I first heard about this book when I knew Claire at Bishop Grossteste University in Lincoln in her capacity as secretary of the City of Lincoln branch of the Historical Association; she had kindly invited me to speak on a couple of occasions about my books on army supply. So I wanted to read what she was writing.
What I found was the product of a great deal of painstaking research, perhaps echoing the painstaking work of those about whom she wrote. It made me sit up and realise just what a professional historian can do; I am but an amateur, albeit an enthusiastic one!
The end result impacts in a number of ways.
For a lover of James Bond, Claire is generous with her references to the people who probably inspired his characters. Having enjoyed Helen Fry's Spymaster, I found myself back in that shadowy world.
Claire, though, has done much more. She has given long overdue acknowledgement to the women who gave so much in the secret service of their country. She has named the glass ceilings imposed by men which denied the country the service of these women at more senior levels. More generally she has described the way women were brought into and then thrown out of the workplace in time of war.
Perhaps the greatest credit is the way Claire illustrated the painstaking work done by conscientious women, without which the services would have been impotent. Secret service is about information, not only how it is collected but also about how it is stored, verified, safeguarded and accessed.
This vital administration was done alongside a smaller group of women who, blessed with the gift of languages, risked all in the face of the enemy.
A great addition in a vital area of national life.
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