Agent Zo

Gripping, moving and important: an amazing and until-now neglected story of female WW2 heroism and secret derring-do. This tale of the resistance fighter Agent Zo is amazingly told and deeply researched by the excellent historian of WW2 espionage Clare Mulley. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of the World: A Family History *Agent Zo is a triumph. The deftly told life of this remarkable heroine helps restore women to their rightful place in the record of the Second World War. Absolutely essential reading. * Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five *A remarkable story of resistance, elegantly told * Roger Moorhouse, author of The Forgers *This is a terrific story, told with passion and authority, about a Polish woman resistance fighter of extraordinary courage and ingenuity. Not simply a page turner, this is an important addition to the literature of World War Two, a story for our times about female heroism which should be widely known * Anne Sebba, author of Ethel Rosenberg *Clare Mulley tells the tale of the remarkable Elzbieta Zawacka with as much flair, passion and insight as her extraordinary heroine deserves. Recognition for Agent Zo’s astonishing courage and immense achievements are clearly long overdue, but Clare Mulley vividly and compellingly brings her back to life in what has to be, until now, one of the great untold stories of the war. * James Holland, author of The Savage Storm *Agent Zo is the astonishing story of an extraordinary woman - for so long silent and unseen but now, thanks to Clare Mulley’s forensic research and razor-sharp eye for detail, no longer forgotten. * Jonathan Freedland, author of The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World *In this gripping, forensically researched biography [Mulley] illuminates the awe-inspiring lives of Zo and her sisters-in-arms…. Clare Mulley is a consummate storyteller. * WI Magazine *Page-turning … fascinating … poignant … This excellent account is a tour de force * Military History Matters *Deeply researched and written with verve… thoughtful as well as action packed. * The Times *Agent Zo is meticulously sourced and its novel-like narrative makes for a most enjoyable book * Caroline Moorehead, Spectator *Written with controlled, unsentimental eloquence and style, [Agent Zo] offers unique and original insights into the vital, if previously unsung role of women in the defence of their homeland. * The Financial Times *Mulley tells this story of industrial-strength heroism with sympathy and feeling * Literary Review *Puts any number of espionage thrillers into the shade… Clare Mulley has given us a fine piece of military history, Polish history, and women’s history, and all written in a gripping and thoroughly enjoyable style. * Andrew Roberts *A thrilling, consistently tense page-turner… [Zo] would have given the Mission Impossible crew a run for their money… Thrilling and powerful * Spectator US *Clare Mulley skilfully weaves together Zawacka’s personal story with the broad sweep of events…. [Her] fascination with the role of women in wartime intrigue is both infectious and mesmerizing. * Wall Street Journal *This is a masterfully written biography… inspiring and powerful * Judges of the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 *

Clare Mulley is an award-winning author and historian. All her books are under option for TV and film, and widely translated. A regular contributor to TV (BBC’s Rise of the Nazis and Newsnight, Channel 5’s Secret History of WW2, and Adolf & Eva), radio (Radio 4 Today, Woman’s Hour, Great Lives, PM) and podcasts (Spectator, BBC History Extra, Dan Snow’s History Hit etc), and popular public speaker, Clare also writes and reviews non-fiction for the Telegraph, Spectator and History Today.