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Lecture

Helen Fry
Mata Hari: WWI Spy

Tuesday 18.11.2025

How to watch

This lecture starts on 18 November at 7:00pm (UK).

Summary

Helen Fry takes a new look at the famous WWI spy seductress Mata Hari (Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, 1876-1917) and uncovers some surprising conclusions about the true nature of this glamorous historical figure.

Helen Fry

an image of Helen Fry
Helen Fry has authored and edited over 25 books covering the social history of the Second World War, including British Intelligence and the secret war, espionage, and spies, as well as MI9 escape and evasion. She is the foremost authority on the “secret listeners” who worked at special eavesdropping sites operated by British Intelligence during WWII. Helen is the official biographer of MI6 spymaster, Colonel Thomas Joseph Kendrick. She has also extensively written about the 10,000 Germans who fought for Britain during WWII. Helen has appeared in a number of documentaries and has provided advisory services for TV and drama. She also appears regularly in media interviews and podcasts. Helen is an ambassador for the National Centre for Military Intelligence (NCMI) and serves as a trustee of both the Friends of the Intelligence Corps Museum and the Medmenham Collection. She works in London.