Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage

In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organization that we now know as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the “wise gals” by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humor and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. They were smart, courageous, and groundbreaking agents at the top of their class, instrumental in both developing innovative tools for intelligence gathering — and insisting (in their own unique ways) that they receive the credit and pay their expertise deserved.

Throughout the Cold War era, each woman had a vital role to play on the international stage. Through their friendship and shared sense of purpose, they rose to positions of power and were able to make real change in a traditionally "male, pale, and Yale" organization — but not without some tragic losses and real heartache along the way. From the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls comes a meticulously researched and beautifully told group biography that uses firsthand interviews with past and present officials and declassified government documents to uncover the stories of these four inspirational women. Wise Gals sheds a light on the untold history of the women whose daring foreign intrigues, domestic persistence, and fighting spirit have been and continue to be instrumental to our country’s security.

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