During the Civil War, Rose O'Neal Greenhow was one of the South's great spies, directing a vast network of secret agents. The vital information she provided helped win the Battle of Manassas and led to Confederate victory at Bull Run. As unofficial ambassador for Jefferson Davis, she slipped through the blockade at sea to plead for help in England and France on a last, desperate mission.

At sixteen, Rose O'Neal left her Maryland village to live with an aunt who ran an elegant boarding house in Washington, where she met the most fascinating men of her era. They were charmed by her wit and great beauty, and when she married Dr. Greenhow of the State department, she swept to fame as Washington's favorite hostess. Despite the ominous threats of civil war, life was a succession of diplomatic functions and White House balls. But politics interested Rose more than parties. She had a strange presentiment of her own destiny when she began to keep a notebook listing every loyal southerner she knew, from statesmen to servants. That list was to become invaluable in wartime when she embarked on the great adventure of her life—espionage.

On the street or at market, the color of her attire, the purchase of fruit, even the tilt of her parasol relayed a sign or warning to her agents. She gathered information about Union troop movements, supplies and fortifications, then sped the messages to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. She knew that Allen Pinkerton, President Lincoln's special detective was watching her and that their duel of wits could end in her death. But she had been given a mission in life for which she was willing to sacrifice everything.

This is the engrossing biography of a beautiful, patriotic woman who dedicated her life to a dangerous mission. From romantic beginning to violent end, her story is packed with suspense and intrigue. 

From the dust jacket