Propaganda Girls is a fascinating look at the women who played key roles in propaganda during World War II. It is thoroughly researched and the writing is engaging and easy to follow.

The book focuses on Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene, who worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the war. It takes us through their lives before they joined the OSS, their important work during the war, and what came after. For these women, their time in the OSS was the most meaningful part of their lives, knowing they made a real impact. Despite their significant contributions, their work often went unnoticed next to the achievements of their male counterparts, but their roles were crucial in shaping history.

Overall, Propaganda Girls is a must-read for anyone interested in history or media studies. It shines a light on the often-forgotten but incredibly important role these women played in history.

Propaganda Girls is a meticulously well-researched, well-organized, and well-written account of the lives of four women whose work in World War II truly changed the course of the war for the Allied forces, and it's a refreshing peek behind the curtain of how propaganda and the crafting of stories can alter a society.

The book focuses on the sometimes-intertwining lives of Betty Mcdonald, Bozena (Zuzka) Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich. Each woman worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II in various capacities, but all of their roles, in one way or another, consisted of crafting black propaganda to target the Axis forces. In different ways, they created stories, entertainment, political cartoons, and leaflets that, when carefully disseminated and distributed into the hands of their enemies, had the power to sway thousands of soldiers to surrender.

Not only did I find the stories of these four individual women fascinating, I also thought the subject matter posed a fascinating perspective on the role of propaganda. It's something that our public consciousness should focus on more, especially in today's climate of social media and our access immediate information distribution. It's important to think about who is crafting the messages that we read and to ponder the subversive messages beneath them. The impact that these four women and their talent, ideas, and brains alone had on the messaging of World War II was massive - to imagine how much more impactful some of their work would be in today's world is staggering to consider.

I'm coming away from this book feeling grateful to know the names of these women who added so much to the effort of World War II and to our nation's (and world's) history. Too often, the stories of women in history are overshadowed by their male counterparts', so a big thank you to Lisa Rogak for highlighting Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene!

And thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This book is out today & it's one I'd encourage anyone to pick up and read.

I enjoyed reading Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I think it’s amazing that even after almost 100 years, we’re still learning about events and people who changed history during World War II! Propaganda Girls tells the story of four women, who you didn’t learn about in your history class, who created propaganda to destroy the morale of Axis soldiers.

The author tells each woman’s story and explains what they were doing before the war and how they got the unique job with the OSS, as well as what they did after the war! Rogak also explains the different types of propaganda and how meticulous the OSS had to be in order for it to seem real. All of the women have fascinating stories, and the writing was very easy to read! I finished this book in just a few days!

My favorite parts were the stories about Marlene Dietrich doing USO shows and making propaganda songs for the radio, and the stories about how Betty, Jane, and Zuzka had to go behind enemy lines in order to get their propaganda spread! These women were brilliant and truly brave!
I’m so glad I read this book!

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to read about World War II history, and wants to learn something new! This book is also perfect for Women’s History Month!

Propaganda Girls is out now!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

Two things you should take from this book: the power of morale, and the way women are repeatedly undervalued in situations that are determined to be "for men" - like war.

The four women in this book came from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and had different interactions with WWII and the inciting events. But they all had the same response: there was work to do, and they were going to sign up to do it.

These women led extraordinary lives, before and after their war work, and it's taken us nearly 80 years to recognize what they and other women did during a period of time that shattered and reshaped the world. It's fascinating to dive into their lives and their work, and how much it impacted the war effort.

Marlene Dietrich is especially tragic, to be honest, and it's made me curious to read her own book.

Never underestimate the power of words and perception.

A compelling read about brave and inspiring women. It kept my attention and it's a wonderful addition to books written about that era. I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it.

I should start by saying I'm not generally super into war history. But I am into the history of anti-fascism, anti-Nazi sentiment, and women's roles in combat/warfare throughout the ages. And I'm super interested in Marlene Dietrich because she is an ICON (go back in time and TRY to tell her she can't wear pants to work - I dare you).

Anyway, Propaganda Girls didn't really tread a whole lot of new ground for me, as a person with some amount of familiarity with the OSS and the roles of these and other heroic women in it - although I was less familiar with Zuzka and Betty than Jane and Marlene, so it was nice to learn a bit more about them. Still though, their stories are utterly fascinating, and the decision to delve not only into their time in the OSS, but what drove each of them to want to become a part of the war effort however they could was fascinating.

If I were to say I had any issues with Propaganda Girls, it would be that I wish there had been slightly more care given to the book's conclusion. It feels quite abrupt. We follow the four women through what led them to the war, their places in it, and then what came after. I guess I wish there had been some sort of epilogue - something to debrief you after the heaviness the war left behind. Maybe delving into the important roles so many women played in the war effort, and how little credit they are given in history books for having done so. Or the power and incredible dangers of propaganda. I don't know, something.

And when we got to the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, tonally, it seemed the author might be implying that had the bombs not been dropped, the women were on the edge of ending the war themselves simply by virtue of their propaganda machine. Which I don't think is super realistic, unfortunately. Could they have? Sure, maybe. But it likely would have taken many more years of opperations to sway enough Axis soldiers to end the war. I don't know if that was Rogak's intention, or just the way it read to me, but...I did think the sentiment felt a little out of place.

And to get back to things I really liked about Propaganda Girls (compliment sandwich!), there was clearly a lot of research done by the author, so the cited works are an absolute treasure trove of further information on World War II.

Rating:

★★★★

Overall, Propaganda Girls is well researched and definitely an interesting read. I think if you're at all interested in history, feminism, or women's roles in warfare, this is a great, albeit slightly hyperbolic, but definitely entertaining read.

*this review goes live 3/5/25*

Fascinating book, fascinating women. Different personalities, backgrounds, and lives but common among them was their strength, dedication, bravery and ingenuity, their lack of hesitation to stand up, step forward, do whatever they could to help defeat the enemy.

World War II is one of the most interesting historical topics. It seems no matter how much you read, there is always more to learn. Author Rogak brings the daring contributions of these four women to life in all their dangerous, thrilling, exciting detail. A very satisfying read. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Propaganda Girls via NetGalley. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys looking beyond the well-known facts of this historical period. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I read a lot of WWII nonfiction history and historical fiction books. I had never heard about the Propaganda Girls that worked in the Marole Operations (MO) branch of the OSS. Propaganda Girls tells of four women who worked in the MO office.

Rogak, you can tell when you read it, a thoroughly researched book. These 4 ladies were a major part of WWII. They helped with false information to enemy soldiers trying to get them to surrender. The MO office was quite successful in accomplishing turning the enemy soldiers' morale to low and causing some to surrender to the Allies.

If you enjoy WWII history, you would probably enjoy Propaganda Girls.

Tentative Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Lisa Rogak for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#Netgalley #SaintMartinPress #LisaRogak #PropagandaGirls #ARC #MonthlyNonfictuon2025 #Read2025

This book details the story of 4 amazing women who helped to win World War II. 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. Each of these women was fascinating in their own right, but together contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII. They were recruited to the OSS, and their mission was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. The methods they used were as ingenious as they were effective. I love reading about strong, accomplished women, so this book was perfect for me. If you enjoy historical fiction, then you should definitely check this out.

Thank you to NetGalley and author Lisa Rogak for allowing me to read this work in return for an honest review.
In the last years of WWII General Bill Donovan recruited many Americans to work in the Office of Strategic Services ( or OSS). This story follows 4 women who worked for him in the Morale Operations sector (MO). These women: Elizabeth “Betty” MacDonald, Barbara “Zuzka” Lauwres, Jane Smith-Hutton and German-American actress/singer Marlene Dietrich were the “Propaganda Girls.”
Betty was from Hawaii, a reporter and studied Asian culture. Zuzka was Czech by birth but migrated to New York City in the early days of the war. Donovan recruited her to help translate as she knew many European languages. Jane was the wife of a naval attaché stationed in Tokyo she loved the Asian culture but was recruited for her connections. Finally Marlene, her career was slowing down but she wanted to do her part as well. Still famous and loved in her homeland she was recruited to use her fame and voice to spread the propaganda.
The girls were tasked to think out of the box and come up with new ways to bring the enemy down from within, here are the stories of how they did it.
Historical Fiction with an emphasis on WWII is my preferred genre, so I was happy to read this account.
I give it 4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 3/4/2025. Nothing makes me quite as happy as a well-researched, easy-to-read non-fiction book that inspires me to find out more about the topic. Propaganda Girls nails it. Focusing on four out of hundreds of women who threw their all into helping the Ally forces during World War II, this book is far from the Rosie Riveters or Army Nurses. This is about the women who thrived in the shadier side of things - propaganda, rumors, counterespionage, and generally working for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which later grew up to be the CIA. One born in Czechoslovakia driven by what happened to her home country, one who witnessed Pearl Harbor, one who found herself trapped with her family in the Tokyo embassy, and one of the most famous German-born movie stars ever. Each of them played an important but different role and Rogak does an excellent job balancing the various stories. While one might have been inclined to give more ink to Marlene Dietrich, the author spread the stories out evenly among the women, separated into before the war and during the war and after the war. She even gives us a few passing mentions of other luminaries such as a brush with the future Julia Child (who was, of course, a badass even before she picked up a chef's knife). The entire book flowed with a delicate balance of seriousness and dark humor while the humanity of these women shone over everything. The creativity and hard work and sacrifices made by these four women is astounding and, while not everyone at the time appreciated them, we are lucky to be able to read books like this and salute them for what they've done. Now excuse me while I go find Betsy MacDonald's book, Undercover Girl.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak captured my attention instantly. This is one of the most fascinating and timely glimpses of not only the role of women in WW2, but also their employment of black propaganda to manipulate the minds of the Axis soldiers and their civilian counterparts in an effort to advance the cause of the Allied nations.

I really enjoyed learning more about these four women and their role in the war and the education on the history of propaganda was so enlightening as well. I heartily commend this book to you if you’re interested in learning more about a little known office and the women who used their skills to undermine the Axis powers and shape the way targeted groups of people understood current events in an effort to shorten one of the worst wars of our time.

I would like to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve read many fiction titles that have included characters in the OSS so was excited to read a more factual account in this title. Readers of historical fiction might want to branch out to read this non-fiction book.

Below (thanks to NG and the publisher) are descriptions of the women featured:

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.

Readers are drawn into this book right from the first paragraph of the book as it mentions Betty with a date of December 7, 1947, letting readers know what (awful) events are about to transpire. The pages continued to turn. I enjoyed that the women were from different backgrounds and even included an actress.

The author writes in an engaging style that invites the readers in. Through her words these women come to life. This title seems like a good choice for Women’s History Month.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Propaganda Girls follows the stories of four women serving in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WW II. Betty MacDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Zuzka Lauwers and Marlene Dietrich were reporters, linguists, military wives and actresses who signed up to help the war effort by creating "black propaganda" for the Morale Operations branch of the OSS. This type of operation uses believable lies to convince soldiers to lose heart and surrender. General "Wild Bill" Donovan gave these women an incredible amount of leeway to do their job in the way they saw fit--especially for that era. Despite not being regularly recognized with promotions or raises, they each took great pride in their work to help end the war.

The book, divided into three acts, tells us about the four women before, during and after the war. This quick read is meticulously researched and well written, but I didn't feel like I really knew any of the women by the end of the book. Still, Propaganda Girls is an interesting introduction to a mission and to women that you may know very little about.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I knew nothing of this story before I started and I enjoyed learning about these 4 different women in WWII. I couldn’t put it down.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak

This read showcased the best attributes of the nonfiction genre: well-researched, focused, and written in an engaging way.

This book was so well done. The author provided enough detail about the bigger picture while keeping the focus solely on the topic of the girls, which is something that doesn’t happen often in the nonfiction world. The narrow scope made this read engaging and easy to follow. The organization of the book was linear with brief background, moving into the propaganda jobs, and ending with the aftermath. Because the women featured weren’t always in the same place, this one did feel repetitive at times, but not distractingly so.

All in all, readers looking for a well-done nonfiction read about determined women doing what they can for the war effort will enjoy this one.

This was a very interesting peek behind the curtain of a little-discussed - but significant - element of WWII strategy: the OSS's Morale Operations division. I love espionage stories and learning the tricks of the trade, and the insight into the use of black propaganda was fascinating. I really enjoyed learning about the four women's experiences in the different theaters. There was so much intriguing history here, and it's information that doesn't get a lot of attention which made this all the more interesting a book for me.

There were some areas of overlap in the women's experiences that got a little repetitive as the book went on - and particularly as the war was wrapping up - but on the whole this was a very quick and engaging read and I learned a lot! Rogak's writing style is easy to fall into and her choice to focus on blending the women's war stories with personal information and anecdotes definitely drew me in. The only thing I would have liked to see added was pictures - although Google helped a lot there!

The knowledge about the roles of women in World War II has often been relegated to their contributions to industrial production with a little understanding of their acceptance into non-combat positions in the military. However, the secrecy surrounding their participation in Office of Strategic Services (later the CIA), has stymied the acknowledgement of their substantial involvement in espionage and counterintelligence. In Propaganda Girls, Lisa Rogak confronts that error and absence by telling the stories of four women who participated in the MO, or Morale Operations branch. Elizabeth “Betty” MacDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Barbara “Zuzka” Lauwers, and Marlene Dietrich, with others in the MO, facilitated the creation and dispersion of “Black Propaganda” during World War I. Rogak provides a look into the believable lies these women fabricated and spread with the purpose of decimating enemy morale and encouraging civilian resistance. I was immediately hooked into the four stories of how the women became part of the MO and the particular circumstances of their roles. Despite some highly engaging stories, I ended up losing interest over time. I can’t quite put my finger on why, perhaps it grew to be a bit repetitive. Overall, though, I am glad information like this is becoming more commonplace and hope that it inspires more knowledge of the way women’s contributions throughout all of history have been grossly ignored.


I am grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Lisa Rogak’s Propaganda Girls.

What do Betty MacDonald a reporter from Hawaii, Zuska Lauwers from Czechoslovakia, Jane Smith-Hutton wife of a Naval attache who was stationed in Tokyo, and German-American actress Marlene Dietrich have in common? They all became members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and helped to create special propaganda that was given to the Axis military in order to break their spirits and morale. From Europe to the US to Asia these ladies helped to create forgeries of letters, letters, newspapers, leaflets, rumors and more.

This book is based on true stories of women who served their countries in a unique way but was never talked about until long after it had taken place until now. In the past 10 or so years so much more information has been released about what so many women did during World War 2 that were never truly acknowledged. When the men came home, they were expected to go back to normal and be the “traditional” women when not long before they had been saving those men’s lives. This has been so frustrating for me so I love it when books and information are released to show how incredible thousands and thousands of women were. This is one that you do have to add to your reading list because it is very enlightening!!

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the author for an ARC to give my honest opinion.