Flirting with Danger: The Mysterious Life of Marguerite Harrison, Socialite Spy

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE

"A compelling story that pulsates with the energy of a thriller"--The Wall Street Journal

"Suspense, élan and a generous helping of glamour: Think George Smiley in a mink-trimmed coat."--The New York Times Book Review

The true story of socialite Marguerite Harrison, who spied for U.S. military intelligence in Russia and Germany in the fraught period between the world wars

Born a privileged child of America's Gilded Age, Marguerite Harrison rebelled against her mother's ambitions, married the man she loved, was widowed at thirty-seven, and set off on a life of adventure. Hired as a society reporter, when America entered World War I she applied to Military Intelligence to work as a spy.

She arrived in Berlin immediately after the Armistice and befriended the enemy, dining with aristocrats and dancing with socialists. Late into the night she wrote prescient reports on the growing power of the German right. Sent to Moscow, she sneaked into Russia to observe the results of the Bolshevik Revolution. Although she carried press credentials she was caught and imprisoned as an American spy. Terrified when told her only way out was to spy for the Cheka, she became a double agent, aiming to convince the Russian rulers she was working for them while striving to stay loyal to her country.

In Germany and Russia, Harrison saw the future--a second war with Germany, a cold war with the Soviets--but her reports were ignored by many back home. Over a decade, Harrison's mysterious adventures took her to Europe, Baghdad, and the Far East, as a socialite, secret agent, and documentary filmmaker. Janet Wallach captures Harrison's daring and glamour in this stranger-than-fiction history of a woman drawn to the impossible.

Author: Janet Wallach
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Published: 08/01/2023
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.40w x 1.60d
ISBN: 9780385545082


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 03/01/2023 pg. 26
Publishers Weekly 05/08/2023
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2023
Booklist 07/01/2023 pg. 3
Shelf Awareness 08/11/2023

About the Author
JANET WALLACH is the author of ten books, including Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, which has been translated into twelve languages and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.