Code Name: Lise
The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy
Table of Contents
About The Book
A Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist
Florida Book Awards Silver Medalist
Featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, New York Newsday, and on Today!
Best Nonfiction Books to Read in 2019—Woman’s Day
The Best Nonfiction Books Coming Out This Year—BookBub
“A nonfiction thriller.”—The Wall Street Journal
From New York Times and international bestselling author of the “gripping” (Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Into the Lion’s Mouth comes the extraordinary true story of Odette Sansom, the British spy who operated in occupied France and fell in love with her commanding officer during World War II—perfect for fans of Unbroken, The Nightingale, and Code Girls.
The year is 1942, and World War II is in full swing. Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill.
As they successfully complete mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them. They are sent to Paris’s Fresnes prison, and from there to concentration camps in Germany where they are starved, beaten, and tortured. But in the face of despair, they never give up hope, their love for each other, or the whereabouts of their colleagues.
In Code Name: Lise, Larry Loftis paints a portrait of true courage, patriotism, and love—of two incredibly heroic people who endured unimaginable horrors and degradations. He seamlessly weaves together the touching romance between Odette and Peter and the thrilling cat and mouse game between them and Sergeant Bleicher. With this amazing testament to the human spirit, Loftis proves once again that he is adept at writing “nonfiction that reads like a page-turning novel” (Parade).
About The Author
Larry Loftis is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and internationally bestselling author of the nonfiction spy thrillers The Princess Spy, Code Name: Lise, and Into the Lion’s Mouth. A two-time winner of the Florida Book Award, his books have been translated into numerous languages and can be found in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Czech Republic, Taiwan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the UK.
About The Reader
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (January 15, 2019)
- Length: 320 pages
- Runtime: 9 hours and 59 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781508278900
Raves and Reviews
"Code Name: Lise is impossible to put down. Suffused with romance, told with a novelist’s eye for page-turning thrills and the historian’s acumen for facts, Loftis brings to colorful life a hero for our time, Odette Sansom. Like Unbroken and Code Girls, Odette Sansom’s story is epic, intensely personal, emotionally rich, and hard to forget.”
– Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 Strong and In Harm’s Way
“[Loftis] creates a readable page-turner about Odette's dangerous missions… A vivid history of wartime heroism.”
– Kirkus Reviews
"An astonishing story of love, survival, and almost unimaginable courage. Code Name: Lise is non-fiction that reads like a thriller and will keep readers riveted."
– Tilar Mazzeo, New York Times bestselling author of Irena’s Children
“Code Name: Lise is a grand adventure, part thriller, part love story, and full of wonderful details about the tradecraft of wartime espionage and the bravery of unsung heroes. A remarkable achievement that does honor to its subject.”
– Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of The Switch and Judgment
“Larry Loftis brings the past to life with a brilliantly researched and executed tale of one woman's unparalleled heroism in occupied France during World War II. A riveting true story of love, betrayal and sacrifice, as engaging as any thriller, and not to be missed.”
– Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical
“Loftis delivers a tale of courage, daring, valor—and love—for the ages. Code Name: Lise is the closest history comes to a romance novel.”
– Elizabeth Cobbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Hamilton Affair
"Larry has a knack for finding untold stories that read more like fiction than fact, and he's done it again with Code Name: Lise. Larry's relentless research makes Odette Sansom's heroics leap off the page, putting her in the pantheon of our own Special Forces heroes."
– Brad Taylor, New York Times bestselling author and former Special Forces commander
“Larry Loftis has crafted a true thriller, a highly entertaining account of the most decorated female spy of WW2. A great read.”
– Alex Kershaw,, New York Times bestselling author of The First Wave and Avenue of Spies
"As one who has seen combat up close and personal, I can say that what Odette and Peter Churchill went through is on another level. This is Outlaw Platoon, spiked with capture and Cupid's arrow."
– Sean Parnell, New York Times bestselling author of Outlaw Platoon and Man of War
"If ever there was a lesson on the impact of one great revolt, Odette’s story is it. Even the dreaded Gestapo couldn't stop her."
– Salena Zito, bestselling author of The Great Revolt
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Code Name: Lise Unabridged Audio Download 9781508278900
- Author Photo (jpg): Larry Loftis Photograph by Spencer Freeman(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
