★In the world of espionage, gender is the first Trojan horse that is underestimated.
★This is a work by Boris Volodarsky, a member of the Bridge Intelligence Seminar and the World International Studies Association at Stanford University in the United States, who holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and Political Science. It is a "black book" that systematically covers Russian female spies over the past century.

This is a pioneering work that systematically reviews the covert operations and cunning strategies of the most enigmatic female spies in Russia from ancient times to the early 21st century for the first time. As an authoritative work in this field, this book delves deeply into the lives and careers of female spies who served their country, revealing how they rewrote the history of espionage. The author has thoroughly examined multi-language archives and a vast amount of secondary materials, and combined with his own professional experience, not only records the bold missions and extraordinary personalities of figures like Countess Dorothea Levin, but also analyzes the unique skills that made them stand out in a male-dominated world. Readers will witness how they broke through social constraints - from Roxolana, the most charming, powerful, self-assertive, mysterious and scheming female spy in the early 16th century, to modern intelligence circles' Anna Chapman, Norma Zalubina, and Olga Kolobova (alias "Maria Adela Kufelt Rivera").

This book illuminates this popular yet often misunderstood topic from a fresh perspective, revealing the psychological and tactical details of female spies and demonstrating how they once reshaped the geopolitical landscape of their times. The interweaving of dramatic narrative and profound analysis makes this book a must-read for history enthusiasts, intelligence scholars, and espionage buffs, as well as anyone interested in the gender power games in the world of espionage. The secrets that have been hidden for too long are about to be revealed, and the "invisible agents" (female spies) behind the scenes will finally come to light. The book is also accompanied by rare photos collected by the author, which, together with the text, provide a precious and comprehensive view.

Boris Volodarsky is a member of the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar, chaired by Professor Christopher Andrew, a British intelligence historian. He served as an intelligence officer in the military and completed his doctoral dissertation on intelligence history at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is currently a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and a former visiting scholar at the Canning House of the LSE. He is frequently invited to participate in BBC's "Panorama", the British TV series "London Has Fallen", and the Spanish documentary "Project Niños", among other radio and television programs.

Vorodalski has published numerous articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Spectator, and several academic intelligence journals in the UK and the US. His previous works include "Stalin's Agents", the "KGB Poison Factory" trilogy (From Lenin to Litvinenko, The Assassin, and Kill the Mockingbird), and other intelligence-related studies. As an academic historian, he is currently writing a six-volume new history of the KGB. The first volume was published in 2023, and the second is expected to be released in 2025.

In addition, he also serves as a director and chief advisor, having directed the documentaries "The Spy Capital" and "The Spy Capital 2", both of which premiered at Cannes and won multiple international "Best Documentary Feature" awards.