Agent Zo, Clare Mulley
Agent Zo, Clare Mulley
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Agent Zo
The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter

Author: Clare Mulley

Narrator: Clare Mulley, Kristin Atherton

Unabridged: 13 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/03/2024


Synopsis

The incredible and inspiring story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the World War II female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo.

During World War II, Elzbieta Zawacka—the WWII female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo—was the only woman to reach London as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command. In Britain, she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the "Silent Unseen." She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then she was the only female member of these forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, while being hunted by the Gestapo (who arrested her entire family), she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland.

After the war, she was discharged as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned (and tortured) her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over forty years. Now, through new archival research and exclusive interviews with people who knew and fought alongside Agent Zo, Clare Mulley brings this forgotten heroine back to brilliant life—while transforming how we value the history of women resistance fighters during World War II.

About Clare Mulley

Clare Mulley is the author of The Woman Who Saved the Children: A Biography of Eglantyne Jebb, which won the Daily Mail Biographers' Club Prize. She is a contributor to The Arvon Book of Life Writing and is a seasoned public speaker. She has written for History Today, the Express, and the Church Times.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Gareth on April 12, 2025

Clare Mulley deserves much credit for her assiduous telling of the extraordinary story of ‘Agent Zo’, Elzbieta Zawacka. A WW2 Polish resistance fighter, this is a story of incredible bravery, tenacity, commitment, loyalty, tragedy and unwavering patriotism, all of which were related to her heartfelt......more

Goodreads review by Melanie on February 24, 2025

The story of this amazing woman was incredibly inspiring. The history of Poland's part in WWII was not something I knew much about and was especially poignant to read in light of the war in Ukraine. Mulley drew the colourful, determined character of Zo in a well-rounded and entertaining way and she......more

Goodreads review by Diana on February 23, 2025

In the beginning...Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland. This is the story of one of the most amazing woman behind the lines who risked everything for her country. There is so much in this work to unpack, I wouldn't know where to begin. I will say that Stalin tried to change history but it's one of thos......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on August 15, 2024

4.5 an absolutely outstanding story of tenacity and unwavering commitment to a cause. Zo was heroic but she'd probably dislike the term!......more

Goodreads review by Hamish on June 08, 2024

Superb. A fascinating tale of a a fascinating person. The writing has really good narrative pace, is truly evocative of the era and places depicted, and is deeply researched. Highly recommended.......more