Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance electronic copy of this title.

It was a perfect read for Women's History Month. At a time when women't contributions to the military are being minimized and high ranking women are being removed from their positions, it was wonderful to read about how four women were recruited to the Office of Strategic Services and the roles they played in helping America and the Allies to win the war. Yes, there were women engaging in espionage during World War II, including the actress/singer Marlene Dietrich! This book really brought their experiences to life, as well as reminding us what a World War looks like. how widespread and devastating. Important stories, especially during a time when parts of history are being whitewashed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read Propaganda Girls. This is a meticulously researched story of four women who worked tirelessly to end the second world war. This book shines a well deserved light on what women did "behind the scenes". These women went right into the war zones and didn't flinch. This is a book you don't want to miss.

I enjoyed the way the work shifts between the women for each chapter. I learned a lot about each woman and the work they did during the war. If you are looking for a book that discusses war time efforts without the battle plans many others discuss, then this a book you should pick up.

I always find myself drawn to history books about World War II when they focus on individuals vs the big picture, and this book was no exception. Propaganda Girls follows the wartime experiences of four women who worked for the OSS in their Morale Operations, aka the propaganda wing. These women were instrumental in creating propaganda to take down the morale of the Axis powers while also fighting for their right to be treated the same as the men they worked alongside.
This book is excellent for readers who have a great understanding of WWII history and the OSS, but this book did lack context of the importance of the OSS and the role of women during WWII in general.

3.5*

Although I might call this "history lite", I did find Propaganda Girls to be an interesting read about a part of World War II history that I didn't know much about. Mainly following four women who achieved success in promoting what is called "black propaganda" working for the OSS in both the European and Asian theaters during the war. The various campaigns they designed were discussed, as well as some of their results on the enemies' soldiers and/or civilians.

The book also highlights that even when women were working in positions that were non-traditional for them, they also encountered definite difficulties when working in this largely male field. This includes lower salaries, fewer promotions, even expected sexual favors in at least one discussed situation. But, all four women loved what they accomplished and their fight for the Allies. Each had difficulties returning to their regular lives after the war after the excitement and comradery of their wartime responsibilities.

My favorite part was the sections about Marlene Dietrich's experiences before, during, and after the war. Already an established actress in Germany and the rest of the world, she joined the OSS for the United States and spent the war proudly entertaining for "the boys" through USO shows, visiting hospitals, and living in horrible conditions right along with the soldiers. The pictures I've seen on the Web show her smiling and in her element during the war. The cinematic photos usually show her with a serious, rather superior look in her roles.

An included bibliography lists many sources for those that might want to learn more about the OSS (the precursor to the CIA), women in the war, and the use of propaganda, both white and black. Extensive endnotes also point to sources of the cited information.

Recommended for those interested in a wide range of topics.

@macmillan.audio @librofm @stmartinspress | #partner I’ve become a big fan of nonfiction having to do with women who served in one way or another during WWII. 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 by Liza Mundy and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 by Denise Liernan were favorites. Now I have a new one to add to that list, 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 by Lisa Rogak. Its subtitle sums it up well: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘚𝘚. ⁣
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The book tells the stories of four already independent and driven women, who during the course of WWII ended up being on the forefront of creating and distributing propaganda/rumors. Their misinformation was fed behind enemy lines in an effort to confuse and dishearten German and Japanese soldiers. They didn’t do this for a want of money, power, or personal accolades, but instead to save our soldiers and bring a swifter end to the war. Three of the women you won’t have heard of, but the fourth woman you’ll know, Marlene Dietrich. ⁣
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The author spent time with their lives before the war, how they ended up working for the OSS producing propaganda, and how their lives changed once the war was over. It was fascinating learning about each of their unique contributions to the war effort. I listened to this book and the narration by Samara Naeymi was excellent. As a bonus, this is a rather short book at only 240 pages, making the audiobook only 6 hours long. Next time you’re looking for an engaging, real life story of women groundbreakers give 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 a try! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I felt this was an interesting look at women in the war effort but felt the content was to dry and just not enjoyable
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

This was a nonfiction story about 4 women who participated in creating black propaganda for the OSS for the sole purpose of breaking the morale of the Axis soldiers during WWII. Zuzka Lauwers, from a tiny Checkoslovakian village, Betty MacDonald, a reporter from Hawaii, Jane Smith Hutton, the wife of a naval attache living in Tokyo, and Marlene Dietrich, the actress and singer. The story is told from all 4 of their perspectives and follows how they got into the OSS, the propaganda they created for the OSS, and how their contributions helped win the war. They forged letters, and military orders, produced radio broadcasts, and created newspapers. I really enjoyed this story and learning more about these fascinating women and how the propaganda that they created helped win the war.

Thanks to @stmartinspress, @netgalley, and the author for this arc.

I really enjoy reading historical fiction books. This was a little different focus from my typical book in that genre and one I really appreciated. I liked getting to know the four primary characters and their work with the OSS (which later became known as the CIA) and their efforts to help end WWII. The women, Betty MacDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Zurka Lauwers, and Marlene Dietrich worked behind the scenes at lower pay than men and little recognition to control emotions via propaganda. Divided into several sections, the book focuses on the time before, during, and after WWII. While Marlene Dietrich is famous in her own right, I did not realize all she did to be a part of the OSS and fight against her native country, Germany, to stop Hitler’s reign of terror. While she could have remained safe in roles in the United States, she was willing to travel abroad and help encourage the soldiers and letting them know how important they were in the fight for freedom. I am so glad that these unsung heroes are finally being recognized for the different they made in the time when women’s contributions to the war efforts were not highly valued. An interesting view into that time period and how women were overlooked as being an integral part in ending WWII.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Biography
Espionage
Historical
History
Nonfiction
War
Women's
WWII

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak is an engaging account of four women who worked behind the scenes to help the war effort. Both well-researched and well-written, this book will please readers of history as well as of biographies.

While Marlene Dietrich is one of the four women profiled here, her story is no more, or less, compelling than the others. Their work provided both tangible (as an early incident in the book highlights) and intangible benefits, leading to Axis personnel becoming demoralized and sometimes surrendering. The OSS was the organization they were employed in, but it was also the organization that sometimes seemed to most hinder them, or at least not support them enough. But they did what they could with many successes to show for it.

This is one of those books I wish had been longer, I wanted to know more. I think part of it is simply what is available for Rogak to use as archival material, so better a concise book like this than one filled with fluff.

Whether your interest is history or women's studies, you will find a lot here to enjoy and perhaps some avenues to pursue for your own research. Highly recommended.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

True story of 4 women….Betty, Jane, Zuska, and Marlene Dietrich who worked for the OSS, which was a precursor to the CIA, during World War II. Their job as part of the MO…morale operations was to produce and distribute black propaganda to the enemy to get them to defect and surrender. It traces the stories of these four women and then what happened to them after the war. Ms. Dietrich, a native of Berlin, despised the Nazi’s, and worked tirelessly to sell US war bonds, entertain the troops, visit hospitals and wards. She worked 16 hours a day. This book was a real eye-opener as I never knew most this kind of thing existed. It was extremely well documented. A little slow and detailed, in parts, but the last half of the book really picked up and peaked my interest. The book certainly shows the resourcefulness of individuals in the US during this most troubled time. The main characters worked in Europe, India, and China and showed what it was like to live in these places during the war. They went home after the war to see the devastation and to find their families. It was interesting to see how they lived the rest of their lives.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.


Interesting look at different woman of different backgrounds stepped out of their stereotypical roles to helps their country.

The writing style was amazing as well, it had a very story teller vibe, mixed with quotes and facts. Everything flows nicely and it just a smooth read

This is a fascinating account of the contributions that women made to the war effort during WW II. Bravo for all of their work! Worth a read.

This book describes the lives of four extraordinary women - before, during, and after World War 2. Learning this facet of history was fascinating, and the book was very readable and hard to put down. I'm so glad the story didn't end with the war. And I'm grateful to these women for making things better for future generations.

Unfortunately, when I sat down a couple of weeks ago to read the last 30+ pages, the ha been removed from my portal as THAT WAS ITS LAST DAY. I really loved as much as I was allowed to read, and told friends about the book. But, now I a, not able to give feedback or share links.

I love that more and more stories are coming out about the integral role women played in the outcome of WWII. This particular book, by celebrated author Lisa Rogak, pays tribute to four brave and forward-thinking women, all of whom contributed immeasurably to the war campaign. As members of the OSS, Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich developed secret black propaganda aiming to break Axis soldier's morale by discrediting the Reich.

Ms. Rogak does a tremendous job in describing these gallant women's backgrounds and efforts in striking detail. As opposed to some nonfiction accounts, this one held my attention from the first page. In a time when women and minorities' voices are being silenced and erased, this novel brings to light the incredible contributions that ALL people can bring to the table.

Many thanks to partner St. Martin's Press for this 5-star gifted novel! I enjoyed learning about so much of this unknown history!

This is the little known story of four women who helped turn the tide for the Allies during World War II. Betty MacDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Barbara "Zuzka" Lauwers, and German American actress, Marlene Dietrich worked in the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, the precursor to today's CIA. The OSS' s department of Morale Operations, led by General Bill Donovan, was designed to produce "black propaganda", which appeared to come from within the enemy country. The purpose of this propaganda was to cause war weary Axis soldiers to lose faith in their own beliefs and ultimately surrender. The women faced constant danger, often working behind enemy lines. They produced leaflets, letters and broadcasts designed to deflate the enemies morale. Betty worked in India and China, Zuzka interrogated German POW's and Marlene Dietrich continually put herself in jeopardy covertly visiting with Allied troops in German occupied zones. Hitler had placed a bounty on her head the moment she became a US citizen. Jane and her husband, working at the US embassy in Japan, were held there for 6 months after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. When they were finally allowed back to the US, Jane was invaluable to the Far East desk of the OSS because of her knowledge of the Japanese culture and language.

This is a very well researched book, great for history lovers and World War II enthusiasts.

Propaganda Girls
By: Lisa Rogak
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•Nonfiction
•World War 2
•Women’s Impact in the war
•Multiple Points of View

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Propaganda Girls was kindly provided as an ARC by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

As soon as I saw this book pop up on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to read it. I am a lover of history, and am always looking for new things to learn about.

Propaganda Girls introduces us to 4 women; Betty, Jane, Zuzka, and Marlene. Each woman had an impact in World War 2, be it entertaining the troops, diplomacy, or working for the OSS, distributing “black propaganda”.

Rogak does an amazing job of introducing you to each woman, their backgrounds, and their impact in the war. She also does an amazing job of telling you about their lives after the war, and how such extraordinary women struggled to adjust to a world after war.

I loved learning the ways in which woman supported the Allies in the war. This was such an interesting read!

If you enjoy reading about the brave women who served during World War II to give us the freedom we have today, you will enjoy this book. Read about 4 women who served in OSS during the war. Their job was to create propaganda that would help influence our enemies. They did their job under difficult and often dangerous circumstances. This is truly an inspiring read and one that I highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and @NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Rogak pulls together the details of 4 women who venture from their everyday lives to find excitement, purpose, and challenges within the OSS during WWII. Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII by creating propaganda that would push misinformation into the hands of Axis troops, affecting their morale. The individual stories and achievements of these four women were remarkable and changed history. All four women came from very different walks of life, from the storied, glamourous life of Hollywood star, Marlene Dietrich to a difficult life of Czeck national Zuzka, to the wife of an American ambassador to China, these women braved treacherous events, prejudice against women to serve America in a meaningful way.

For me, the stories woven together were very interesting and the women encountered harrowing situations all to serve a higher purpose than themselves. However, the book read more like a history dissertation instead of a novel and at times felt disjointed as it moved across the stories. It was full of fascinating details of the campaign they put together and the impact they had was remarkable. It is definitely worth the read if you like to read about WWII.
#WWII #historicalfiction #OSS #womenspies #NetGalley