This is the autobiography of Pippa Latour written with the assistance of Jude Dobson (https://judedobson.com). It is their only publication. The Last Secret Agent was published last May. It is the 51st title I’ve completed reading in 2025.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature situations, I categorize this book as R.

This is the story of Phyllis ‘Pippa’ Latour, the last surviving SOE agent to go behind the lines in occupied France. Born in South Africa on 8 April 1921, she lived a full life, passing on 7 October 2023 at the age of 102. She grew up in various locations in Africa. By the time she was 12 years old, she spoke French, as well as some Italian and German. She also knew some African languages, particularly Swahili. She was also learning English at that time.

Latour had an unconventional education. She was schooled at home in the normal subjects. When she was 14, she learned to fly a small plane. She learned to shoot and had taught herself Morse Code. As a child, she played with the native children and was at home in the forest around their home.

In 1937, when she was 18, she moved to Paris for Finishing School. After the war began, she traveled to England. She was a civilian Royal Navy employee for about a year, joining the WAAF in 1941. Some of her family died in occupied France, motivating her to want a larger role in the war effort. She was recruited by SOE in late 1943, joining the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) as a cover for her SOE work.

After being trained for field work and as a radio operator, Latour was dropped into France on 2 May 1944. At that time, the life expectancy of a radio operator in occupied France was only 6 weeks.

Latour was a small woman, weighing only 100 pounds when she arrived in France. The Resistance revised her ID papers to reflect a 14-year-old girl, rather than the 23-year-old woman she was. She arrived in the Normandy area of France, taking on the persona of a grandchild living out the war on her grandparents' farm. The couple she lived with made soap, so Latour had the cover of riding her bicycle around the nearby countryside, selling the soap. This enabled her to regularly talk to many people, including several German soldiers.

Latour routinely traveled on her bicycle over a 65-mile-long stretch of the French coast, often sleeping rough in the woods while on her deliveries. Multiple radio sets were hidden across the area, and Latour would travel to the radios and communicate with London. When traveling, she often had to scavenge for food, eating squirrels or rats, and whatever edible greens she could find.

She encountered almost as much fighting between the various resistance groups as between them and the Germans. At one point, when she was traveling alone, two young German soldiers dragged her into an abandoned building and raped her. She likely was saved from a worse fate by a passing German officer. He and his driver entered the building, shooting the two young soldiers. Had she not looked like a 14-year-old girl, they probably would not have interfered.

By the time Paris had been liberated, Latour’s job was over. She was instructed to find her way to Paris and then return to London. She traveled for five months on foot, arriving in Paris on 5 October 1944. She returned to London and was released from service in July 1945.

After the war, she returned to Kenya, but soon afterward traveled to Australia. After that, she lived for a time in Fiji, then finally settled in New Zealand. Latour took her signature of the Official Secrets Act papers seriously. She never shared her WWII exploits with her family. It was only in the early 2000s that one of her sons came across a hint of her WWII exploits on the Internet. She finally began work on this biography to tell her story.

I enjoyed the 6 hours I spent reading this 278-page WWII-era history. I have read several books about women in the SOE. I think that this is one of the best. It reads more like a novel than nonfiction. I give this book a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

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This was a great read but a bit difficult to read since Pippa had gone through so much while being a spy. I think I enjoyed this more knowing it was a true story. She had a different childhood than most and I think that probably helped her with her task of being a secret agent during world war 2.

appreciated the honesty and personal reflections throughout the book. Some parts moved a bit slowly, but overall, it’s a powerful reminder of the quiet heroes who changed history. Highly recommended for anyone interested in true stories of bravery and resilience.

The Last Secret Agent (This review is from the ARC sent to me by NetGalley)

by Pippa Latour; Jude Dobson

From 1941 to 1944, four hundred and seventy SOE agents( Special Operations Executive) were sent to France to participate in clandestine work such as sabotage, espionage, and reconnaissance. Approximately forty of those agents were female, one of whom was Pippa Latour. Having kept her WWII work a secret for decades, this memoir explores the untold story of Pippa’s time as an undercover agent. The memoir is based on personal conversations the author had with Pippa.
As there were gaps in Pippa’s memory and knowledge at the age oof 101, dialogue has been reconcentrated in places in the interest of the story.
The story covers from Pippa’s birth through to the end of the second World War.
I quote from the coauthor Jude Dobson: “The value of resilience in challenging times: the fostering of self-reliance; maintaining hope for a better tomorrow; doing something for the greater good: and being brave. “ were all qualities Pippa had.
Pippa was decorated highly for her actions, including being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire and receiving the Légion d’Honneur in France
Pippa died before the memoir was published.

I enjoyed this first person account of a female spy from WWII. Her life story was very interesting and commendable. A .must read for fans of WWII era historical fiction.

4.5 stars 🌟 only because there were parts I wish we could have had more detail on.

This is, by far, the most interesting memoir and non-fiction book that I've read in a long time. Possibly ever. How often do you get to hear about the life of a top-secret agent during WWII? Honestly, my only issue with this book was how fast it was. I would have preferred a more in-depth look at her life.

Wow, what a woman!!! Once I started reading this I was unable to put it down. A must read for any biography or history (or both!) lovers.

This is a detailed look at the life of a woman spy in World War II, as well as her life leading up to the war and how it prepared her for spy work.

I thought this book was an intimate revelation into what these spies and women in the war effort truly went through. It had me feeling many different emotions throughout and I thought Pippa was an incredibly strong person.

I did think at times that some details could have been left out as it made certain chapters quite lengthy and I wasn't entirely sure the depth they were providing was necessary. But in telling your life's story, how can you be sure what to include and what not. It is all relevant I suppose and I am happy overall about the intense depth of the book.

I loved this book! Pippa Latour was the last secret agent in WWII. Yes she was a woman. Yes there were women secret agents behind enemy lines in France and were in many dangerous situations. Many don’t realize that. There were many secret agents and volunteers that helped in the war and if not for them it may not have been won. Pippa tells us the whole story and truth of her time there. She kept it secret even after the war ended because she was told to never speak of it and she just didn’t want to speak of it. I believe it brought back many scary memories for them in the war and they just wanted to move on and forget. It was an absolute great read and I recommend to all who is interested in reading on WWII and reading nonfiction. Also recommend to those who are interested in reading how brave women were in WWII and how dangerous it was in the war we never thought would end. Thank you to Net Galley for the arc.

In this fascinating memoir of an undercover British woman operative during World War II, Pippa LaTour details her experiences in the war and her work as a saboteur in occupied France in 1944. From selling soap to German soldiers and conducting other operations to hurt the German war effort, Pippa’s missions included sharing information about troop positions in Normandy, and she remained active through the liberation of Paris. Posthumously published, this memoir follows Pippa’s life from childhood in South Africa through her military service and beyond and rightly includes mentions of her military honors from both Britain and France as she finally breaks her silence about her wartime work. A brilliant picture of women’s espionage in the Second World War, Pippa’s story is totally immersive and absolutely fascinating, and military historians will really appreciate the depth of her memory and the expanse of her operations. The details and pacing of the book really pull readers into the narrative, and it is an excellent blend of narration and historical fact that creates a novel-like feeling that readers will enjoy. Intense, important, and incredibly written, this history book brings this incredible woman’s private story and incredible bravery to life in brilliant detail.

What an amazing story about this woman's life. She was born in south africa and your father died in the uprising of the congo. Her life was always an adventuress. She was always moved around and her mother died as well. She had people who really cared for her and did the best for her. She went to France to study.Because she did not make Into oxford. Then the war started and then she went to england and trained as a secret agent. This woman showed remarkable courage as she was sent back to France as an undercover Messenger. This was interesting how she survived all this. She had a friend named Kate who helped her along as well. Do not know how She survived This not eating much food and riding bikes everywhere. It must be very stressful for her of the german soldiers around . Some of the women do not make it back. They were captured Kille I think this Was able to survive because she always was moving around and had it just a different situations. And she had a lucky charm from a faith H e a l e r Great book

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the dARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pippa Latour's story of their life during WWII as a spy is fascinating, and I felt privileged to have the opportunity to learn more and get another perspective on what life was like for many during the conflict. As a memoir it ticked every box of what I am looking for when searching out the genre,
Fans of general history, biographies, and/or the history of women during wartime, will surely enjoy this.

This is a suspenseful memoir of the extraordinary life of Pippa Latour, one of the last surviving British female spies of World War II. Co-written with Jude Dobson, this posthumously published account offers a rare glimpse into the perilous world of espionage in Nazi-occupied France. Latour’s story is nothing short of remarkable. Orphaned at a young age and raised across South Africa, France, and England, she developed the resilience and multilingual skills that would later make her an invaluable asset to the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Parachuting into Normandy in 1944, she operated undercover as a teenage soap seller, gathering critical intelligence on German troop movements in the lead-up to D-Day. Her ingenuity—such as hiding coded messages in a piece of ribbon—and her unwavering courage in the face of constant danger make for a riveting read.

Yet Latour’s voice is refreshingly humble; she doesn’t glorify her actions but instead presents them as part of a collective effort against tyranny. The narrative balances tension-filled spycraft with poignant reflections on loss, survival, and the moral weight of war. The book sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of women in wartime resistance.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Orphaned at a young age Pippa was brought up by various friends of her mother. These "godmothers" saw to her security, health and education. Multi-lingual, strong in math, able to shoot well, she lived in South Africa, France and eventually England.
I received an e-copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This is my own unbiased opinion of the story of Pippa Latour's life written with Jude Dobson. This is a captivating story written from the time of her birth forward. One amazing fact is that her own husband and children did not know what Pippa had lived through. It took her grown children to get her to open up about her service during the Nazi occupation of France.
This gutsy 23-year-old parachuted at night, alone, into France wearing a one-time use jumpsuit over feminine clothing with French labels. She was to glean information posing as a farmer's teen granddaughter. This is one small portion of her bravery and service.
This is an amazing and fascinating story for me. I think anyone who is interested in the history of World War II should read this book. She was an incredible person, truly.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting story about Pippa Latour's life during WWII and her actions as a spy. If you enjoy history and the history of women during wartime, then you are sure to enjoy this book.

Intriguing memoir. Well written. A unique perspective, a young woman with an interesting life even before becoming a heroine during World War II. This was an intriguing story and did not seem to be thick with pride or narcism. The heroine (Pippa Latour) gives credit to many other members of the resistance and heroic actions. There is some brutality mentioned (World War II was full of it) so I'd be careful of reading to younger readers or those with a sensitive nature that can't handle the grisly truths from World War II.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a RC.

Wow oh wow. I’m so grateful to Pippa for sharing her story; otherwise a major part of history would’ve been lost forever. What an interesting life Pippa led during her early years. Written in such an authentic and compelling way, it definitely had my attention all throughout. It’s amazing the sacrifices made and horrors young people experienced during the dark days of World War II. And so often, the sacrifices of brave women were forgotten or overlooked.

Fascinating beginning to end!

We are living in a world where the heros of WWII are quickly leaving us. This is the last point in history we will have the ability to speak to, or read new first hand accounts from these brave men and women that saw themselves through one of the darkest points in history.

To read Pippa Latour's account of her time as a British Spy was an honor. The fact that she stayed silent for her entire life speaks to me of the type of woman she was. Committed. Honorable. Fierce. Strong.

The book itself is well written and offers a glimpse into not just Pippa's story but the story of others that she met during her time in France. She described her time and the people with a refreshing honestly and honored the memory of the events and people she encountered.

Thank you Pippa. Thank you for service. Thank you for your bravery in writing this book. Rest easy and in peace.

And thank you Jude Dobson for taking on this project and giving us Pippa's story.

Wow! This is an amazing book! If you love history, especially WW2 History, this memoir is for you. "The Last Secret Agent, My Untold Story Behind Enemy Lines" is a memoir by Pippa Latour with Jude Dobson. This true story has been published posthumously, because of the secrecy vows these Secret Agents of the SOE (Special Agents Operative) took while working behind enemy lines for the protection of their teams. Pippa Latour was the last agent to pass away, but she realized how valuable this story is to history, and completed this memoir before she passed.

Pippa parachuted into Occupied France in 1944. Sh tells her story of the trainings involved, passing secret messages, daily survival, and the horrors of being behind enemy lines. I could not put this book down. She speaks conversationally, and it draws you in. This is a memoir of someone working "for the greater good," and being brave enough to do anything she needed to do. I highly recommend it! 5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

While the Last Secret Agent is a memoir of the last SOE agent, it is more a recollection of Pippa’s memory of what happened. Written more as her memories instead of a story of what happened throughout the was as an agent.