The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

Celebrated model Toto Koopman had beauty, brains, and fame. Born to a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, she took up the life of a bon vivant in 1920s Paris and modeled for Vogue magazine and Coco Chanel. But modeling didn't satisfy her. Fluent in six languages, she was adventurous and fascinated by world politics.

In London, she attracted the attention of Lord Beaverbrook, the William Randolph Hearst of England. She soon became his confidante, companion, and translator, traversing the Continent and finding herself caught in the winds of impending war. Beaverbrook introduced her to influential people, including a director at the British Intelligence Service, who schooled her in espionage.

When Germany invaded Poland, Toto came face to face with reality: either fight the Axis powers or lose the world she loved. She moved to Florence, joined the Italian resistance, and began sending intelligence to London. But Mussolini's Blackshirts and the Nazi's military intelligence had her in their crosshairs and, as they pursued her, her courage was tested to the limit.

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The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

Celebrated model Toto Koopman had beauty, brains, and fame. Born to a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, she took up the life of a bon vivant in 1920s Paris and modeled for Vogue magazine and Coco Chanel. But modeling didn't satisfy her. Fluent in six languages, she was adventurous and fascinated by world politics.

In London, she attracted the attention of Lord Beaverbrook, the William Randolph Hearst of England. She soon became his confidante, companion, and translator, traversing the Continent and finding herself caught in the winds of impending war. Beaverbrook introduced her to influential people, including a director at the British Intelligence Service, who schooled her in espionage.

When Germany invaded Poland, Toto came face to face with reality: either fight the Axis powers or lose the world she loved. She moved to Florence, joined the Italian resistance, and began sending intelligence to London. But Mussolini's Blackshirts and the Nazi's military intelligence had her in their crosshairs and, as they pursued her, her courage was tested to the limit.

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The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

by Maryka Biaggio
The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman's World War II Ventures

by Maryka Biaggio

Paperback

$19.95 
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Overview

Celebrated model Toto Koopman had beauty, brains, and fame. Born to a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, she took up the life of a bon vivant in 1920s Paris and modeled for Vogue magazine and Coco Chanel. But modeling didn't satisfy her. Fluent in six languages, she was adventurous and fascinated by world politics.

In London, she attracted the attention of Lord Beaverbrook, the William Randolph Hearst of England. She soon became his confidante, companion, and translator, traversing the Continent and finding herself caught in the winds of impending war. Beaverbrook introduced her to influential people, including a director at the British Intelligence Service, who schooled her in espionage.

When Germany invaded Poland, Toto came face to face with reality: either fight the Axis powers or lose the world she loved. She moved to Florence, joined the Italian resistance, and began sending intelligence to London. But Mussolini's Blackshirts and the Nazi's military intelligence had her in their crosshairs and, as they pursued her, her courage was tested to the limit.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781620067802
Publisher: Milford House Press
Publication date: 03/29/2022
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

About The Author

Maryka Biaggio is a psychology professor turned novelist who brings forgotten lives back to the light. Specializing in historical fiction inspired by real people, she is celebrated for illuminating overlooked historical figures with psychological depth and narrative grace. Her debut novel, Parlor Games (Doubleday, 2013), launched a distinguished career that includes Eden Waits, The Point of Vanishing, The Model Spy, Gun Girl and the Tall Guy, and Margery and Me (forthcoming from Regal House in 2026). Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the Willamette Writers Award, Oregon Writers Colony Award, Historical Novel Society Review Editors' Choice, La Belle Lettre Award, and a Michigan Upper Peninsula Notable Book Award. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Find out more at MarykaBiaggio.com.

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