The Spy Who Betrayed

The Treachery of Mathilde Carré, Codenamed 'The Cat'

Nigel Perrin

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• eBook ISBN:
  9781036144579
• Subtopic: Women in History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A gripping biography of Mathilde Carré, the French double agent who betrayed resistance and allies alike.

Clever, charismatic and daring, Mathilde Carré lived up to the image of the intrepid female spy. Codenamed “The Cat”, she co-founded the largest intelligence network in Occupied France and inspired her recruits to fight a secret war against the Germans. Carré delivered priceless information to the Allies, and her commitment to their cause seemed beyond question. But the reputation of The Cat hid a flawed and volatile personality, driven by a deadly combination of personal ambition, vanity and jealousy.

When she finally fell into enemy hands, Carré chose to save herself rather than her comrades, betraying dozens of her own agents. Becoming her captor’s mistress, she enjoyed a life of luxury in Paris and earned the respect of her new German masters. But when a secret affair with a British agent led her to escape to London, Carré’s true intentions raised serious questions. How far could she be trusted, and where did her allegiances really lie? At her trial The Cat’s extraordinary exploits were finally revealed to the public, transforming a resistance hero into a figure of public hatred. Condemned to death, she remained fiercely unrepentant to the end, presenting herself as a victim of circumstance rather than a willing traitor.

Mathilde Carré was a fascinatingly complex and enigmatic character who worked for the French, British, Polish and German secret services and double crossed them all. The result of more than ten years’ research, She Was The Cat is a story that poses questions about the boundaries between resistance and collaboration, and the power of myth and self-delusion.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Maps 1 and 2
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Minette
• Chapter 2: Aïn Sefra
• Chapter 3: War
• Chapter 4: A Second Jeanne
• Chapter 5: The Family
• Chapter 6: Every Day And In Every Way Against The Boche
• Chapter 7: The Great Game
• Chapter 8: The Choice
• Chapter 9: La Chattière
• Chapter 10: Victoire
• Chapter 11: Lucas
• Chapter 12: The Proposal
• Chapter 13: The Getaway
• Chapter 14: London
• Chapter 15: Damning Evidence
• Chapter 16: A Settled Life
• Chapter 17: Homecoming
• Chapter 18: A Brain Without a Heart
• Chapter 19: Salvation
• Chapter 20: The Cat is Dead, Forget Her
• Epilogue
• Bibliography
• Illustrations/Credits
• Notes
• Appendix 1: Interallié Network and Related Services
• Appendix 2: Alphabetical Index of Personalities
• Index
• Plates