City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

The princess spy, the true story of World War II spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones, Larry Loftis

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

individual biography

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The princess spy

Larry Loftis

the true story of World War II spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones

When Aline Griffith was born in a quiet suburban New York hamlet, no one had any idea that she would go on to live a life of glamour and danger that Ingrid Bergman only played at in Notorious (Time). As the US enters the Second World War, the young college graduate is desperate to aid in the war effort, but no one is interested in a bright-eyed young woman whose only career experience is modeling clothes. Aline's life changes when, at a dinner party, she meets a man named Frank Ryan and reveals how desperately she wants to do her part for her country. Within a few weeks, he helps her join the Office of Strategic Services forerunner of the CIA. With a code name and expert training under her belt, she is sent to Spain to be a coder, but is soon given the additional assignment of infiltrating the upper echelons of society, mingling with high-ranking officials, diplomats, and titled Europeans, any of whom could be an enemy agent. Against this glamorous backdrop of galas and dinner parties, she recruits sub-agents and engages in deep-cover espionage to counter Nazi tactics in Madrid. Even after marrying the Count of Romanones, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, Aline secretly continues her covert activities, being given special assignments when abroad that would benefit from her impeccable pedigree and social connections. Filled with twists, romance, and plenty of white-knuckled adventures fit for a James Bond film, The Princess Spy brings to vivid life the dazzling adventures of a remarkable American woman who risked everything to serve her country