Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster Audiobook By Gerri Willis cover art

Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster

The Untold Story of the Abolitionist Southern Belle Who Helped Win the Civil War

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Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster

By: Gerri Willis
Narrated by: Nan McNamara
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About this listen

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In this gripping Civil War history, Fox Business's Gerri Willis charts the making of a spymaster genius.

Wealthy Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew had it all. Money, charm, wit—the most elegant mansion in Richmond.

So why risk everything to become a Union spy?

The answer was simple: freedom. Right in the heart of the Confederate capital, Elizabeth played the society lady while building a secret espionage network of slaves, Unionists, and prisoners of war.

It would cost her almost everything. Flouting society’s expectations for women, Elizabeth infiltrated prisons and defied public opinion. Her story is filled with vivid personalities, including:

  • Assassin John Wilkes Booth
  • Washington socialite and Southern spy Rose Greenhow
  • Prison escape artist Thomas Rose
  • Cavalry hero Ulrich Dahlgren
  • Black spy Mary Bowser who infiltrated the Confederate White House

From grave robbery to a bold voyage across enemy lines, Elizabeth’s escapades only grew more daring. But it paid off.

By the war’s end, she had agents in both the Confederate War Department and the Richmond White House, and her couriers provided General Ulysses S. Grant with crucial, daily intelligence for his final assault.

With extensive and fresh research, Gerri Willis uncovers the Southern abolitionist heroine that the Lost Cause buried—an unbelievable tale of one woman’s courage, resistance, and liberation. Heartfelt, thrilling, and inspiring, Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster restores a forgotten hero to her rightful place as an American icon.

©2025 Gerri Willis (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
American Civil War Military Wars & Conflicts Women War Espionage Abraham Lincoln Civil War
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A few quotes were repeated several times which was more confusing than anything. Overall an interesting look at someone who deserves much more attention.

Interesting addition to civil war knowledge

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What an awesome listen. Just when you thought the Lincoln Years couldn’t get any better, then comes Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster. You won’t be disappointed in this historical addition.

The Lincoln Years

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vaguely about the title. Thought it would be more about the young lady possibly in first person. not a darn boring history lesson

sucked

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