invisible agents women and espionage in seventeenth century britain

Akkerman's archival dissections admirably emulate the painstaking vigilance of early modern spy masters.Īnn Hughes, BBC History Magazine Pioneering. Leanda de Lisle, The Times Invisible Agents is a work of deep scholarship that suggests Akkerman would have made an excellent spy catcher.Ĭlare Jackson, The Times Literary Supplement Brimming with fascinating detail. Jessie Childs, The Daily Telegraph A triumph of scholarly rigour, original thinking and crisp prose. Noel Malcolm, The Sunday Telegraph A brilliant book. A work of deep scholarship and clever detective work.ĭominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times A dense, hugely researched and admirably learned history of women spies during the Civil War. Leanda de Lisle, Books of the Year 2018, BBC History Magazine A history book that will surely inspire future fiction.

Simon Heffer, Books of the Year 2018: History, The Daily Telegraph Revelatory.

What distinguishes her book from most other academic monographs, however, is her very personal approach, which more traditional scholars might frown upon.Most of all, however, the book is proof that there is no excuse any more for excluding women from the narratives of mid-seventeenth-century politicalĪctivism either on the royalist or parliamentarian side. Gaby Mahlberg, Journal of Modern History Akkerman has a knack for telling a good story, and her vignettes of strong, independent, and clever women paint a lively picture of seventeenth-century female spies.

Invisible agents women and espionage in seventeenth century britain