind of the operation. Peterson was a young undercover officer working at the American embassy in Moscow in the mid-70s. She was the first female operations officers ... Show More
31m 19s
Apr 2021
American Espionage Was Born in the Dark Taverns of Philadelphia
Philadelphia is often referred to as the birthplace of a nation, but it would also be fair to say that it was the birthplace of American espionage. Today’s guests, Keith Melton and Robert Wallace, author of Spy Sites of Philadelphia, discuss the city’s secret history from the nat ... Show More
37m 9s
Mar 2021
Crime Weekly Presents: Spy Affair
Hey Listeners, I want to tell you about a new True Crime mini series from WONDERY called SPY AFFAIR. In 2016 news of Russian interference in the American presidential election shook the nation to its core. Two years later Maria Butina, an alleged Russian operative sent to America ... Show More
5m 57s
Oct 2021
The Sociopathic Spy
Location - unknown. Time period - classified. Hero? You decide. Jim Lawler is one of the CIA's most successful recruiters of foreign spies. But even he had to start somewhere. Vanessa Kirby joins Jim on his first foreign posting. His mission? To enlist a crucial intelligence asse ... Show More
46m 55s
May 2021
Jackie Kennedy, à jamais Première dame
Jackie Kennedy n'a pas seulement été la première dame de l'Amérique ou l'épouse d'un riche armateur grec. Si elle devint une icône moderne, c'est parce qu'elle était bien plus que cela. Une femme libre qui avait décidé de réaliser un à un ses rêves et ses désirs les plus secrets. ... Show More
39m 12s
Dec 2023
ARCHIVE - Jackie Kennedy, à jamais Première dame
Jackie Kennedy n'a pas seulement été la première dame de l'Amérique ou l'épouse d'un riche armateur grec. Si elle devint une icône moderne, c'est parce qu'elle était bien plus que cela. Une femme libre qui avait décidé de réaliser un à un ses rêves et ses désirs les plus secrets. ... Show More
39m 12s