Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elzbieta Zawacka

by Clare Mulley

This is the incredible story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the WW2 female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo, told here for the very first time. Agent Zo was the only woman to reach London from Warsaw during the Second World War as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command, and then in Britain she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the 'Silent Unseen'. She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then the only female member of these SOE affiliated forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, whilst being hunted by the Gestapo who arrested her entire family, she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland.

After the war she was demobbed as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over forty years. Now, through new archival research and exclusive interviews with people who knew and fought alongside Zo, Clare Mulley brings this forgotten heroine back to life, and also transforms how we see the history of women's agency in the Second World War.

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

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2024

About the author

Clare Mulley is the award-wining author of four books:
- 'Agent Zo' (W&N, 2024) about the only woman to parachute from Britain to Nazi German-occupied Poland. Elżbieta Zawacka was the only female member of Poland's elite special forces. Shortlisted for the Women's Prize.
- 'The Women Who Flew for Hitler' (Macmillan, 2017) explores the lives of Nazi Germany's only female test pilots, Hanna Reitsch & Melitta von Stauffenberg. Longlisted for the HWA prize.
- 'The Spy Who Loved', (Macmillan, 2012) looks at the secrets & lives of Krystyna Skarbek, aka Christine Granville, the first woman to work for Britain as a special agent during the 2WW. Under option.
- 'The Woman Who Saved the Children', (Oneworld, 2009), is about Eglantyne Jebb, controversial founder of Save the Children, & won the Daily Mail Biographers Club prize. Under option.
Broadcast includes BBC's Rise of the Nazis, The One Show, Newsnight, & various series for Channels 4, 5, The History Channel, Smithsonian, & Sky. Clare is also a regular contributor to radio and pods, & a popular public speaker.
Clare writes & reviews for the Spectator, BBC History, Literary Review & Telegraph among other publications, & has judged several literary prizes.

Reviews

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clare Mulley deserves much credit for her assiduous telling of the extraordinary story of ‘Agent Zo’, Elzbieta Zawacka. A WW2 Polish resistance fighter, this is a story of incredible bravery, tenacity, commitment, loyalty, tragedy and unwavering patriotism, all of which were related to her heartfelt desire to see the liberation of her beloved Poland. Elzbieta faced unequivocal danger in the pursuit of both hers and her nations dreams, yet single-mindedly never wavered from the task, whatever the personal risk. What a wonderful tribute to an incredible woman - from my perspective, she stands shoulder to shoulder with many of histories greatest women. Clare Mulley deserves much appreciation for the level of research that must have gone into producing it, and for making her a very real and tangible person throughout. Very much recommended.

[Melanie Caldicott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of this amazing woman was incredibly inspiring. The history of Poland's part in WWII was not something I knew much about and was especially poignant to read in light of the war in Ukraine. Mulley drew the colourful, determined character of Zo in a well-rounded and entertaining way and she highlighted the underestimated and downplayed part that women played in WWII very effectively. Some of the stories were very sad and moving. This book is very detailed and the length and amount of detail may put some readers off. It's a great book and well-researched but be prepared for a deep dive.

[Diana Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning...Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland. This is the story of one of the most amazing woman behind the lines who risked everything for her country. There is so much in this work to unpack, I wouldn't know where to begin. I will say that Stalin tried to change history but it's one of those things that has a way of the truth coming to the top. I highly recommend this work for those interested in history, or the importance of women represented in war.

[Hamish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. A fascinating tale of a a fascinating person. The writing has really good narrative pace, is truly evocative of the era and places depicted, and is deeply researched. Highly recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
an absolutely outstanding story of tenacity and unwavering commitment to a cause. Zo was heroic but she'd probably dislike the term!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This woman was almost inhumanly tough and, until after the war, astonishingly lucky. The "and then what happened, and then what happened" of her adventures would make a great movie or series.

She throws herself from one train,
hides herself in the water tank of another,
gets tossed from a second-floor window into a snowbank in the Pyrenees (where she later hides in or behind a tree when border guards shoot at her),
navigates the tunnels under Warsaw during the uprising, and
stows away in a truck's trailer rather than surrender to the Nazis and become a POW.

All of that for a Poland that, after the war, imprisoned her (so in prison, she taught inmates how to read by carving letters into potatoes) and eventually forced her out of academia (so she spent her retirement compiling a history of the Polish Home Army).

Here's what I think I'll remember the longest: how the men in the Polish government in exile in London were phoning it in, keeping banker's hours, leaving messages undeciphered for days or weeks, while women (and men) in occupied Poland were risking their lives to send all that precious intel.

Zawacka showed up in London and tried to get them into shape. She was an officer in the Polish Home Army and had been running operations across Nazi-occupied Europe for three years. The boys in London had left Poland before 1939 and didn't understand the situation on the ground. The men reacted exactly as you'd expect--tried to proposition her, complained about her lack of makeup, trashed her in correspondence back to her team in Warsaw, and changed absolutely nothing about their own behavior. Years later, long after Zawacka parachuted back into Poland, these dudes in London were still leaving the office by 4:00 pm during the Warsaw uprising.

Although Zawacka apparently didn't come out as lesbian, I think her story is part of LGBTQ history.
Also, this is almost entirely a story of non-Jewish Poles resisting and suffering under the Nazis.
Given that up until now, everything I knew about Poland during the war had focused on Jewish resistance, it felt unusual to read about so many Masses and special Christmas cookies.

The book could have used another editing pass. I say that not to be a fussbudget about grammar, but there are a lot of people and locations to keep track of, and I sometimes found myself confused by misplaced modifiers or missing commas.

That said, the amount of research is impressive, and the author provides broader context to Zawacka's story at the right places and with the right level of detail. This is definitely Zawacka's perspective, but the author brings in others' points of view as well.

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

My father was a Cichociemny - one of the few who survived WW II and left Poland, so I had heard about Zo throughout my childhood. This absolutely extraordinary, courageous and fascinating woman warranted much more than this dump of minutiae. Mulley is the most boring author of Polish historical work (save perhaps for Norman Davies). Her book on Krystyna Skarbek was even worse. There are historians who can write history and suck the reader in, compelling us to read on and on. Tim Snyder is one example, as is Doris Kearns Goodwin. Maybe Mulley (and her poor editors) could take some lessons from their work. All of this is to say that Zo should have had her inspirational story told decades ago. But now we have this and I am glad that we do. But for the colorful character who challenged the weenies in the Polish government in exile and the dolts in the SOE, this does not do her justice. My dad thought she was extraordinary for having stood up to the superiors who were fiddling while Nazis destroyed Poland. He opined that she had more "ja ja" (balls) than most of the males in his cohort. She deserves a better telling.

[Rhona Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The is a truly remarkable story. You won’t read anything quite like it. Clare Mulley painstakingly reveals the story of Elżbieta Zawacka (aka Agent Zo) a World War II Polish Resistance fighter who died in 2009, just 2 months short of her centenary.

Her life had one goal, the freedom of Poland. She started off fighting for women’s rights, with women’s training camps, the Home Army and women’s education. During the war she was the lynchpin of the underground intelligence courier system, part of the Warsaw Uprising, an emissary to Britain - which she reached hiding in a steam train and on foot over the the Pyrenees, trained with SOE, the only woman to parachute into Nazi-governed Poland and then arrested by the incoming Russians. She survived brutal imprisonment and worked stealthily to document the work and stories of the Polish women in the Home Army, fighting for their recognition and honours. Remarkably she retained the papers and her sharp memory to build an archive in Poland.

The most helpful quote is at the end of the book “Don’t be afraid of detailed descriptions: the smoother the story the sweeter it will be” - Elżbieta Zawacka.

It is a densely packed, detailed work of historical importance. Clare Mulley hasn’t skimped on doing the highly decorated Zo justice. As such, some readers may find it a longer, more challenging read.

[victoria marie]

Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize, Nonfiction

Where the devil doesn’t dare to go, there he sends a woman.
—Polish proverb

this was quite good! not usually a topic that I would search out / select for nonfiction books (like a few others on this longlist, but mostly keep getting surprised with how much I enjoy them) but grateful it was selected for this longlist & put on my radar, as engaging throughout & such an amazing story!

rankings (shortlisted books numbered)
2025 Women’s Prize—Nonfiction
* Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
* By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice by Rebecca Nagle
1. Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heart, and a Medical Miracle by Rachel Clarke
2. What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean by Helen Scales
3. A Thousand Threads: A Memoir by Neneh Cherry
4. Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter by Clare Mulley
5. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
* Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum
* Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men by Harriet Wistrich
* Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux
* Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough
* The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Castor
6. Private Revolutions: Four Women Face China's New Social Order by Yuan Yang

[14/16 read, & calling it; saving two in our library for later: Tracker by Alexis Wright & Ootlin by Jenni Fagan]

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book from many perspectives. It is the story of Elzbieta Zawacka, and exceptional undercover operative for the Polish Home Army and a resistance fighter. Agent Zo was the only female member of the "Silent Unseen" special forces and the only woman to parachute into a war zone. She began her career as member of the women's auxiliary to the Polish Army in the 1930s. Once Germany invaded, she was instrumental as a courier between contacts in Poland and the Home Army in exile in the United Kingdom. She was also a tires promoter of the idea that women should have rights to the same opportunities as men serving in the armed forces. We see her interactions with other members of the Polish resistance, especially the female organizers.

The book also discusses her choice to remain in Poland after the war to help rebuild the country and the consequences that this had on her life and the lives of her friends and family. Ultimately, we see the end of her life and the recognition of her contribution to the liberation of Poland.

I learned more about the Polish resistance in this book. The insight on the contribution of women to the Polish war effort is fantastic. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the resistance against Nazi tyranny or Poland in WWII.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

During World War II Poland witnessed many individuals engaging in serious heroic actions. The list is long and includes people like Witold Pilecki, an intelligence agent and resistance leader who volunteered to enter Auschwitz to gather intelligence and then escaped; Arena Sendler, head of the children’s division of the Zegota Council for the aid of the Jews which smuggled 2500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto; Jan Karski, a Polish soldier, resistance fighter, and diplomat who provided evidence of the Holocaust to western leaders, and acted as a courier for the Polish government in exile to western allies; Mordechai Anielewicz, led the Jewish Combat Brigade (ZOB) during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and numerous others. However, none are more remarkable than Elzbieta Zawacka, aka “Agent Zo,” the only female member of the Polish Elite Force during the war and took a leading role in many areas including the Polish uprising in Warsaw in August 1944. Her actions, and the actions of many of her compatriots in the Polish resistance during the war and after are accurately chronicled in Clare Mulley’s latest book, AGENT ZO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF A FEARLESS WORLD WAR II RESISTANCE FIGHTER ELZBIETA ZAWACKA.

Mulley presents a series of themes in her monograph, but none is more fascinating then how women were viewed by Polish and English authorities during World War II. Mulley correctly argues that thousands of Polish women rushed to defend their country in response to the twin invasions led by Germany in the west, and the Soviet Union in the East in September 1939. Eventually over 40,000 Polish women were sworn in as members of the Polish Home Army, 10% of which were soldiers, none more important than Agent Zo who was a member of the Cichociemni or “Silent Unseen” made up of Polish Special Forces paratroopers. The other 90% of women engaged in a myriad of activities ranging from acting as couriers, medical technicians, clerks, bomb makers, and gathering intelligence. Agent Zo and her partners passionately argued that women could fight as well as men and should be declared part of a “legitimate” military force to be covered by the Geneva Convention, which when finally recognized by Polish and British bureaucrats in London would save many lives. This theme pervades the narrative and provides great insight into the misogyny experienced by women in dealing with military and diplomatic decision makers during the war. For example, Colin Gubbins, head of the British Special Operations Executive which engaged in sabotage against the Nazis throughout Europe, upon learning of Zo’s exceptional bravery and accomplishments referred to her a “grand gal.”

Agent Zo’s remarkable life is examined in detail. After explaining her familial roots Mulley examines Agent Zo’s rise from a senior instructor with the Polish “Woman’s Military Training Force (PKW)” to her varied assignments during the war as she craved serious military service once Nazi Germany had violated her country. Mulley does a remarkable job recounting Agent Zo’s various relationships with both men and women. All were Polish patriots with the same goals of working to keep the allies informed about Nazi atrocities, troop movements, and any intelligence they could gather. The author explains Agent Zo’s many relationships, who influenced her the most, and who she relied upon and trusted. A few stand out like Marianna Zaodzinska, a literary person and poet who was tactical instructor who would wind up as a commander during the Warsaw uprising. General Stefan Rowecki who worked to unite all Polish resistance groups and create the Home Army who was also Zo’s commander. Maria Witteck, Zo’s close friend and Commander of the Women’s Auxiliary Services. Emelia Malessa, Zo’s superior who oversaw the Farmstead, the Polish overseas communication team. Zofia Franio, supplied weapons to Jews fighting in the Warsaw Ghetto. Sue Ryder, who volunteered at the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), lying about her age, further as part of the SOE she transported agents for the ”Silent Unseen.” Kazimierz Bilski, known as “Rum,” a member of the “Silent Unseen” and the Polish Sixth Bureau in London; and General Tadeusz Komorowski, “Bor,” Rowecki’s former deputy who succeeded him as head of the Home Army.

The role of female couriers was of major importance in the war. Their harrowing experiences crossing Europe to provide intelligence hidden on microfilm to London from Warsaw are fully explored. Zo and her fellow resistance fighters experienced numerous run-ins with the Nazis as they carried out their assignments. Their fears of arrest, torture, and death were constant, but they did not let their anxieties interfere with completing their missions. They provided evidence of Nazi atrocities, the Holocaust, technical information concerning Hitler’s miracle weapons – VI and V2 rockets, German troops positions, the needs of the Home Army, etc. These brave women accomplished remarkable things and were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. A few examples include how Zo leaped from a moving train when Nazi soldiers entered and asked for identification on a trip in Silesia, or her parachute training which she had never done before the war leading her to jump behind Nazi lines.

From the outset of the war Zo argued for a Woman’s Auxiliary Officer Corps, which would eventually be ratified into law. British and Polish “higher ups” described Zo as “an insane feminist and pioneer of the liberation movement and equality of women….a hysterical women.” It took until October 1943 for a decree on “Women’s Voluntary Service,” providing women between 18 and 45 the same rights and duties as men in the armed forces. The result – thousands of Polish women came forward to volunteer.

Mulley’s research is impeccable, and she devotes a great deal of time to the political and diplomatic components of the war. A few stand out. It became clear to Zo that by the Fall of 1943 Polish influence and/or importance to the British government was waning, especially when there were no Polish diplomats present at the Tehran Conference. As the Soviet Union broke through in the east, Stalin’s plans for a post war Poland began to become clear. The Russian dictator planned to seize areas in eastern Poland, and shift Poland’s border westward in return. Stalin denied that Russian soldiers committed the Katyn massacre which took place in the spring 1940 which was a series of mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish military and police officers, border guards, and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out by the Soviet Union, specifically the NKVD, at Joseph Stalin's orders. Stalin would not recognize the Polish government in exile and appointed his own government in Lublin, Poland toward the end of the war. Another egregious action or non-action by Stalin was his refusal to allow any military assistance, be it bombers, supplies, men, the use of Russian airfields in order to assist Polish resistance fighters as they rose up against the Nazis in Warsaw in August 1943. Stalin’s goal was clear – to wipe out any Polish opposition to Russian hegemony in Eastern Europe after the war. Franklin Roosevelt felt the need to appease the Russian dictator, in part, because the Soviet military had done the bulk of the fighting against the Nazis. Churchill had little choice but to go along.

The Nazis finally identified Zo, resulting in a price on her head in March 1944 as the Nazis b targeted all women in their thirties as a means of finding her. Mulley describes her clandestine life and travels in detail as she was ordered to remain in a convent to escape the Nazi dragnet. Finally, she emerges to play a key role in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, but not as a fighter which was against her wishes. With her experience and knowledge of the city, its sewers, basements, and neighborhoods in general she was put in charge of organizing women to deliver supplies, make incendiary bombs, deliver medical supplies, organize ambulances, and use couriers as a means of getting the truth out to the world. In the end 18,000 resisters, and 200,000 civilians were killed in the uprising. Once the city succumbed, Zo escaped and spent her time trying to reorganize the Farmstead.

Once the war ended Zo’s personal battle for Polish independence did not end as the new communist regime imposed by Stalin began to show interest in her just as they wanted to destroy any remnant of the Home Army that may have remained. Stalin’s henchmen rounded up any Home Army veterans who they saw as part of a possible anti-communist resistance. For Zo, the peace she fought so long and hard for instead “she felt that her country’s occupation by one hostile foreign power had now been replaced by another, and Poland was still not free.” As Marissa Moss points out in her December 11, 2024, review in The New York Journal of Books; “Zo herself was sent to prison, arrested for being part of a network spying on the communist government. She wasn't part of any such group but looked guilty simply because of her past. Like many of her compatriots in the Home Army, her real crime lay in telling the story of Poland's resistance, a story that contradicted the official Soviet version.” She was tortured and imprisoned and finally freed after Stalin died in March 1953, but she was not allowed to teach because of her “criminal record” and her refusal to join the communist party. It was not until the arrival of the Solidarity movement and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 that she could be sure that her secret archive detailing the Home Army would be secure, as she was determined to collect even more stories of the Home Army, especially the part played by women.

Zo was the recipient of many awards and medals for her bravery and devotion to her country, but to her what really mattered was the history through which she had lived. She created a vast archive, hoping to educate a new generation about their country's history. This book serves her mission well.

[Annie Sostok · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true life of a woman, during a pivotal timeframe of history, where both the life and the history of the day needs to be told, remembered, celebrated and honoured by how life is lived after its hearing.

So thankful for the diligence, respect and depth of the writing - it feels like you are in every step of the story of Zo & the men and women living alongside her during WWII and the years after.

[Angus Murchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book about an absolutely incredible woman whose lifelong struggle for a free Poland deserves to be far better known in the wider world. I had the privilege of hearing Clare Mulley talk about Agent Zo and the writing of this book at Bletchley Park and was completely captivated by both the life history of Elżbieta Zawacka (Agent Zo) and the story of how the book came to be written.

This book is a reminder that women were completely crucial to victory in WW2 but their contribution has frequently been ignored or downplayed by the vast majority of (male) historians. It is astonishing and appalling to think that without the actions and example of Agent Zo the thousands of women who were a fundamental part of Polish resistance, intelligence gathering (and most crucially reporting that intelligence back to London), and especially as being active combatants in the Warsaw Uprising would have been summarily executed or sent to Death Camps instead of being treated as the Prisoners of War that they actually were once the Uprising was defeated by overwhelming and far better armed Nazi SS forces.

My memories of what I knew about this disgusting period in history had faded but were brought sharply back into focus in this excellent book. The Nazi and Soviet destruction of Poland is beneath contempt and the human suffering they caused in the name of insane ideology is scarcely believable. In particular the history of the Warsaw Uprising and the utterly unforgivable and abhorrent actions of Stalin and the Soviet forces in deliberately stopping their advance on Warsaw and refusing to even let Allied aircraft refuel at Russian airbases so that the Nazi’s could all but destroy the Polish Home Army before the Soviets and their puppet Polish authorities could move in to kill off any remaining resistance is a chilling reminder of how cheap human life is to authoritarian political regimes who care only about staying in power and increasing their control over the world. Sadly, 80 years later those lessons still haven’t been learnt and history is beginning to repeat itself.

[LindaJ^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in audio. The narrator was excellent but it was a challenge to keep track of all names. The book is on the long list for the 2025 women's prize for non-fiction.

Elzbieta Zawacka, Agent Zo, was a remarkable woman and very important to the allies for her activities during WWII. She was a courier, a resistance fighter, a special forces soldier, and more. She set up courier systems and knew how to obtain important, needed information. She was super lucky, largely because she was very skilled, in not being captured by the Nazis. Her luck expired with the Soviets took control of the Polish government post WWII, when England and the US let the Soviets take control of Poland and other Eastern European countries. She was arrested, interrogated, and spend years in prison because she met with her former superior. She refused to help him in resisting the Communists but since she did not report his asking, she was guilty of something. Even after release, she was watched constantly and arrested again when she was 72.

Zo never gave up fighting for Polish women to be recognized for the crucial role they planned during WWII. She may be the person most responsible for the Polish people being able to learn the truth about the Soviet role in the lead up to the WWII and the failure of the Warsaw resistance.

Somehow she survived to age 99. By then she had been promoted to Brigadier General (retired) in the Polish Army and received the highest award available to be given for her service to her country.

A story that needed to be told.

Normally, I would rate have rated this 4.0 stars, as there were some portions of the book that were a slog. But researching and telling Agent Zo's story is deserving of a round up to 5 stars.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story. Agent Zo said she didn't want to be called a hero, but she truly embodies it. Some of her stories feel like they've come straight from a movie, yet the brutal account of what truly happened - particularly to servicemwomen, in Poland left me shocked. A wonderful read. Would recommend. 5/5.

[magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
to nie tylko biografia Elżbiety Zawackiej - to przede wszystkim historia o kobietach na wojnie, kobietach walczących, kobietach, które walczyły o wolność swojego kraju. i o tym jak były traktowane. bardzo dobra pozycja

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took me quite a while but an excellent history of not only Elżbieta Zawacka but the other remarkable women involved in the Polish resistance. A testimony to the importance of archives and collecting personal testimonies, particularly for women’s history. Got a few more UK sites to visit now as well!

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of story that middle school students think the teacher made up to make history crazy and exciting. I did not know that the allies had deeply and repeatedly betrayed the people of Poland. This is the over aching story told through the extraordinary lives of the Polish Home Army, in particular, women in the Polish Home Army.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best ww2 books I've ever read. I love how Elzbieta Zawacka worked tirelessly for freedom, and how this book also highlights the efforts of other women and resistance fighters. Very tragic but very good

[Amelia Kovac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elzbieta Zawacka.

A name I should've learnt at school and a name I'm never going to forget.

In the pantheon of people who have made a tangible and sincere difference to their countries, Zawacka is up there. Tireless, unrelenting, demanding, harsh, and deeply loving to those in her life, and someone who truly models the word patriot in the most honest sense of the word, she was a remarkable woman who I'm thrilled is now getting a broader audience due to Mulley's book.

Her story as written by Mulley pulled me along at a rapid pace. I did doubt whether I would be interested in the post-war years and found myself questioning Mulley's decision to extend the story but what a fool I was. Her work under the communist rule of Soviet Poland was, perhaps, even more impressive than the work she undertook during the war, which is a hard feat indeed considering her attempts to get to London and the fact she literally launched herself back into Poland.

The fact she was such a devoted teacher that she never stopped, even in prison, is incredible, and her role in establishing distance learning in Poland is something I could have a whole other book on.

What stood out the most to me is the description of Zawacka in Warsaw during the Uprising and the description of the sky. I felt as though I was there, the horror choking me, and that's why this book is going to stay with me more than most. Mulley does an incredible job of putting you right next to Zawacka, feeling the exhaustion, the smells, and the horrors of all she goes through.

The one criticism I have, which is what's dropped this to a four-star for me, is the repetition of certain facts throughout the narrative. I felt that Mulley didn't entirely trust the readers to keep things straight in their mind and repeated the connection of certain people to Zawacka more than was needed. It was easy enough to read past but it did grow a little tedious after a while.

An absolutely stunning book that 100% deserves its place on the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist and I hope to see it shortlisted too.

[Jenny King · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOMEN’S PRIZE NON-FICTION 2025

5⭐️

Absolutely remarkable story focusing on a part of WW2 that I was unfamiliar with (Polish Resistance). Absolutely incredible story of a woman who fought both against the Nazis and then against the Soviets, and then against her own country for the right of women in the army to be recognised.

[Millie Picker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read of the courage, fortitude, and determination of women who served as spies in a male dominated world during the war, it gives me a sense of true feminism, not what has been packaged as feminism by modern women.
These women didn’t ask for lower standards, special considerations, nor whined about the men who were in charge, but won the respect of men through the qualities I first listed!
Another great read about women who fought with everything they had available and for the love of their home country to thwart Hitler and his murderous regime.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More often than not, books about WWII sow an unbearable weight of heaviness, with the most atrocious and abhorrent human behavior filling the pages. But, somehow, this book consoles and almost uplifts with the sheer determination, bravery, and resilience of one Agent Zo. Through the melancholy, I was inspired by this intrepid young woman. This book is an illustrious biography of a true hero that, sadly, you've never heard of. Elzbieta Zawacka was a female resistance fighter who became known as Agent Zo, one of the most decorated and honored women in Poland. Her tenacity, her love for her country, and her remarkable fearlessness will leave you in awe. As my grandmother, a Polish WWII refugee, would frequently remind me, we (she meant me) just have no idea what it means to exude bravery, to be frightened, to feel guilt, to hunger, and to suffer pain and loss. As you follow Zo for nearly a century in this book, that sentiment rings even truer. I shed tears many times while reading, just emotionally consumed by the struggle and utterly humbled by the courageousness. This is a book everyone should read, a hero everyone should know.

[Rebecca Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zo was a remarkable woman, there is no doubt about that! As part of the Polish resistance and the only female of the Silent Unseen, she was a force to be reckoned with.

However I did find myself feeling like this was a chore to read. Inundated with facts, names and places, it was difficult to keep up. This meant that the story suffered and felt disjointed at times.

A privilege to be part of the Women's Non-Fiction Prize shadowing book club. Thank you for my copy.

[Hayley]

Really well written history book. A lot of the general events I already knew about but this book went much more into detail about the Polish experience during WWII. Especially that of women in the Silent Unseen resistance group.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Agent Zo, Clare Mulley heralds one of Poland’s almost fearless World War II female resistance fighters, and the work of other women fighting for their country. Elzbieta Zawacka, grew up in Touruń, Germany and was immersed in the local language and culture. Since her family was Polish, the children also learned Polish and culture, but in secret. At the beginning of WWII, Elzbieta, whose family had moved back to Poland, was an instructor for the Polish Women’s Military organization.

In 1939, as Poland was being attacked by both the Soviets from the East and Germans from the West, Elzbieta helped establish the Polish resistance network. The network gathered information, participated in sabotage and couriered letters, money, microfilm and more into and out of Poland. Generally the Germans overlooked and underestimated the resistance work of the women. Elzieta was given Zo as her non de guerre. She worked hard, attempting to meet all challenges.

“…In the two months since leaving occupied Warsaw, she was soaked to the skin in the tender of a steam train, thrown out into the snow from the first floor window of an inn, and shot at in the freezing mountain passes of the Pyrenees. But she had evaded the enemy at every turn.”

Due to her work and that of relatives, her family was detained at times, by the Germans, and some lost their lives. But Zo kept working undercover and was always able to elude the Germans. She was not the only female fighter and strongly advocated for the war work of women, including the war work of the British women when she was in their country.

One of her major espionage challenges was the smuggling money and microfilm from Poland and into Great Britain via a difficult climb over the Pyrenees, during the winter, and then being shipped to Britain. Months later she was parachuted back to Poland, after many jumping lessons.

After the War, Poland was given to the Soviets and Zo continued her resistance activities, but this time against Stalin.. She was arrested in 1951 by the Communists and found guilty of espionage, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, she was released in 1955. Then she found it difficult to find teaching work. Eventually Elzbieta became an expert in remote adult education while also trying to make her country aware of the war work of other women. Elziebta died in 2009 at the age of 99.

In addition to learning about Zo and the other women in the resistance, I picked up several interesting nuggets of information.

-Bombing or airdrop flights from London to Poland were not made in the summer because there were not enough hours of dark for a flight of that length.

-The British women, in contrast to the Polish women participating in the resistance, picked up desk jobs and factory jobs that the men left to serve in the military. The war action was in the air, they did not have to protect their streets and homes like the Polish women.

-Polish women brought up as German women, being immersed in both cultures and languages, easily moved from one country to another, as German officials paid little attention to women.

In Agent Zo, author Claire Mulley attempts to follow Zo’s lead by also describing the essential war work of other women. While other specific women are introduced, Agent Zo is ninety percent about Elsbieta. Mulley attempts to flesh out Zo, but Zo was known more for what she did than what she thought or felt.

While not planned, the last year was the year of Poland for me, as I listened to two historical fiction books on the Warsaw ghetto during the War and a history of Eastern Europe which mostly focused on Poland. Agent Zo fit right in with those books.

I listened to Agent Zo which was well narrated by Kristin Atherton.

Agent Zo was shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.

Rating: 4 -

[Hayley (Shelflyfe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

HASSL 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐐&𝐀𝐬:
1. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘭𝘻𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘡𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢'𝘴 (𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘡𝘰'𝘴) 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨?
I LOVED Agent Zo, and thought Mulley did an excellent job of drawing out Elzbieta's life and character. I didn't know anything about her before this book, and her story is both inspiring and also heartwarming.
I thought it was interesting that she was born into a family that encouraged her to be herself, and that they didn't encourage her to change who she inherently was just because of her gender. They were proudly maintaining their Polish culture and roots, even if this was behind closed doors, and her parents instilled this sense of pride in Elzbieta to be unapologetically herself. It almost seems as though Agent Zo was born with rebellion in her blood given the stories about her grandparents, the behaviour of her parents, and the tumultuous history her country had already experienced with invasion, annexation and occupation.
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐙𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥-𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

2. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘡𝘰'𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 ���𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳?
The main thing that stood out to me about Elzbieta is her sheer resilience; no matter how many people try to dissuade or discourage her, she keeps fighting for what she believes is right. And she never gives up on fighting for women's rights, even when some of the men around her treat her terribly.
To some she may have been 'a difficult woman', or 'a militant female dictator', but to everyone she was strong, brave, and capable. She knew her mind, knew what she wanted, and wasn't afraid to voice her opinion. I would love to have met her, though I probably would have also been a bit intimidated by her. 🤣
To many people she was seen as kind, cheerful, and friendly, even if she was a somewhat serious person overall. And she was a willing teach to anyone who respected her and was willing to learn.
To me, the critical comments just emphasise how strong she was in challenging the status quo, and in encouraging men to be held accountable. The men making cutting remarks about her wouldn't have done so unless they felt triggered by the things she challenged them on, and no one feels triggered unless a nerve is touched.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟑. 𝐙𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐤𝐞. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 '𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝' 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟑 '𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧', 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

3. 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸, 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬?
There were a lot of facts that I didn't know before reading this book, but some particular standouts for me are:
• the fact that the UK and US could have done more to stop (or at least delay) the movement of people to the concentration camps. The UK literally dropped a million leaflets over Germany by plane, but didn't bomb the railway tracks;
• up until 1948, if a British woman married a foreign national, she automatically lost her British citizenship - because women were seen as property and not people;
• it amused me that because a lot of place name signs were removed, some people arriving by port to the UK thought they were arriving in a place called Bovril because of the advertisements;
• the absolute irony that Heinrich Himmler was so appalled by Spanish bullfighting that he almost fainted, yet he could come up with such disgusting and cruel plans to hurt people.

(Continued in comments)

[Caroline Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how much you think you know about WW II history, this book will have something to teach you. I've certainly read a lot about the French Resistance movement, but did not know as much about the struggle in Poland, which began much earlier in 1939. Fighting back from the first moments of the German invasion (and Soviet - another important part of the story), the Poles essentially never stopped fighting for their country's freedom all the way up to the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.
The author focuses on a hero of the Polish Home Army and resistance networks, Elzbieta Zawacka, aka Agent Zo, who until now was relatively unknown outside of Poland. Already part of the women's auxiliary military in 1939, she immediately joined the fight against the Germans, which moved underground after the occupation. A fluent German speaker who could move easily (with forged papers) throughout the 3rd Reich, she made over 100 trips as a courier through occupied Europe, smuggling information out of Poland to share with her government in exile in London - intelligence that was critical to the war effort. She also made her harrowing way to London, where she was chosen as the only female member of the Silent Unseen, a collection of Polish spies trained by the British to be dropped behind enemy lines to work against the Germans back in Poland.
In telling Agent Zo's story, Mulley takes readers through all the key events of WWII history, with an especially gripping and horrifying section detailing Zo's leadership during the Warsaw Uprising. Having recently read Anne Applebaum's The Iron Curtain, I was all too familiar with the story of Poland's betray by Britain & America, selling out their most loyal allies to the Soviets.
The great irony is that Zawacka managed to elude capture by the Germans, even when many of her friends and family members were arrested and sent to concentration camps, but she was jailed by the Soviet-backed regime for many years.
Mulley tells the complete story of Zawacka's life, from the fall of the 3rd Reich to the rise of the Communists, and her involvement in anti-communist resistance movements such as Solidarity. Angered by the rewriting of WWII history by the Soviets, which erased the heroic efforts of the Polish Home Army and ignored the contributions of women entirely, it was her life's work to collect survivors' stories and ensure that the history was told. Mulley's work now brings this woman's incredible story to a Western audience - highly recommended.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading Agent Zo, my understanding of Poland’s WWII experience was largely shaped by sweeping historical fiction like James Michener’s Poland. Clare Mulley’s biography of Elzbieta Zawacka — code-named “Zo” — changed that. While centered on one extraordinary woman, the book doubles as a compelling history lesson, spanning from the 1939 invasion by Germany and the Soviet Union to Poland’s reemergence as an independent nation in 1989.

Zawacka’s life unfolds chronologically, beginning with the joint Nazi–Soviet invasion and leading through years of war, betrayal, and resistance. Though the Home Army (Armia Krajowa), Zo’s unit, gets special focus, Mulley also includes Poland’s other military formations: those who fled west to fight with Allied forces in France, Britain, Italy, and North Africa, and those conscripted into the Soviet-aligned Polish People’s Army. These accounts paint a vivid picture of a nation fighting on multiple fronts — often against impossible odds.

What stayed with me most was how Poland became a tragic pawn in geopolitical games. During the Warsaw Uprising, Soviet troops waited across the river as resistance fighters ran out of supplies. Hoping for allied support, they were left on their own. Once Soviet troops entered Warsaw, the NKVD and Poland’s UB secret police unleashed a brutal crackdown, targeting Home Army members and crushing dissent. Zo’s own arrest — and her survival — are testaments to her resilience. Under communist rule, Poland’s true wartime history was systematically erased, replaced by propaganda that ignored Soviet brutality.

In later life, Zawacka became a teacher and archivist, working to reclaim Poland’s buried past. She was a feminist, a freedom fighter, and a preservationist of truth. Mulley’s meticulous research brings not only Zo’s courage to light but also the unflinching strength of so many like her.

This book is essential reading for anyone seeking a detailed account of Poland’s fight to exist — told through the lens of one indomitable woman.

[Judy]

I can't believe I finished it. My one nonfiction book of the year. A portrait of an amazing woman, who worked as a courier for the Polish Resistance during WW II. She was incredibly fearless and clever, and indomitable. She was extremely single-minded and wanted only 2 things: a free and democratic Poland and for women to be recognized as the soldiers they were. And then she dedicated her last years to making sure that the history of these women and their sacrifices would be remembered in history.

There are a lot of people in the book and I couldn't keep all of them straight, especially with those vowel-less Polish names. But the author does a great job of keeping you reading and of portraying the incredible people involved. There are times when I wondered "How did she know that?" But it's explained in the epilogue that the author had access to vast amounts of documents, many of them compiled by the subject herself, in her implacable determination to memorialize the work of the Resistance. She wasn't always a nice person and she was somewhat abnormal in that she had no interest in love affairs. She wasn't interested in men and we have to take it on faith (or her own word) that she wasn't interested in women either.

I learned a lot about Polish history and the description of the Warsaw Uprising (not to be confused with the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which I'm more familiar with) was quite harrowing. Especially when Stalin kept the Red Army back from helping the resistance so they could come in and take over. The description of the poverty and hunger is also harrowing. And so many of her siblings died - from ill health, and being sent to concentration camps for no reason, it was very sad. And her colleague and boss, Emilia, who was excellent, ended up committing suicide because a Soviet officer tricked her into betraying the group and after she got out of prison, no one would talk to her and they took away her adopted son - I really felt for her. So sad - she devoted many years of her life to the resistance, did excellent work and yet was tricked and abandoned in the end.

I respected Zo, the subject of the biography, but I'm not sure if I would have liked her, although she was an admirable person. The book is very well-written and suspenseful; the author did a great job of conveying a vast amount of information and keeping it interesting. So I would recommend this book as a good look at a mostly unknown chapter of WW II, and a feminist one at that. I enjoyed reading it.