"Propaganda Girls" follows the four women from the OSS who were responsible for creating "black propaganda" designed specifically to demoralize the enemy during World War II. It was a fascinating account of their backgrounds, roles and post-war lives.

Unfortunately, it also underscored how little the contributions of women were appreciated at that time in US history. While each of these women took on more responsibilities than their male counterparts and often were significantly more productive too, they rarely received the recognition they deserved even though they each were successful with the tasks laid before them.

If you enjoy true history stories, you'll certainly want to read this one.

Thank you to Lisa Rogak, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This was a quick and informative read about four women (Jane, Betty, Zuzka, and Marlene) and what they did for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. I always enjoy reading about the amazing things women did during WWII, and it was so fascinating to read about these women and their campaign of propaganda that contributed so much to the war effort.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my copy! ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

propaganda girls is a thoroughly researched look into the fascinating lives and careers of four women in the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) who played an integral role in the propaganda that helped the allies to win WWII. rogak tells these women’s stories in four parts, spanning their lives before and after as well as during the war. as always, i’m intrigued by the roles women occupied during wartime, when their contributions were far less recognized and respected than their male counterparts, and the subsequent social shift to conservatism that pressured those same women to return to more “traditional” roles.

a quick read that offers an engaging, if narrow, glimpse at four extraordinary women and the impact of black propaganda on WWII.

This well written true story of four women, Zuzka Lauwers, Marlene Dietrich, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Betty MacDonald, who all worked for the OSS during WWII to break the morale of enemy troops was fascinating and kept me reading until I was finished. What amazing women!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting part of the World War II that I have read very little about. Learned some new details and will be looking for more books about this subject.
Any history buffs are sure to enjoy this story.

Propaganda Girls The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak

240 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: March 4, 2025

Nonfiction (Adult), History, WWII, Women Spies, 1940s

Elizabeth "Betty" MacDonald
Jane Smith-Hutton
Barbara "Zuzka" Lauwers
Marlene Dietrich

These four women assigned to the Morale Opereations branch of the Office of Strategic Services used their positions to gain information and spread negative information about the conditions of war and the Nazi party. Their purpose was to change people's opinions of the war with rumors and innuendoes. If people thought Germany and the Nazi party were performing poorly and losing the war, there would be sympathy for the Allied forces. This would bring a faster end to the war.

The book was well researched and written. I was aware of the OSS before reading this book but not of the Morale Operations. These women took risks and performed courageous acts. There is a brief mention of Julia Childs that made me smile. They deserve to be called heroes.

This book was so so good! It read like fiction almost, it reminded me in spots of The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - which is a testament to both Kate's research and writing abilities, and Lisa's to telling a factual but still interesting story! My favorite part of both of these was the creativity in coding and passing messages; women are smart as hell and also disarming and cool under pressure. This book had me scared from start to finish and I loved every bit of it. 5 stars!

I was not expecting to love this as much as I did! PROPAGANDA GIRLS is a non-fiction book following four incredible women who worked with the allies to defeat the Axis powers. I really had no idea that Marlene Dietrich was involved as much as she was.

While this book is non-fiction, the book reads really fast and fun, almost like a thriller book at times. It's very informative, inspiring, and perfect for anyone who wants a little bit of women's history.

World War II sent many women to work. The four women featured in Lisa Rogak’s book found more exotic employment than most. They ended up creating and disseminating propaganda aimed at enemy soldiers. The book outlines the backgrounds and skills of each woman and how these led to working for the OSS, the work they did there and their lives afterwards. It’s a well balanced combination of history and personal stories, informative and lively reading.

I enjoyed learning more about the clever ways the OSS spread misinformation and propaganda and how much of that would have been impossible without these brave, brilliant women.

The reason for 3 stars instead of 4 is that sometimes information was dropped in via random sentences that had little to no connection to the rest of the paragraph or chapter.

But this is a fascinating read that I recommend to people who are curious about this side of history.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This is an amazing non-fiction read of uncommonly told real heroes. Fans of WWII historical fiction will fall in love with these women and their stories. This was a tremendous read!

I learned a lot from this book. The covert operations behind what we already know about WWII was especially interesting. What I found most surprising was the role Marlene Dietrich played in the war. What an amazing woman! And here I only knew of her as an actress. I think readers will find this book very informative.

As records become declassified and available to researchers, readers are getting to learn more about the efforts of operatives during WWII. These files contain stories largely unknown, or at least unverifiable, until now. While the topic and idea of this book is a good one, the final project is only average. There are interesting details and anecdotes but the stitching that holds them together is tenuous.

There were so many people involved in the Allied defeat of Hitler that many stories and their roles in the war have been lost in time. Author Lisa Rogak seeks to resurrect the contributions of 4 women in the book "Propaganda Girls". It is the story of four women whose job was to assist in the defeat by putting out propaganda that would break the spirit of the Japanese and Germans. The most famous of those women was Marlene Deitrich whose German ancestry made her a valuable asset in the mission. Others in the group were Japanese speakers and readers with the ability to understand the culture and fears of the time and plant seeds of doubt in soldiers serving for the Japanese and German Armies. Their contribution to the war effort was invaluable. The book details the service of these four women in detail and is a very well-researched read and one that will contribute to anyone interested in the era's overall knowledge base of what it took for the Allies to win WWII. Thanks to #NetGalley#Propagandagirls#LisaRogak for the opportunity to read this very well-written book.

I was asked to review a book for NewGalley. The book was given to my at no charge, but all the opinions expressed here are my own.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Synopsis (from NetGalley)

Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21. Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, was of course one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. These four women, each fascinating in her own right, together contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII.

As members of the OSS, their task was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Working in the European theater, across enemy lines in occupied China, and in Washington, D.C., Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene forged letters and “official” military orders, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs, and even developed rumors for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy. And outside of a small group of spies, no one knew they existed. Until now.

In Propaganda Girls, bestselling author Lisa Rogak brings to vivid life the incredible true story of four unsung heroes, whose spellbinding achievements would change the course of history.

My Take

I loved this book from the beginning. I am a big fan of Historical Fiction and love to come across information that I hadn't heard of before. A fascinating true story about four women, including Marlene Dietrich. I had heard that Marlene was involved in the war, but I always read she was a "kept woman." This book is exciting, engaging, and easy to read. With many primary sources, including accounts, diaries, newspaper clippings, interviews, and other sources, we hear their voices and are privy to their thoughts. This book is well-researched and well-written. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves reading about WWII, strong and brave women, or who simply enjoys an adventure story. You can't go wrong with this book.

About the Author

Lisa Rogak is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 books, which have been published in more than two dozen languages. Her books Barack Obama: In His Own Words, and Angry Optimist: The Life & Times of Jon Stewart, hit the New York Times bestseller lists. Haunted Heart: The Life & Times of Stephen King was nominated for both the Edgar and Anthony Awards.

Her books have been reviewed and otherwise mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and hundreds of other publications. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as the featured guest in a show about small towns to promote her book, Moving to the Country Once and For All.

She served as co-author with famed YouTube star Rich Benoit on his memoir Going Fast and Fixing Things: True Stories from the World’s Most Popular DIY Repair Expert and Car Aficionado, and helped the late librarian Jan Louch tell the story of the world’s most famous library cats in The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World

The Man Behind the DaVinci Code, her biography of famed author Dan Brown, was published in two dozen languages. In 2020, she published Rachel Maddow, the first biography of the acclaimed MSNBC anchor followed by Alex Trebek: A Biography.

Her biography of famed cartoonist, A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein, is currently in development for release as a major motion picture.

She lives in New Hampshire and is currently at work on a memoir.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and even more interesting. Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak gives history-loving readers the inside look into the lives of four incredible women who sought adventure and a life with purpose during WWII.

Told chronologically in chapters for each woman’s story, Propaganda Girls jumps right into the action with Betty MacDonald’s experience as a resident of Oahu on December 7, 1941 (Japan attacks Pearl Harbor). Zuzksa Lauwers’ story starts in Czechoslovakia with her fleeing the homeland for America after Hitler’s invasion in March 1939— after a quickie marriage to a Belgian-American makes it possible for her to leave. The wife of a naval attache at the American embassy in Tokyo, Jane Smith-Hutton loved learning the Japanese culture and being in foreign land —until the attack on Pearl Harbor made the family captives in enemy territory. Finally we are introduced to our fourth, and most famous, woman in this book: Marlene Dietrich. The German actress was living in America when Hitler and the Nazis came to power in her homeland where her family still lived and sought to distance herself from their “disgusting” ways.

The first quarter of the book tells the stories behind their why, followed by how these women became involved in the secret work of black propaganda for the Allied Forces. Their unique tales are told in an engaging way that almost makes you forget you’re reading non-fiction. The book ends with a chapter on what each woman did after the war and a brief wrap-up of her life. Propaganda Girls is a great way to learn more about women’s history and World War II. It is a rather quick read, too. (If you’re reading on kindle, the final fifth of the book is actually notes and sources.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Propaganda Girls shines a light on four women recruited into the Office of Strategic Services to create "black propaganda" during World War II. I found it fascinating to learn about the different ways that black propaganda was used, as well as the individual stories of the women involved. They had an almost insatiable desire for adventure and influence, characteristics often devalued in women. It was nice to read about the ways their talents were used.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for a free copy of #PropagandaGirls by Lisa Rogak. All opinions are my own.

The 2016 feature film Hidden Figures, based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, introduced the previously untold story of three courageous and brilliant Black women mathematicians who worked for NASA in the 1960s facing racism, as well as sexism.

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak reveals yet another untold chapter of the history of women in America. This one involves four other women who went to work for the US government during World War II, creating psychological propaganda, known as “black propaganda,” designed “to break the morale” of the enemy Axis soldiers.

In her introduction to Propaganda Girls, Rogak explains that “In essence, black propaganda was a series of believable lies designed to cause the enemy soldiers to lose heart and ultimately surrender...” It consisted of pamphlets, radio broadcasts, fake newspapers, and other campaigns based on “lies, stories, and rumors” regarding the war.

Who were the Propaganda Girls?

The book is divided into four parts, each with a chapter focusing on one of the four women: Betty McDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Zuzka Lauwers, and Marlene Dietrich (yes, that Marlene Dietrich).

The women were hand-selected by General William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which Rogak identifies as “the precursor of today’s CIA.” Unlike most men of his generation, Donovan specifically sought to hire women. He was convinced that women “would excel at creating subversive materials.”

Before Donovan tapped her, Betty MacDonald was the society and women’s editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. She found this job less than professionally engaging, so she devoted her spare time to learning about Asian culture.

Zuzka Lauwers was born in Czechoslovakia. With a facility for languages, she eventually landed in the Czech consulate in Washington as a ghostwriter, before being hired by Donovan.

Jane Smith-Hutton, married to a diplomat, lived at the American embassy in Tokyo, where she and her family were held hostage for a time. In Tokyo, she became near-fluent in Japanese. That skill, and her desire for revenge, helped her in her work creating black propaganda aimed at Japanese soldiers.

The fourth of the Propaganda Girls was Marlene Dietrich, famous American entertainer and German expat who had great antipathy toward Nazi Germany. She wanted nothing more than to take down the Nazis.

For Rogak, the sexism deeply embedded in the culture in which these four unusual women operated is a significant part of the story. They loved their OSS work but were increasingly stymied by male decision-makers who tried to clip their creative wings, despite their effectiveness.

She focuses on what they endured in the 1940s: low pay and low military rank in comparison to the contributions they were making; having to answer to male superiors who had far less experience in their areas of expertise; and ceaseless frustration at not being recognized.

Rogak characterizes MacDonald, Lauwers, Smith-Hutton, and Dietrich as women who “All had careers that were highly unusual for women in the 1930s and ’40s, and they all yearned to escape the gender restrictions of the day that dictated they are mothers and wives, or teachers or nurses if they absolutely had to work.”

After introducing the four women, the central part of the book describes in detail the black propaganda campaigns they undertook and the risky circumstances they found themselves in, along with the sexism they encountered.

In part four, Rogak devotes a chapter each to what happened to the women after the war. This section lacks the drama of the first three, reading somewhat like an undergraduate research paper, but it does tie up loose ends.

Lauwers was tasked with mounting a music festival in Salzburg, Austria, in the immediate aftermath of the war. She reunited with her parents in Czechoslovakia, moved frequently between Europe and the United States, and eventually settled into a fulfilling life with two serious partners.

Dietrich found the transition to civilian life emotionally challenging. Eventually, she returned to entertaining but always considered the work she did during WW II “the most important work I’ve ever done.”

MacDonald also suffered from a lack of direction and urgency in the immediate post-war period. As soon as she returned to the States, she had “the realization that the autonomy and independence that she had experienced for the last three years was over.”

Smith-Hutton, the only one of the four whose marriage survived the war, spent her war years in Paris as the wife of an American diplomat before returning to the US.

The book closes with an extensive bibliography and more than 250 endnotes. It is due to be released on March 4. 

The reviewer is a freelance journalist and expert on the non-Jewish awakening to Torah, happening in our day. She is the editor of Ten From The Nations and Lighting Up The Nations.

As a female Navy veteran, I’m always drawn to stories that spotlight women’s service to their country—especially the ones history tends to overlook. Propaganda Girls does exactly that, and in such a compelling, accessible way. It’s so important that these stories are told—not just to honor the women who paved the way for us, but to inspire future generations of women AND men.

Lisa Rogak takes an intriguing slice of World War II history and turns it into an incredibly palatable read. This isn’t your typical dry nonfiction—Propaganda Girls feels like fiction in the best possible way: engaging, pacy, and fascinating.

The book tells the untold story of four remarkable women—Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich—who used forged letters, fake newspapers, and scripted broadcasts as part of a secret OSS operation designed to break enemy morale. Their contributions were bold, covert, and absolutely essential to the war effort… and until now, largely unknown.

This is exactly the kind of nonfiction I love: informative and entertaining, spotlighting extraordinary women who deserve to be household names. Highly recommend for fans of WWII history, spy stories, and women’s untold contributions.

I am so happy that I found this book for Women's History Month because I have never heard of these women or their efforts to help make the world a.safer place or all their contributions to ending the war. I am so happy that this is a book that others will learn from and these women are getting their recognition.