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.

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak is a fascinating and long-overdue tribute to four remarkable women whose intelligence and creativity helped shape the outcome of World War II. Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich were each uniquely positioned to contribute to the covert psychological warfare efforts of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), using propaganda to weaken Axis morale.

Rogak masterfully brings their stories to life, detailing not only their daring contributions but also the immense challenges they faced in a male-dominated field. The book is well-researched, with gripping accounts of forged documents, secret broadcasts, and ingenious disinformation campaigns that played a crucial role in the war effort. The blend of espionage, history, and personal stories makes for a compelling read.

The only drawback is that at times, the narrative jumps between the women in a way that can feel slightly disjointed. A deeper exploration into the personal stakes of their work would have added even more emotional weight.

Overall, this is a captivating and enlightening read, perfect for history buffs, espionage enthusiasts, and those eager to learn about the unsung heroines of WWII. Highly recommended for fans of hidden history and powerful female narratives.

Lisa Rogak’s Propaganda Girls is a gripping and well-researched account of four remarkable women who played a crucial yet largely unknown role in World War II. This book brings to light the fascinating stories of Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and the legendary Marlene Dietrich—women whose intelligence, creativity, and courage shaped one of the most covert psychological warfare operations of the war.

Rogak masterfully weaves together their individual journeys, illustrating how each woman’s unique background and skill set contributed to the success of the OSS’s propaganda efforts. Whether forging official documents, crafting false narratives, or scripting radio broadcasts designed to weaken enemy morale, their work was both ingenious and impactful. The fact that these women operated largely in the shadows, unrecognized for decades, makes their story even more compelling.

This book is a must-read for history buffs, especially those interested in WWII, intelligence operations, and the often-overlooked contributions of women in wartime. Propaganda Girls ensures that these four extraordinary women finally receive the recognition they deserve.

Lisa Rogak's Propaganda Girls uncovers the secret work of four incredible women — Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich — who used deception, creativity, and psychological warfare to undermine Axis morale during WWII. Their work in the Morale Operations branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was both groundbreaking and largely unrecognized until now. The book dives into the little-known world of black propaganda, where fake newspapers, forged letters, and carefully planted rumors helped destabilize the enemy. The sheer ingenuity behind these operations is mind-blowing, and it’s thrilling to learn how these women pulled off psychological tricks that influenced the war. Rogak's writing makes the history accessible and easy to follow, even for those who don’t usually read nonfiction. However, while the book covers their wartime work in detail, it doesn’t fully explore the women’s emotions, struggles, or relationships, leaving some parts feeling a bit surface-level. Most WWII books focus on battles and male spies, so it’s refreshing to see a story centered on women using intellect and strategy rather than weapons. It’s also a stark reminder of how women in intelligence were undervalued despite their critical contributions.

Propaganda Girls is the well-researched and written story of four women (including the actress Marlene Dietrich) who worked for the OSS during World War II producing propaganda for the Allies. There have been several recent books about women in the OSS, but this is the first I've read that specifically focused on the production of "rumors" and disinformation targeted at Japanese and German soldiers and civilians.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Zuzka Lauwers, Marlene Dietrich, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Betty MacDonald were unique woman who did their own contribution to the Second World War. Each one with a different background and education but all decided to help with the war efforts to shorten the war. Not always accepted as been useful in a male environment but determination managed for them to survive and succeed.
The only person I knew anything about was Marlene Dietrick. Born in Germany and emigrated to the US, reading about how her American songs translated into German with minor changes to affect the moral of the German soldier reminded me I had the LP of the remake recordings made by Columbia records. I took the time to listen to it with a different understanding of the songs. I highly recommend this book.

We tent to think that women weren't being included in the fight, but "Propoganda Girls" gives us a glimpse into the work of four women (representative of many others) working for the OSS-precursor to the CIA. Zuzska, Jane, Marlene, and Betty worked on the European and Japanese fronts, focusing on Morale Operations. Charged with created propoganda in any form that could be delivered to both enemy soldiers and civilians with the idea of encouraging them to turn against their leaders.

All creative, brilliant, and driven women, the four followed in the book are emblematic of the problems faced by every woman like them. They were underpaid and overworked, constantly overlooked when it came to promotions, belittled by their military superiors, and expected to take it (and more!) and be happy with it- then go back to small 'women's lives' once the war was over.

If you are interested in discovering more about women during the War, or the unappreciated and unsung women who helped the Allies win World War II, this is a good place to start.

I received a DRC of this book for an honest review

Lisa Rogak’s nonfiction book, Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS, isn’t my usual reading. I usually read for character development, even in nonfiction. But, this book is fascinating as it tells the story of four women who worked for the OSS (the predecessor of the CIA) in the last eighteen months of World War II.

Betty MacDonald was a twenty-eight-year-old reporter in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, living there with her husband, also a reporter. Zuzka Lauwers was a native of Czechoslovakia who spoke five languages before she was twenty-one. Jane Smtih-Hutton was the wife of a naval attache in Tokyo. And, Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress. All these women worked for General “Wild Bill” Donovan as part of his MO Branch, Morale Operations, where they assisted with black propaganda. They were part of “Donovan’s Dreamers”, highly intelligent and creative women who were fluent in at least one foreign language.

After her husband enlisted, Betty ended up in India and worked behind enemy lines in China. Zuzka married in March 1939, and, when her husband enlisted, she headed to Washington, D.C., and then enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps. Jane Smith-Hutton was married to her second husband in 1939, and she and her family were captive in the American embassy in Japan for six and a half months before all the captives were exchanged. She vowed revenge on the Japanese, and used her knowledge and language skills in the new position. Marlene Dietrich, beloved in Germany before she left for the U.S., set up a relief organization in 1937 to help Jews and others escape from Germany. In 1939, she renounced her German citizenship, became a U.S. citizen, and spent the war years entertaining “her boys”, the troops.

Rogak tells the story of each of these women, and follows through with their lives until their deaths. Her format of covering each of the women in turn works well for nonfiction. It’s an intriguing, little-known story, with an excellent bibliography for those who want to read more.

This well-researched WWII non-fiction book provides an engaging and informative look into the lives of four remarkable women who served in the OSS during the war. Among them are Betty MacDonald, Jane Smith Hutton, Zurka Lauwers, and the well-known Marlene Dietrich. All of these women worked for the Morale Operations branch. Their stories are rich with themes of equality, intelligence, and heroism. These women dedicated their lives to fighting for justice, often alongside soldiers and colleagues in war zones, making their legacies truly unforgettable.

Often, I forgot I was reading a biography—the writing style and the compelling stories of these remarkable women kept me thoroughly engaged. It is truly astonishing what they risked their lives to accomplish. Great WWII read!

Thank you Net Galley, St Martins Press and Lisa Rogak for a chance to read this arc. All thoughts are my own.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak provides a well-written, well-researched, and indepth look at four women, whose work in the new Morale Operations division of the Office of Strategic Services, provided strategic aid to the Allies during WWII. The four women, Elizabeth ‘Betty’ McDonald, Jane Smith Hudson, Barbara ‘Zuzka’ Lauwers, and well-known German-American actress, Marlene Dietrich developed black propaganda, that is, ‘any leaflet, poster, radio broadcast, or other public or private media that appeared to come from within the enemy country, either from a resistance movement or from disgruntled soldiers and civilians’. It's purposes were manyfold - to convince soldiers to surrender, to make the general population believe the war was unwinnable, and to encourage occupied countries and POWs to resist. Women were specifically recruited because it was thought they would be more imaginative in developing gossipy but believable stories to undermine the enemy.

The story delves deeply into the lives of the women before, during, and after the war, including the discrimination they faced while serving, despite the important and effective work they were doing. And the propaganda they developed proved to be very effective at undermining the enemy in both Europe and Japan. A fascinating look at the rarely mentioned but important role women played in creating black propaganda and, in so doing, helping to end the war.

I read an eARC of the book from St Martin’s Press while listening to the audiobook from Macmillan Audio narrated bySamara Naeymi who does a marvelous job. I received both book and audiobook from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wonderfully written account of a lesser known aspect of WWII. While soldiers were on the frontlines battling the Axis Powers, there was the Office of Strategic Services working behind the scenes to sow discord and mistrust within our enemies ranks. The author provides a rich story of four women who were part of the OSS and the varied ways they contributed to this amazing wartime effort, from writing propaganda to using POWs to help smuggle misinformation to broadcasting music with a twist. Highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in the hidden aspects of our history.

4+ absorbing stars

Propaganda Girls is the absorbing story of four American women living around the world – in Tokyo, Hawaii, originally from a tiny Czechoslovakian village, and the only one I was familiar with, Marlene Dietrich a German-American singer and actress. From the publisher: “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.”

Propaganda Girls was thoroughly researched and well-written. Experienced author Lisa Rogak wove the stories of these four disparate women of the world together in an organized way. All were fiercely independent and thought creatively about how to create and disseminate propaganda to enemy troops while working for the OSS. (Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA.) Rogak pointed out the blatant sex discrimination these women faced in both pay, rank, and male attitudes. War and separation were very hard on marriages and relationships for these women too. Yet they persevered and made a difference. I like how Rogak gave a short synopsis of each woman’s life after the war.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Propaganda Girls is an interesting non-fiction narrative that contributes to our understanding of some of the roles where women contributed to helping win WWII. It is an outstanding change of pace from the glut of formulaic historical-fiction currently in vogue.

Four women whose unheralded actions helped win the war

During World War II and before the creation of the CIA, General "Wild Bill" Donovan headed up that agency's precursor known as the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). The Morale Operations (MO) branch was a division of the OSS whose task was to create "black propaganda", composed of media (print or broadcast) whose purpose was to undercut the morale of the enemy and which purported to originate within the enemy country, from a resistance group, disillusioned soldiers, or civilians who had had enough. It was known to be an effective tool with which to target an enemy, especially when they are no longer seen to be winning the conflict. In this book four specific women who each played a powerful role within the MO are introduced to the reader; one name will be familiar to most, albeit not in this context, while the other three will be complete unknowns. How could that be possible? Combine a clandestine organization and a category of employee who was regularly underestimated and under-appreciated (women), and it is not only possible but highly likely that these women would be overlooked by the history books. That now changes and within these pages the reader will be introduced to: Betty MacDonald, a reporter by trade; Jane Smith-Hutton, married to a naval attaché and would spend time imprisoned in the US Embassy in Japan; Zuska Lauwers, a native of Czechoslovakia with a gift for learning languages whose impulsive marriage to an American allowed her to escape to the US; and Marlene Dietrich, in her role as a propagandist against her native country in service of the US. Their motivations differed, but their dedication and contribution to the war effort ties them together...four women whose pre-war lives demonstrated that they were not afraid to buck conventions and pursue unusual occupation who would each find ways to sow discontent amongst the Axis forces across the globe.
I am thrilled that more and more stories are coming out about women who have made contributions to the world that have remained unknown for decades, and this is another of those books bringing important facts to light. Told in alternating chapters, each one dedicated to a part of one of the four subjects' lives, the reader gets to learn about who each woman was, their background and motivations, their professional journeys which led them to the MO, what they did within the MO, and finally how they readjusted to life postwar. Like many women who worked hard and achieved successes during the war, they found that their abilities were not so readily utilized afterwards. Along the way there were marriages, children, losses and victories...and what a story each had to tell. The subject matter is fascinating, and although there is some repetition which drags down the narrative at times it is still a fairly quick and enjoyable read, with each person's unique voice and personality coming through. Readers of authors like Liza Mundy, Clare Mulley and Aline Countess of Romanones , as well as those who enjoy learning about previously hidden slices of history will enjoy Propaganda Girls. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me early access in exchange for my honest review.

I like biographies and I like stories about strong women. This book brings both of them, and shows us a side of the true story that we wouldn't normally know.
An informative and interesting read, especially if you watched and enjoyed the movie The Six Triple Eight.
5 stars

This well-researched book tells the story of 4 young women working undercover for the OSS to create propaganda to demoralize enemy soldiers during WW2. Bored with limited opportunities to get involved in the war, these women were recruited based on their sense of adventure. I was impressed by their creativity as well as the freedom they were given to spread false information. One of the women was Marlene Dietrich, the famed actress and singer of the 1930s and 40s. She recorded songs for the enemy soldiers with lyrics meant to bring them down. I didn't realize she had such a pivotal role in the war! While the stories of these women are true, the book reads like a novel. Unputdownable!

The Propaganda Girls were a small group of women in the OSS in the latter stages of World War II. Their job was to develop and distribute whatever they could to disrupt both German and Japanese war efforts. Rogak takes a deep dive into four of these women. It wasn't clear to me if there were more than four.

One of these women was the actress Marlene Dietrich who would just blatantly broadcast into Germany while undertaking a variety of other activities to undermine the Nazis. The other three women were obviously less well-known. One was an eastern European whose family had suffered at the hands of the Nazis, one was the wife of a US diplomatic officer who had served in Japan, and the fourth had a number of ties in a variety of countries around the globe.

Their activities ranged from simply creating and distributing pamphlets to recruiting spies to carrying out sabotage. They did all this while overcoming some real prejudices within the military leadership of some of the OSS officers.

This was a fund book. I found it a really good read about something I knew nothing about.

Did you know that Marlene Deitrich spent much of the war years traveling around the world uplifting US soldiers? This non-fiction work details the lives of 4 women who aided the US cause by creating propaganda for the Axis civilian population. In Marlene's case, since she was German, she recorded music with lyrics to demoralize the enemy.

The other 3 women had these kinds of false marketing jobs spreading leaflets and news stories. Some of them were hilarious, like sending leaflets throughout German camps in Italy as if written by women looking to provide comfort for soldiers. Those signing up were to wear an attached emblem. Many put the emblem on and eventually surrendered.

The stories were well-written and engaging, almost like a WW2 spy novel. The 4 women the author chose to highlight were a diverse group, including 2 German speakers and 2 Japanese speakers, some famous and most not, some rich and some poor. I found it interesting how the war changed these women so much, and most couldn't go back to the lives they had before. But not all. It was excellent representation.

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

This was such an amazing and informative read. I thought it was so interesting to learn about the women spies of WW2.

I really enjoyed this book about four remarkable women and their experiences in the OSS during World War II. The author’s choice of these four women gives us a range of experiences and a truly global tale. The women really come to life in these pages through their remarkable adventures.

Whether you’re interested in World War II history or women’s history, you’ll enjoy the stories in these pages. Plus, it’s a cautionary tale about the power of propaganda.