The Extraordinary Exploits of Agent Zo

Clare Mulley's 'The Woman Who Saved the Children' profiles Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children, and traces her pioneering efforts to secure rights and relief for children affected by war. The book examines Jebb's campaign for international humanitarian standards and her role in drafting early child welfare principles. Mulley situates Jebb's activism within the aftermath of the First World War and the interwar years, detailing philanthropic, political, and social challenges she faced. The biography highlights Jebb's strategic advocacy, including how she mobilized public opinion and influenced policy to protect children internationally. Mulley draws on archival sources to present a vivid portrait of a determined reformer whose work shaped modern child welfare movements.

The Spy Who Loved Me is unique in the James Bond series as it is told from the first-person perspective of Vivienne Michel, a French Canadian woman. The story follows Vivienne's tumultuous life, including her disappointing love affairs and her eventual encounter with James Bond. After being coerced into caretaking at a vacant motel, Vivienne faces danger from two armed mobsters, only to be rescued by Bond. The novel explores themes of vulnerability, survival, and the contrast between Vivienne's previous experiences and her encounter with Bond.

Clare Mulley's book tells the extraordinary true story of Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg, the only two women to serve as test pilots for Nazi Germany, both awarded the Iron Cross for their service. Despite their shared profession and patriotism, the women were starkly different: Reitsch, a vivacious and fanatical Nazi, tried to save Hitler's life in the final days of the war, while von Stauffenberg, from an aristocratic Prussian family and secretly part-Jewish, covertly supported the plot to assassinate Hitler. Their interwoven lives provide a vivid insight into Nazi Germany's attitudes toward women, class, and race, set against the backdrop of the 1936 Olympics, the Eastern Front, and Hitler's bunker. The book is praised for its narrative flair and deep research, offering a gripping account of two women who defied convention and found themselves on opposite sides of history.