Our Woman in Albania : The Life of Margaret Hasluck, Scholar and Spy

Margaret Hasluck was a classical scholar whose passionate intellectual and personal interest in the Balkans was first kindled when she won a scholarship to the British School in Athens before World War I.

Hasluck lived in Albania for nearly twenty years until the country was occupied by Italy in 1939 and she was forced into exile.

During her time in Albania she travelled widely in the Balkans and published a number of works about various aspects of Albanian politics and culture, from traditional folklore to non-conformist Islam.

With the start of World War II, she was employed by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and as a result of her detailed knowledge of the Balkans she was appointed adviser on Albanian Affairs from February 1942, a post she held until 1944. "Our Woman in Albania" includes many colourful and original observations and accounts of all aspects of Albanian life, both ancient and modern, examining Homeric parallels with Albanian marriage and kingship traditions, the treatment of minorities within the region and the language requirements of the military during the World War II. It is a historically significant and valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the dramatic history of this fascinating region.