A fascinating history, combining espionage, business, and the aristocracy during the Spanish Civil War and WWII. Accessible and engaging, this is a quick read that does not shy from the reality of some loose ends we may never learn.

#ThePrincessSpy #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Artria Books for providing me with ARC.

This the first novel to.me by Larry Loftis but i loved it.

The most amazing thing about this novel that the events are real, i love historical fiction so much because it made me know information about people that inspired the history.

The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis was an enjoyable and interesting read. The plot description was what encouraged me to read this true story. Aline who was born in a small suburban American town wants to help her country in the war effort, and she gets the opportunity after attending a dinner party meeting Frank Ryan, who helps her join the Office of Strategic Services and is rigorously trained to be a spy and coder. Completing her training, Aline was sent to Madrid, Spain, to be a coder and to also infiltrate higher society in search of information and potential enemy agents.

The journey that Aline has is fascinating to me, and I really adored the descriptions of places, the culture, and of the people she encountered. Although Aline wasn’t the typical spy that a reader would expect, with gadgets and being in constant danger, I think this was a much more realistic portrayal; and one that I would have loved to live through myself! Most of the time, the story tells us of the parties and events and Aline was invited to by the upper-class, getting to experience a much richer life than what she was used to. However, there were elements of danger scattered throughout the story that made things more fast paced.

I would not recommend this book for the everyday reader, as it was heavy in World War II facts and figures of the time. So unless you were interested in the history, the reader would be bogged down with details not necessarily related to Aline. There were a lot of names, codenames and side stories that were described, however, they were rarely brought up again so there was no reason to remember every person that was mentioned; this includes all the footnotes that also give more context to the story. I believe Loftis did a good job placing importance on the characters that do matter to the story, as when they are mentioned again you can remember their importance. Another detail that could hinder some readers is about Spain and its culture, although I think this is another aspect that Loftis did incredibly well. It is very culture heavy but it is explained in a manner that foreigners would understand, as Aline was one herself. I myself am very interested in both history and Spanish culture, so this was a really enjoyable read and would recommend it to those who find these topics interesting as well, however some of the historical sidenotes did lose my attention as I was mostly interested in Aline’s story and her new luxurious lifestyle.

For me, this was more like cosy-espionage, a new term I am applying to works on espionage where there is not really a lot of espionage substance.

Much of Aline's "work" was social - meeting and mingling with society notables to gain access to any information that might come her way. The odd bits of derring-do come in the form of being tailed by "associates" of a jealous boyfriend (a bull-fighter of renown) and a short spell of imprisonment. Her work was carried out in the last year or so of the war in Europe - and with the surrender of the Germans, her work - for all intents and purposes - was over.

The author himself lets us know quite early on that even he was unsure if her story was even true, and that numerous events in her memoirs are indeed highly imagined. The constant adjustments to her narrative in her own books did not help matters in her favour.

This is a very readable story of a small town girl, who went from model to spy to novelist to celebrity all in one incredible lifetime.

The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis is a phenomenal success as both a biography of a spy and the story of a spy. By that I mean it is compelling as both nonfiction while reading a lot like fiction.

Many readers, myself included, enjoy both spy stories as well as true espionage stories. We also have different expectations for each. We certainly anticipate some excitement in both but are content when the nonfiction accounts don't read like the fictional accounts. This biography reads very much like a novel while being a true accounting of an exceptional person. That is almost like winning the lottery.

While not particular to the espionage aspect, I was particularly drawn to the fact that so many things in our lives, things that later in life appear to others as inevitable, are the result of coincidence and being in the right place at the right time. If not for a casual conversation at a dinner party, this entire chapter of history might never have been written.

As an aside, just ignore people who don't understand either socialism, Marxism, or the current incarnations of either. If this book illustrates any evil it is not of a particular ideology but of allowing tyrants and fascists to attain power, regardless of whether they cloak their power hungry actions as democracy, fascism, or communism.

Highly recommended to readers of both history and fiction. Well researched and documented yet written in a way that will keep you turning pages.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

I thought this a fascinating subject for the book and I have really tried to get into it but I find the language and maybe too the turn of phrase rather jarring and i have had to really want to read on simply for the sake of knowing about this brave woman. I wonder if this is written more for the American market and therefore is slightly stilted for English readers? If you are happy to read this then I recommend the biographical aspect of her life.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Princess Spy written by Larry Loftis, is an exceptionally well-written biography of a World War II spy, Aline Griffith, to be published February 9, 2021. This is the first time I have read anything written by Larry Loftis. Aline, an American college graduate and model, became one of the Office of Strategic Service’s (forerunner of the CIA) most daring spies before she married into European royalty and became the Countess of Romanones. I enjoyed his writing stayle. The plot line of this book was new to me. I have read a few historical fiction books but none were about a princess being a spy. I would recommend this book.

If you like non-fiction that reads like a thriller, this is the book for you. Aline wanted to serve the U.S. in WWII, like her brothers. A friend recognized her potential and recommended her to the O.S.S. to train as a spy. The book follows her time in Spain gathering intelligence to help bring down the Nazi's. Through her "job" with American oil companies, she socialized with the Spanish k, listening to gossip to expose Nazi sympathizers. This is fascinating story that was hard to put down. #NetGalley#ThePrincessSpy

Thank you Atria Books, Larry Loftis and NetGalley for my ANR of the Princess Spy for my opinion.

I truly enjoyed this book learning about Aline Griffith and how women might have not fought in WWII but did more than most people know.

Mr. Loftis brought a real life spy's story to life, Aline Griffith. She wanted to help with the war effort during WWII, but didn't know how until she met someone at a dinner party who helped her become a spy in Spain for the Allies. Aline also found love while spying and married one of the most wealthy men in Spain. She is a hero to women everywhere.

An incredible biography of a woman that was willing to put her life at risk for the sake of others during WWII. Her sheltered upbringing and intricate knowledge made her a formidable adversary of the Nazis.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars from me for The Princess Spy.

While it might be my status as only a casual reader of spy novels/nonfiction, I found it hard to get into this one. Spain, though technically neutral during the Second World War, was a hot spot for both Allied and Axis espionage, and Larry Loftis tells Aline Griffith' story as first a code clerk and then an agent for the OSS, beginning in Madrid in 1944 and progressing into the post-WWII Cold War years. Later in life, Griffith (now the Countess of Romanones) wrote a series of books detailing her adventures during and after the war. Loftis addresses this in the preface, stating that a number of historians have called her books complete fabrications. However, Loftis has done his own research and finds that there although there is heavy imagination/embellishment within her books, her story is "quite legitimate", which I find to be a bit of a contradiction. Because of this ambiguity, I have a tough time addressing how much of the purported spywork in this book is true. Loftis does say that every piece of dialogue in the text is a direct quote from a primary source, but without delving into those, it's interesting that this book would refute what the New York Times wrote in Griffith's obituary in 2017.

That being said, you cannot say that Aline Griffith did not lead an interesting life in her 90+ years, or during the events covered in this book. From when she was first flown to Madrid (via Lisbon) in a Pan Am Clipper flying boat, the height of luxury in 1944, Griffith led an interesting life during the last year or so of the war, cavorting within Spanish high society and meeting the various multinational characters living in Spain at that period. I found the best parts of the book to be related to life and customs in Spain, particularly around the tradition of bullfighting. Learning about Griffith's purported decision to walk away from espionage to marry her husband, Luis de Figueroa, Count of Romanones, was also an interesting section, especially when learning about his involvement in the Spanish Civil War (before they met) and the life they shared together after their wedding.

Again, it might be my weakness as a reader, but I found that the book was light on details on Griffith's actual spying in Madrid. I do read more than my share of WWII non-fiction and historical fiction, but I admittedly don't read a lot of spy novels or histories. I found that the described events of WWII-era Madrid was largely observation of suspected Axis spies in social settings, which I suppose is spying, but it wasn't always the most engaging.

‘The Princess Spy,’ written by Larry Loftis, is an exceptionally well-written biography of a World War II spy, Aline Griffith, to be published February 9, 2021. Aline, an American college graduate and model, became one of the Office of Strategic Service’s (forerunner of the CIA) most daring spies before she married into European royalty and became the Countess of Romanones.

In this true story, Aline, desperate to ditch her modeling job and aid in the war effort, accidentally meets Frank Ryan, a prominent OSS officer, at a party. This meeting changes the course of the rest of her life. Ryan, seeing potential, immediately hires her for the OSS and she’s whisked off to The Ranch for operative training. When she passes with flying colours, she’s given the code name BUTCH and sent to Spain to be a coder and go undercover to infiltrate high ranking society. Aline is told that this post is important because Spain is critical to the Allied success in the war. This girl who had never been on a plane nor farther away than “a stone’s throw from her backyard” is now flying in luxury on Pan American’s Yankee Clipper, the world’s largest aircraft, to her assignment in Madrid. What follows is an extraordinary climb up the social ladder as she mixes with royalty, haut couture designers, aristocrats and the Spanish elite. Finally, she captures the attention of Luis, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, but more importantly, the love of her life, and gives birth to 3 lovely boys. She continues her stealthy work and, unbeknownst to her husband, continues working for the CIA. In her defense, she admitted on her wedding night to being a spy, but Luis laughed at her and dismissed it as absurd!

I loved this well-researched and well-documented memoir. It was refreshing to feel like I was rushing to catch up to the story rather than being spoon fed as some authors feel the need to do. I have no doubt that Loftis’s career as a corporate lawyer was instrumental in his success as a biographer. His impeccable presentation and fact sharing are excellent testament to his career. I appreciated use of primary as well as secondary sources and the willingness of the ‘inner lawyer’ to question validity and propose alternative theories. What I found most surprising was that Aline was willing to give up a $2400/y modeling career for a $3190/y job as a spy. I couldn’t understand that she would risk her life on a daily basis (knowing she didn’t have immunity if her cover was blown) for an extra $790 per year! She wouldn’t have known about the glitz and glamour, nor the people she’d be hobnobbing with prior to accepting the post. She risked everything to serve her country. You’ll be delighted with this fast-paced account showcasing the evolution of an all American girl’s involvement in a life of espionage, an unsuspecting mother of three’s life in the CIA as well as the glamourous life of a respected and loved friend to many world leaders and celebrities such as Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn.

Thank you to Larry Loftis, Atria Books and Netgalley for this exceptional advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of The Princess Spy!!

The title of this book was what caught my eye. I had never heard of Aline Griffith before so I was very interested to find out more about her. This book so very well written and well paced. I was hooked right away and could not put this book.

Anyone who loves history will like this book and I intend to read more of author Larry Loftis’ books. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is looking for something new to read.

The Princess spy is the true story of small town girl Aline Griffin. She wishes to find a way to help with the war effort and begins a career with the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. She is posted to Spain as a coder and thus begins a fascinating view of the intelligence gathering and a rich serving of the culture and role of Spain during WWII. The book is well researched and written. It offers a good picture of the war years, then a brief sketch of the years following Aline's marriage and resignation from intelligence gathering. It was nice that the end of the book offered several pages following instrumental people in the narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this title.

A interesting riveting account of an woman in WWII as a spy. Suggested reading for WWII buffs and people who love history.

I really enjoyed getting to know Aline Griffith, I had never heard of her before. Mr. Loftis was able to write was well-researched and informative memoir. I really enjoyed reading this.