A Guest of the Reich

In A Guest of the Reich, Peter Finn chronicles the remarkable life of Gertrude "Gertie" Legendre, a South Carolina heiress who became the first American woman in uniform to be taken prisoner on the Western front during World War II. Initially enjoying a privileged life as a big-game hunter and the inspiration for a Broadway play, Legendre joined the OSS after Pearl Harbor, where she handled vital U.S. government secrets. Captured by the Germans in 1944 and subjected to intense interrogations, she engaged in a daring battle of wits with her captors before ultimately escaping to Switzerland. This gripping narrative sheds light on a little-known yet extraordinary chapter of the war while highlighting Legendre’s courage and resilience.