Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy

by Larry Loftis

The true story of the woman who became WWII's most highly decorated spy

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, World War II, Historical, War, Audiobook

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2019

About the author

October 18, 2024 - Thrilled to announce that INTO THE LION'S MOUTH is in development as a major motion picture, with Radar Pictures producing and Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid, Pink Panther 2, The 12th Man) directing.

News was posted on DEADLINE on Oct. 15, mentioning that I am writing the script (which is already finished and approved).

News coming soon about THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER.!

Happy reading, everyone!
Larry

Reviews

[David Eppenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this book my rare 5 star rating. To earn that fifth star a book must possess a WOW component and much to my surprise this book delivered. This book is a history. In fact, it is a biography of the WWII exploits of a 30 year old French mother of three young girls married to an Englishman and living in England when WWII starts. Feeling the need to do something to aid the cause of the War and help her adopted country this woman goes looking for some sort of work to do in the war effort. Because of her flawless command of her native language, French, she is recruited to become a British agent in occupied France. With her husband in the army she accepts this invitation and leaves her children with relatives and goes off to become a secret agent and gets a lot more than she bargained for.

While reading this history I couldn't help but believe that it was more a truly good WWII spy thriller as this story contains all the elements of an excellent fiction except everything here is true and this woman and her story has impressed me immeasurably. I read Unbroken several years ago and was equally impressed with the story of that book's hero. This book, Code Name: Lise is no less an impressive story and the fact that this woman and her story aren't better known is quite sad. It is reported that an English movie was made of Lise's story in 1950 and was successful. If this movie ever made it to the States I don't know but this is a story of an incredible woman so any big name female actress lamenting the dearth of heroic woman characters well here's a good one for you.

The book is a quick read with only 265 pages of text to the story but it also contains a very interesting Appendix and Author's Note that adds quite a bit to the after story. The chapters are relatively short and as a bonus the author has included numerous photos of many of the characters on both sides of the conflict as well as photos of sites of action and some of the post war highlights. This is really a story that is not to be believed. How does a mother leave her children and go off to war? Then go off to war and enter into one of its most dangerous assignments and then suffer the consequences associated with such an undertaking? A definite WOW in my reading and deserving of that fifth star.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not too often, but once in a while, a true story is so intense, thrilling, and adventurous that reading it you just might think you're reading fiction. Filled with espionage, war, romance, torture, imprisonment, and desperation, Odette's story is inspiring and fascinating. Leaving three young children behind while her husband is on the front lines, Odette volunteered to go behind enemy lines in Occupied France and work on behalf of the resistance. At first, reluctant to become a spy and thinking she'd never make it out of training school, she became the most decorated woman in WW2 Britain. Steadfast, determined, sure of herself, even after capture by the Germans and sent to the infamous prison camp, Ravensbruck, a world beyond the walls of hell. Tortured to confess her compatriots' names. Condemned to death for her role. Starved, denied medical treatment, locked in a cage, and yet still
Tenacious, still steadfast. What an amazing story that could well have been fiction if it weren't true.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful, haunting narrative. It is excellent. If there is one book you promise to read before the year is out, then this should be it. I have cried, I have felt pain and I have admired Odette Sansom. She is a heroine, a legend and one to be forever remembered.

If it wasn’t for the Preface that explains all content in this book is fact, I would not have been able to believe it. Yet, based on records, interviews and accounts, we are provided with a raw narrative of how Odette Sansom, a mother of three girls, comes to be a spy in the Second World War. The moments within this novel are captivating and Loftis’s excellent style of writing made it feel like I was reading a piece of fiction. There are cliffhangers at the end of chapters and the portrayal of Odette and Peter in particular, made it feel like you were there with them during their ordeals.

Can you imagine leaving your three daughters and heading into a war zone? This is exactly what Odette does. I cannot even begin to imagine the heartache and emptiness she must have felt, especially during the darker times. A mother-turned-spy, Odette became a fighting force that made her male counterparts pale in comparison. Towards the closing of the book, Odette admitted that leaving her children had broken her heart, so any pain she felt afterwards was nothing resembling this separation. Her determined nature and bravery had me compelled throughout the narrative and I could not believe how she was able to survive everything she had endured.

This is a harrowing, emotional account and I felt massively affected by it. Sharing Odette’s experience of the Second World War, I learned a lot about this period of time and this made the book even more fascinating. The second half of the novel is a lot darker than the first and I actually found it difficult to read. I was often putting the book down to pursue lighter, less intense activities, because of the overwhelming impact that the narrative was having.

Odette is definitely a woman to be admired. The things that she had to endure were unbelievable and the horrors described encouraged me to put things in to perspective. I may have felt that I was having a “bad day” and life was against me, but actually, they were all mere inconveniences. The suffering that occurred during the war made me feel grateful that I have my freedom, my family and my health. These are the most important things in life; this narrative has taught me to count my blessings more often.

I am hoping that from my review, you can tell what a massive impact this book has had on me. Despite being non-fiction, I really enjoyed reading it and believe Odette’s story should continue to be shared forevermore. It certainly is going to be “up there” with one of my top books of the year. I hope you are able to come across this story and learn about the sacrifices that Odette, and so many others, made during the war.

With thanks to Mirror Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biography of Odette Sansom Churchill (1912-1995) is absolutely amazing. Odette was a French woman married to an Englishman. She left her husband and three children to return to occupied France as a spy for the SOE (Special Operation Executive Program, a British spy agency)

The book is well written and researched. The conversations are taken verbatim from the records. The book is well documented. After the war Odette married Peter Churchill (1909-1972). He served in occupied France with her during the War. Loftis describes Odette’s ordeal as a prisoner in grisly detail. Therefore, the reader should be aware of the violence before reading it. Overall, this is an exciting and interesting biography.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and fifty-nine minutes. Kate Reading does an excellent job narrating the book. Reading is an actress and voice artist. She has been nominated three times for the Audie Award and won it once. She also has been awarded three Earphone Awards.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible story of war, intrigue, love and a whole lot of courage! It is the story of Odette Sansom whose moral code would not allow her to sit back and do nothing as the Nazi made their march on Europe. At great personal expense, she left her family and her life to act as a courier for the British SOE (Special Organization Executive), whose function was to cause as much difficulty as they could for the Nazi through acts of sabotage. The strength and courage this woman had in the face of the Nazis was astounding and inspiring. Throughout her work and capture what was most striking was her absolute fearlessness and absolute refusal to compromise the people she worked with no matter how the Nazi’s tried to break her. “Code Name: Lise” shows us the strength of the human spirit when motivated by love and an uncompromising moral code that calls for action. At the end of the story, the author addresses some of the historical controversies surrounding Odette Sansome and the role she played with the SOE. For me, this added a depth to the book which I really appreciate. It is not an easy story or an uncomplicated one! It is one, however, I absolutely recommend! I was privileged to receive a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review.

[RoF · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy thanks to Goodreads.

This biography is interesting to discover Odette Sansom's life during WWII. However, since it is not the first biography, without reading the previous ones it is hard to evaluate its own value.
Indeed, the most interesting part of the book is the last one, the chapter talking about the controversy after the war when different stakeholders published their memoirs and other tried to diminish them. Since this fact-checking portion clearly presents different arguments and points of view, it is a good conclusion.

Several technical flaws in the uncorrected proof that I received made it difficult to read sometimes: misplaced words, incorrect translation from English to French, lack of information for few pictures, confusion between real names and aliases (especially "Robert"), etc... Hopefully they will all be corrected for the official release.

Overall, it seems that the author could not choose between different genres.
It is half a romance novel because there is quite a high dose of chaste feelings between Odette and Peter her commanding officer and it is not a thorough biography because of the lack of supporting documents like letters, official records, pictures, maps (if you are not familiar with the geography of Southern France, you need to find a map to better understand Odette's endeavors) or other elements that an historian would use to support, illustrate and better explain the context. And some important questions remain, for instance about the relationship between Odette and her daughters: how did they feel when they finally reunited with their mom after the war ? Joy ? Resentment ? How did her mom try to explain her choices and re-build a family bond ? And what does she do during 40 years after the war ?

It is not a breathtaking action novel because of the too few details about Odette's accomplishments in her Resistance circuits. Also, too many chapters end with phony cliffhangers, above all the preface or the chapter almost at the end when an SS officer gets close to the car where Odette is watching documents. Some situations also look absurd and make the reader step back from the story to try to understand how a person described as a deeply sick skeleton due to starvation and physical and psychological torture can still walk and prefer to do some unnecessary things. Additionally, when she is rescued, nobody seems to feel that the right decision would be to take her to an hospital. This happens in the previously mentioned situation and again in London when they keep Odette waiting in the SOE headquarters until Peter's return.

And it would have been useful to get more insight from the main characters with psychological developments about their feelings, their decision-making process and how they dealt with the consequences of their actions.

One of the good points that I'd like to highlight from this book is the explanation of the internal rivalries between MI6 and SOE in England and between Abwerh and SS in Germany. That gives credibility to the story, especially when it deals with the German spy chaser "Monsieur Jean".

At the end, despite the writing which could be improved, you get Odette's portrait focused on the WWII period and a lot of questions to open discussion about heroism. How do you take bold decisions ? Does a hero have to crave adrenaline and love the thrill ? How do you balance personal and collective interests ? Which values are more important ? What is worth the risk ?

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry Loftis does a terrific job sharing the true story of Odette Samson, the most decorated spy (male or female) of World War II, in his book Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy. His research is thoroughly covered in the Preface and he indicates that every line in the book is true.

The book begins with a quote from Ernest Hemingway, "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places."

Odette was seven years old when she was diagnosed with polio. She was paralyzed for one year but fortunately was able to walk. She lost her vision at age eight and regained it after two years of herbal treatments. Then she got rheumatic fever.

Odette's father was killed in World War I when he went back to help two injured soldiers. Every Sunday after her father's death, Odette's grandfather took Odette and her brother to place flowers on their father's grave. Her grandfather always said that there would be another war and it will be Odette and her brother's duty to do as their father did.

Odette married a man from Britain and had three young daughters. Her husband served in WW II. While living in England, Odette was approached about training to become a spy because she was originally from France and spoke French. At first she was hesitant but then she felt it was her responsibility to fight against the Nazis.

Hemingway's prose at the beginning of the book applies to Odette because she suffered from many health maladies as well as the death of her father. These childhood experiences created her grit, determination, extrasensory skills, and nationalism for France and England.

It's a terrific book!

Readers who have in-depth knowledge of WW II, particularly regarding France and Italy, will follow the storyline easier than those who don't have much knowledge about WW II.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Code Name: Lise may be a non-fiction espionage epic that will likely be categorised alongside all the rest, but don't make the mistake in thinking that this is merely your average read. This extraordinary woman contributed significantly to the Allied effort and was willing to pay with her life to do so; she would've been acutely aware that there would be Germans chasing her which more often than not, if caught, would result in her death. It reads very much like a fictional espionage thriller but with the notable exception that every word is true. I tend to view spies as experiencing the same danger as the forces involved in the fighting, and had this incredible group of people not have sacrificed as much as they did, and the Axis powers had triumphed, our way of life would likely be completely different.

Odette Sansom was a British secret agent awarded the George Cross for her work in Occupied France as part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). This book charts all of her exploits and near-misses and her falling in love with her commander who are both later captured by the Germans but miraculously go on to survive and become husband and wife. If you enjoy history, World War II accounts, espionage, non-fiction or even thrillers then this is well worth your time. Even those who aren't avid readers of military history will find a well-told, impeccably researched tale with so many twists and surprises to keep the pickiest reader enthralled. An awe-inspiring account of a heroine to which we all owe a debt of gratitude. Many thanks to Mirror Books for an ARC.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a thought provoking book. It was a true story of a women in WW2 who decided to become an agent and was sent over to France to help stop the German army.
It was sad and very chilling what this poor woman went through and at times I just had to stop reading for awhile just to take in what I’d just read.
The descriptions are graphic and made me shudder but, it had to be told.
Books like this are so important and people should read them to understand what that generation went through and some survived.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting account of a spy's dangerous (especially if captured) life in WW II France. Some of the prison scenes with the Gestapo captors are a little graphic. The account is fast-paced and well told.

[Vanessa M.]

Adding. Odette Sansom was a FANY.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy is detailed by author Larry Loftis. In 1942 with World War II 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.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odette Sansom grew up in France where she was the daughter of a heroic World War I veteran. After marrying a British man, she moved to England. When the second World War began, Odette felt that she should contribute in some way to Britain’s fight against the Nazis.

She enlisted in Special Operations where she was trained as a spy. Because she was fluent in French, she was sent back to France where she worked in a large spy network. She was betrayed and then arrested by the Gestapo. Odette endured brutal torture and over fourteen interrogations.

Author Larry Loftis reveals that Odette was the most highly decorated spy (and woman) of World War II. Code Name Lise is an unforgettable story of love, endurance, courage, sacrifice, and survival under unimaginable circumstances.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odette Sansom was an amazing badass. Why don't more people know her name today? If you're looking for an excellent biography that reads like a wartime thriller, this is a must read. Plus, you may also want to try this if you're interested in the life of fellow spy and badass Peter Churchill (and Odette's future husband at that).

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up for the research and witnesses. The photos were ok. I wanted more and especially the detailing of everyone who was in them. More than shown.

But Loftis is very good at this biography in the crux. Above average absolutely.

Odette was a singular core of determination from birth. Otherwise she would not have survived beyond childhood. Disease, blindness etc. That she had about 10 "normal" years and had 3 daughters during that period was an outstanding feature of her adaptability quotient, as well.

But this is not a fun read. It's difficult. And not only because of the torture and graphic horrors either. It's her stubborn quality. Like making the German high officers move that piano upstairs on Christmas Eve- just for a whim. That's incredible. But at times it is probably best to play it bigger than normal in such desperate conjunctions to crossover "meetings" at the wrong time/place. No sane person would believe you were the enemy if you advertised your presence like that- in such a pushy way. I give her credit for her courage and loyalty. Far, far beyond any normal human. Of any sort or origins. That she endured under those depths of torture. Believe me, they would never have gotten to pulling out the second toe nail for 99% of humans. Let alone all 10.

This is not as good as his others. I think it is because you don't get enough of Odette "after".

The same qualities that made her effective also make the longer later life hard to parse, methinks! Because she jettisoned several times and did not suffer fools. If I had done the deeds she did, I would not either. Not withstanding the cultural mores or social customs lines to cross.

Read his WWII cored non-fiction biographies. They are excellent. Some of the only base real WWII stuff that in any shape is currently popular. Her 5 attempts to get ON to the European continent to begin with? I know people who won't even get on a plane. ANY plane.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in occupied France during World War II, this is an exciting story of life as an SOE agent working with the French Resistance which has as its chief character the brave and resourceful Odette Sansom. The author effectively conveys the atmosphere of suspicion experienced by those living through those times and for those involved in Resistance activities, the constant fear of discovery, the difficulty of knowing who to trust and the consequences of the wrong move or careless word. There are many twists and turns and the author keeps you entrenched in the love, passion and conflict of living through a war. The author has clearly done his research into the structure and activities of the French Resistance during that period because the detail of their operations is convincing. This story was highly entertaining and there is so much detail you feel like you are there with the characters, seeing what they are seeing, feeling what they are feeling. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in heroic war stories.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Major Guthrie looked again at the photographs.



Premise/plot: The subtitle of this one tells you essentially everything you need to know to decide if this book is for you: "the true story of the woman who became WWII's most highly decorated spy." Since I seek out fiction and nonfiction set during this time, it was enough for me to put the book on hold. Odette, the spy, in some ways was your average person. She was married. Her husband was in active service--can't remember which branch now. She had three kids, three YOUNG kids. True, she was a Frenchwoman living in the UK. True, she knew some parts of France quite well and could speak the language fluently without an English accent. But she certainly never saw herself as spy material. But with a little convincing she said yes to serving her adopted country. After some training and a lot of bad luck in actually getting to France, there she was part of the French Resistance. What could go wrong? Just about everything--though not from day one, mission one. For the most part she was a messenger--carrying secret messages back and forth.


My thoughts: I was disappointed. I think my disappointment has to do with the grand book I was promised in the jacket copy. The jacket copy makes the book out to be a SWEEPING romance, a true love story. Two spies fall madly, deeply, passionately in love while they work side by side for the Resistance. He's her Commanding Officer, Peter Churchill. They're arrested together. Though separated for years, neither can forget their *love*...


The story is well-researched. I won't deny that. It is based on a true story. But I found it less thrilling and less romantic than the jacket copy makes it out to be. I didn't find the man to capture them to be so much "cunning" (according to the jacket copy) as lucky. One of the spies in Peter and Odette's circle or ring was just REALLY stupid, clumsy, gullible, immoral. Odette and Peter were aware of this--that their identities were compromised and they were being pursued--but they reckoned on a few more days of safety. This wasn't so much "thrilling cat and mouse chase" as it was YELL AT THE PEOPLE IN THE BOOK.



As for their time in prison and concentration camps...this does make up the majority of the book. I did find both to be strong and resilient--not easily broken. In fact, there was no breaking.



As I mentioned it's based on a true story....and the two did marry after the war...but they didn't stay married. This was no life-consuming LOVE to last the ages. The author hints that perhaps she cheated on him and they then divorced. She did marry a third husband--in the 1950s, I believe.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Code Name: Lise by Larry Loftis. Odette Sansom Hallowes is also known as Odette Churchill and was recruited by the SOE in 1942.

My problem with this biography are the "conversations." While some of these can be documented in general, using this as dialogue feels too much like fiction. I prefer a third person account unless conversations can be documented verbatim with appropriate footnotes.

Odette Sansom was a French woman married to an Englishman and joined the SOE in 1942. I did like the references to the SOE, Leo Marks, Colonel Buckmaster, and a few others because I was familiar with them from other books about the SOE. It was a bit disconcerting to get to the end and read the criticism of some historians in regard to Odette's service. While I admire the author for including the controversy, it left me a little unsettled about the roles of Odette and Peter Churchill. It was a bit disconcerting to get to the end and read the criticism of historians in regard to Odette's service. While I admire the author for including the controversy, it left me unsettled about the roles of Odette and Peter Churchill.

An intriguing look at the lives of some of the agents in occupied France, Code Name: Lise
examines the service of one of the most famous of the SOE agents and one who survived Ravensbruck concentration camp.

If you are interested in the SOE and the intelligence operations in Europe I can recommend Leo Marks' Between Silk and Cyanide.

The purpose of the SOE was "to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe (and later, also in occupied Southeast Asia) against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance movements."

Leo Marks, a cryptographer, headed the code department " supporting resistance agents in occupied Europe for the secret Special Operations Executive organisation" while Maurice Buckmaster was the head of "F" section.

Also another book about an SOE agent in France is Nancy Wake by Russel Braddon.

Read in October.

NetGalley/Gallery Books
History/WWII/Espionage. Jan. 15, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of Odette Samson, mother of three, who became a spy for the British working in Vichy France during World War II. The reader learns about how she initially got involved, her rigorous training regimen, work with the network of British spies in France, and involvement with fellow spy Peter Churchill. One of the quick decisions she made upon capture helped Peter survive his imprisonment. It contains a wealth of historic details and is written in an accessible manner. All of the dialogue is traceable to sourced documentation. The first three quarters of the book flows well and is an amazing true story of dedication and bravery. The last quarter is necessary to follow through on life after the war but is not quite as gripping. It is, of course, a story of war and contains some extremely difficult subject matter (e.g., torture and life in the concentration camps). I found it fascinating. If you enjoy books like this, you may also want to check out D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose, which features five female spies, including Odette Samson.

[Lourene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courageous woman

This story about Odette is amazing. This woman was very patriotic and had quite a sense of duty. She had quite a will to survive and threshold for pain too. It must have taken a lot to leave her children during war while her husband served also, becoming a spy and not knowing if you would return to them.

[Haley Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written book, I really didn’t feel like it was non-fiction. Odette has an amazing story of courage through many horrible things. It was sad to see how she was divorced twice. Even unbelievers wonder how a seemingly great marriage like hers could be broken apart. But alas, the consequences of sin.
I would definitely recommend this book if you like spies and/or WWII.
Content warning: torture 😖

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the kind of book I love! Non-fiction, reads like fiction, no bad language, amazing character and strength!

[Joseph Finder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an early copy, and it's just splendid: a grand adventure, part thriller, part love story, full of wonderful details about the tradecraft of wartime espionage and the names of dozens of unsung heroes who fought the Nazis on the backstreets of France. A remarkable achievement that does honor to its subject. It would make a great movie, and I'll be surprised if it hasn't already been optioned.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book, but I did not love it. Way to much drag in the mid section, and then I was somewhat dissapointed in the last part. What happened to the children, what was their view regarding their mother?
Yes Odette was very brave, but it seemed her spy carrier was over before it really started. I hope to read more about various opperations.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Code Name: Lise (audiobook) by Larry Koftis read by Kate Reading. This is remarkable story about a very courageous woman. The book reads more like a Historical fiction thriller. The gripping part is knowing that it’s a true story.

[Skyesmum · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I hadn't read the authors notes at the beginning, I would have thought that this was all fiction.
What an amazing true story centred on a truly brave woman who fought mostly in secret for the allies.
Totally blown away.

Thank you for writing this down.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And there was something about the eyes - dark, determined...defiant. If his instincts were right, this was a girl who would throw herself headlong into danger. He wrote the letter."

Code Name: Lise is a non-fiction thriller that tells the daring and riveting story of Odette Sansom, a woman from France who had made a new home for herself in England and left it all behind in 1942 to aid both her new and old homes in getting rid of the Nazis. Sansom became an SOE courier, a job with a rather frightening casualty rate, joining the others in the SPINDLE network in southern France where they supported local resistance groups and sabotage efforts against the Nazis. This brings Odette, her charming superior officer Peter Churchill and their radio operator, Arnaud, into the crosshairs of the German spy hunter Hugo Bleicher. It'll take all of their wits and skill to make it out of the war alive and there's no guarantees, not in love and not in war.

I suspect that the reader's feelings on this book will be heavily determined by how much they care about the separation between historical fact and fiction. Code Name: Lise is written as a thriller, using primary sources to "re-create each scene from the eyewitness account of one of the principal players, and often from accounts of two or three. With the exception of about four lines, every quotation of dialogue in the book is verbatim from primary sources." Loftis also construed emotions "simply from knowing details of what occurred, and applying the natural reactions anyone would have." (These quotes are from Loftis himself, in the preface) As someone with an undergraduate degree in history and a love of reading historical non-fiction, this concept makes me uncomfortable at best. I have some doubts about there being any universal reaction that everyone has to a situation and I dislike ascribing emotion or verbatim conversations to historical events decades in the past.

I would probably have been less...uncomfortable with the way that Loftis writes emotional scenes if he didn't have an almost impressive flair for dramatics and a truly obnoxious habit of ending every chapter with a cliffhanger. One or two can be utilized for effect but having all twenty three chapters end with them was more than a bit overboard. Both tactics occasionally annoyed me. That is not, however, to say that there's nothing good about the story. Code Name: Lise is thrilling and even my gripes about writing style didn't keep me from enjoying the story. It was easy to admire and empathize with Lise and Peter and the other heroes in the story and I truly cared about what happened to them. And the appendix which dealt with some of the controversy surrounding the SOE after the end of the war was fascinating. I appreciated that Loftis didn't sugarcoat any faults in Lise or Peter, he showed them as people who were heroic in a very dangerous time but who were ultimately as capable of screwing up as anyone else. Overall, it was an inspiring tale that I'm glad is getting attention again.

For those who don't mind more of a blend between historical fact and thrillers and enjoy stories about spies tangling with Nazis, Code Name: Lise will probably be your next favorite read. I certainly didn't hate it, but I think I'll be sticking to my traditional historical non-fiction rather than venturing into the non-fiction thriller territory again.

[Dick Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 1942 and German troops have occupied most of Europe. A French woman named Odette Sansom wants to do her part to fight the Germans and manages to become a spy code-named Lise. She joins forces with an English officer named Peter Churchill who will be her commanding officer. Remarkably, Odette had once been married and still had three children but she persuades a relative to take care of them while she fulfills her patriotic duty for France.
Odette is alone in Arles, France on Christmas eve 1942 and joins a group of German officers at their hotel. After a feast of cake and several bottles of Cote du Rhone she persuades the Germans to move a piano upstairs where the sounds can be enjoyed by a greater number of hotel guests. Not exactly a bit of spy craft but it does attest to Odette’s cleverness.
Peter, Odette and several compatriots are captured by Nazis and taken by train to one of Germany’s infamous prison camps. Odette is subjected to some torture that even made me cringe but she would not reveal any military secrets. Peter and Odette begin to have romantic feelings about each other during this period and told their captors that they were married even though they were not. Because of Peter’s last name, the Nazis believed that they had caught a relative of the British Prime Minister; neither Peter nor Odette tried to tell them otherwise. The Nazis sent an offer to England and offer a trade: we’ll give you Peter Churchill in exchange for Rudolf Hess. England, however, would not agree to the switch.
Both Peter and Odette survive the war, are released from prison and travel to England where they eventually marry. Because of her heroism during the war, Odette is selected to receive an award. In a large ceremony the George Cross is presented to her by none other than King George VI, the only woman being honored along with 249 men.
Photographs, reference notes and the author’s commentary are provided. This is an inspiring book of non-fiction that reads like a exciting and tension-filled novel.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books about WWII, both fiction and nonfiction. This nonfiction book stands somewhat apart from others I have read in that it is stuffed full of minute details with many names of German, French, and English people involved in the espionage game during the war. This could have detracted from the book, but because I listened to the audio version I didn't need to wrestle with the names. In fact, I would strongly recommend listening to the Audible version with Kate Reading as the narrator. She does an excellent job using just the right tone to capture the serious nature of these events in history.

Odette Sansom stands out in the field of WWII spy work because of her unique qualifications. She is a French born woman who lives most of her life in her adopted country of England. The book details her unusual route to becoming an SOE agent, even though she is a civilian. Odette becomes a courier in France during the war. Because of her native French language skills, her perfect English, and her great courage and tenacity, she becomes a formidable agent working for Peter Churchill, her boss. Odette and Peter are highly successful agents who fall in love during their dangerous missions. Eventually both are captured by a cunning German double agent and the book goes into great detail about their interrogations, their prison living conditions, and their torture, especially Odette's.

If you want to learn about the real-life spies of World War II, I would suggest reading this book. Please be aware of the explicit details of Odette's prison experiences, they are not for the faint of heart. There are many addendum to the book which I would strongly advise reading. They flesh out the details of Odette's and Peter's life beyond their work as spies and prisoners during World War II.

[Steph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mr. Loftis' story of Odette Sansom is well-researched and well-planned. It's marvelous to have the opportunity to read Ms. Sansom's story and hear about the war from her perspective - as an everyday woman wanting to serve something higher than herself. I was excited to read her story. However, as the book moved forward I found myself a bit disappointed. I felt like so much of Odette's motivations and agency as a spy were lost in her romance with Peter. As if she could not exist without him and they only sought to live for each other. Further, I found it incredibly frustrating that half the book was dedicated to outlining Peter's experience in the war. I understand he was an important figure in Odette's life, however, there were so many other elements and people missing that could have better filled out this complex, tenacious, capable woman than her love of a man. Finally, the language. Biographies, to me, should present an interesting story and this story is interesting enough without the author inserting self-admitted "constructed emotion" and "applying the natural reactions anyone would have." This is the main driver of my lower rating - by applying his own understanding to Odette's story he undermines the very power and agency she had for herself and those around her.