Frumoasele agente. Femeile şi spionajul. O istorie universală.

ALEXANDRU POPESCU, Ph.D., historian, ethnologist and diplomat, is the author of 20 books published in the country and abroad, in the fields of popular culture, Romanian and universal history, cultural, diplomatic relationships and universal history of espionage: Viena secretă;  Academia secretelor. Intelectualii şi spionajul; Agenţii mărturisiţi. Diplomaţii şi spionajul; Dicţionar universal al spionilor.An original and stimulating synthesis, the volume signed by dr. Alexandru Popescu is, undoubtedly, equally useful for specialists and the public at large, revealing new aspects of the history of intelligence services and terrorist organizations and, at the same time, a less known side of the feminine self.

… a first contribution to the Romanian literature related exclusively to women’s activity in the intelligence business, on the ‘secret fronts’, and one of the few universal histories on ‘women’s espionage’ in the international bibliography, of all times (ever since the ancient times up to the present moment) and in the whole world. Of the 232 female spies/agents and terrorists presented in the book, some of them less known to the reader nowadays or ignored/obscured in certain political contexts: “The Incomparable Astrea”: Aphra Behn; “The Beautiful Rebel”: Belle Boyd;  “The lady doctor”: Elisabeth Schragmüller; A less known legend: Mata Hari; An agent ‘of genius’: Gertrude Bell; Chekhov’s niece – actress and ‘uncrowned queen of Soviet espionage; ‘The ladies of Kremlin’: Kudrachova, Moura Budberg; Prostitute-‘heroine’: Marthe Richard; ‘Missy’ and her intelligence service: Elena Lupescu; ‘The most important secret agent of WWII’: Vera Atkins; ; ‘The prostitute’ who “changed the course of war”: Amy Elisabeth Thorpe; ‘America’s greatest spy’: Virginia Hall; ‘The queen of the red espionage’: Elisabeth Bentley; Intelligence on music: Josephine Baker;  The ‘Nightingale’ spied: Maria Tănase; Was Ethel Rosenberg guilty?; ‘The longest living spy’: Melita Norwood;  An ‘unscrupulous and refined’ spy: Helge Berger; Fidel Castro’s lover: Marita Lorenz; The spy that captured Eichmann: Yehudit Nessyahu; ‘The first lady of espionage’: Stella Rimington; The most harmful ‘mole’: Ana Belen –Montes; ‘America’s most dangerous woman’: Emma Goldman; ‘The lyrical terrorist’: Samina Malik;The ‘Jackal’s wife: Magdalena Kopp.