Valiant Women

The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II

By: Lena S. Andrews

Narrated by: Courtney Patterson

"An ingenious look at WWII.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

A groundbreaking new history of the role of American servicewomen in WWII, illuminating their forgotten yet essential contributions to the Allies’ victory.

Valiant Women is the story of the 350,000 American women who served in uniform during World War II. These incredible women served in every service branch, in every combat theater, and in nearly two-thirds of the available military occupations at the time.

They were pilots, codebreakers, ordnance experts, gunnery instructors, metalsmiths, chemists, translators, parachute riggers, truck drivers, radarmen, pigeon trainers, and much more. They were directly involved in some of the most important moments of the war, from the D-Day landings to the peace negotiations in Paris. These women—who hailed from every race, creed, and walk of life—died for their country and received the nation’s highest honors. Their work, both individually and in total, was at the heart of the Allied strategy that won World War II.

Yet, until now, their stories have been relegated to the dusty shelves of military archives or a passing mention in the local paper. Often the women themselves kept their stories private, even from their own families.

Now, military analyst Lena Andrews corrects the record with the definitive and comprehensive historical account of American servicewomen during World War II, based on new archival research, firsthand interviews with surviving veterans, and a deep professional understanding of military history and strategy.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Lena S. Andrews (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Remarkable women

I learned so much about what the women in the military did during WWII. The book is well researched and is one that I feel every one should read.

Honor & Service

As a female Veteran I am always at awe of the ladies who paved the way. I love learning about their service and the sacrifices they willingly made. This book is a fitting tribute to the female veterans of WW II. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to others.

A must!

Lena Andrews delivers an inspiring look at the role of women in uniform during the Second World War. I cannot say enough good things about this book. This should be part on any history buff’s collection.

Very interesting

This book was well researched and very well written. I learned ManuFact about women in the military that I had never known before. I recommend that everyone with an interest in this subject read this book.

Confirmation of What I Suspected

This is the first book I've read about the important even if less glamorous life of women and their contributions to the success of World War 2. After listening to this book I realize being a minority and being a woman are on equal footing in the struggle for equality multiply that if your both. These women did alot of the support work yet were overlooked by history. I really was impressed about the Women's Army Service Pilots (WASP) and the smooth landings. This is a informative read.

Interesting information

The speaker was very good - the writer did a lot of research - it was important to hear about the different arms of our military and how they approached the use of women and the reactions to women in the military. Very disappointing how women were treated back then and how long it took for women to be recognized for their contributions!

A New Story to Me

I knew women served in noncombatant roles in World War II but I did not know the extent of their contributions. Of course, I could have guessed the sexism and racism they had to endure but it was very good to hear how they triumphed.

A bit disappointing

I had expected about 90% stories about women in the military, but was disappointed. This is about 70-80% military history, with remainder about women in the WWII military. The narrator was good, but there was a minimal amount of personal Women’s’ stories the WW2 stuff, I knew.

Informative and Surprisingly Funny

Was extremely interesting to hear the stories of all these real women that existed, almost forgotten to history

It’s important to preserve these sorts of things and the reader really gave life to it all

I was also surprised how funny the book was, these women and the author are sharp and witty, fun little listen and teaches you something too!

Read this and be in awe of our good fortune for the role women played in victory in WWII?

I have read many books on our military over the years. I can say I learned much I didn’t know from this book. Very well researched and the author wrote a compelling narrative. The reader was easy to listen to and did a great job. I enjoy being read to!