Book and Dagger

How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II

By: Elyse Graham

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The untold story of the academics who became OSS spies, invented modern spycraft, and helped turn the tide of the war

At the start of WWII, the U.S. found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed—and, in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work—and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and our cultural institutions with their efforts.

In Book and Dagger, Elyse Graham draws on personal histories, letters, and declassified OSS files to tell the story of a small but connected group of humanities scholars turned spies. Among them are Joseph Curtiss, a literature professor who hunted down German spies and turned them into double agents; Sherman Kent, a smart-mouthed history professor who rose to become the head of analysis for all of Europe and Africa; and Adele Kibre, an archivist who was sent to Stockholm to secretly acquire documents for the OSS. These unforgettable characters would ultimately help lay the foundations of modern intelligence and transform American higher education when they returned after the war.

Thrillingly paced and rigorously researched, Book and Dagger is an inspiring and gripping true story about a group of academics who helped beat the Nazis—a tale that reveals the indelible power of the humanities to change the world.

The interesting material

I felt, maybe because I listened to it, that it jumped around characters and places fairly frequently and so at times I was a bit confused.
But fascinating material and history!

Narration was phenomenal!

A completely fresh angle on the Second World War that’s novel and practical. Required reading for anyone involved in academia or the information sciences.

Libraries!!! Winning!!!

As a lover of libraries, this is a great, and cautionary, tale about the importance of learning and libraries, especially during WWII. A fascinating take on the OSS, SOE, and the CIA. I am going to reread this book right now as it is so packed with information that I could only go down so many rabbit holes without interrupting the flow. I have been concentrating on WWII the last 9 months and have found this to be an excellent fit with a recent concentration on intelligence. Perhaps a second edition would have more on the Indo-Pacific theater and the contributions of more minorities (Coast watchers, etc.?).

Espionage in WWII

The story is well told. it's the story of history and English professors and art historians and librarians who created the American espionage network in WWII. I highly recommend this book.

Fascinating! ...Especially on roles of women spies

Women who served in WWII weren't just nurses or Rosy the Riveters...they were spies who used their intellect and critical thinking skills to win the war. In this time when the humanities are being undermined and undervalued, this study illustrates their centrality to all aspects of war and making sure we don't lose our morals along the way. Loved it.