I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

A magnificent real story about gorgeous women that had done so much during World War II but as always with every fantastic work any woman in the history of this earth gets erased or shoved back into the darkest places of the earth because men feel so entitled that they can't tolerate seeing a woman being successful in anything we do.

The real story of Josephine, when I started this book I was completely blown away at first because it is a very big book, then because so many of the things Damien was narrating about Josephine were completely unknown, she really was an amazing agent who did so much, I'm glad Damien wrote this story to finally be able to learn more about this heroine.

Josephine was an artist, someone very famous around 30's she escaped the US to live a better life, somewhere, she would feel equal and not a constant burden or attacked, racism and violence were on the rise in the US. she arrive in Europe full of hope and ready to show her talents only a few will welcome her and praise her music and voice but at the same time, when she started her tour around Germany and those areas, she had to cancel in three days because people were in a rage about her "audacity" to sing in an Aryan country (in fewer words a bunch of losers feeling like their asking was gold)

Josephine was strong and no matter how many times she encounter these terrible situations and treatments she was a goddess, she will fight and survived many atrocities but always with class and with that magic that always follows her, she was found of animals, she will often sing and being on stage a black panter anything that will even make her look more glamorous, that was Josephine.

Agent Josephine is one of those books that will make you feel strong and at the same time will make you cry and rage to see how people were so ignorant and had terrible ideas during those times.

Josephine's spying work started when she was recruited by her friend Jacques Abtey. He was convinced that she was perfect for this task and he wasn't wrong as soon as Josephine started she was never deterred to put someone in his place even if that meant being in danger but that's what made her so unique.

The story of Josephine is not an easy one is a very long one and has many details but I feel like it was necessary to learn all of this in order to really value and see Josephine from her amazing skills and work.

I really enjoyed so much this book, I love stories that are real and show how much a woman can give and help a cause no matter how much they tried to quiet her down. BRAVO Josephine!!

Thank you, NetGalley and PublicAffairs, for the advanced copy of Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy in exchange for my honest review.

I admit, my knowledge of Josephine Baker was largely limited to her theatre work. However, while her work in the theatre and entertainment business is impressive in its own right, her life was so much more than that. As someone who doesn’t read a lot on the Second World War (or any wars, If I am being honest), I was entirely unaware of how much she did to help the French Resistance. (Much like Christian Dior’s sister, Catherine Dior.)

Lewis’ research is solid, and he has clearly gone into the archives. A lot of popular history relies on other studies and biographies, which is not inherently bad, but I appreciate that Lewis put so much time into archival research. And there is nothing to worry on the readability front- I was not able to put this one down!

*I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review*
I actually enjoyed this book but then I tried to listen to it on audiobook and it made me really angry. Men should not be reading books about Women and vice versa. Anyways, Josephine Baker is such an incredible woman. to come from plain America and become who she was during this time period was such an uplifting story, and then finding out about her war work made her even more incredible to learn about!

Amazing look into Josephine and her life during the war. I was given a lovely surprise when I was learning new things about her activities. Well written that it would intrigue anyone as they read it.

An excellent book telling in detail the activities and adventures of Josephine Baker during World War II on behalf of France. This story, utterly unknown to me was compelling, interesting, amazingly researched and well-written.

Ever since I saw the HBO series Josephine with Lynn Whitfield in the early 1990's, I've been obsessed with learning as much as possible about Josephine Baker.

That made this particular book a "gimmie" when I sent my request in for an advanced reader copy.

The story weaves information found in recently unclassified documents from WWII and some fill in the blanks of what happened at the time. Josephine found her fame and fortune after she moved to Paris in the 1920's, but when Hitler moved in, anyone non-white and/or Jewish, was not allowed to perform.

Understanding the poison Hitler planned to inject into the entire world, Josephine volunteered to spy for the allies. This book brings in many layers of her life as a spy, an entertainer, and a black woman carving out her rightful place in history.

Written eloquently and containing little known stories of how she helped with the war against the Axis powers, Lewis created a great book for lovers and fans of Josephine Baker and bring about many more.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Additionally, I featured the book on my TV segment.
(https://news4sanantonio.com/sa-living/patricias-picks-to-read-this-month)

Of course I knew of Josephine Baker as an entertainer who moved from the USA to Paris and became a star during the roaring twenties. I knew nothing of her involvement during WWII as a spy.
To read this book and to learn of the bravery, of how fearless she was when once again she found herself a member of the minority, that she had to face the same persecution she left America to get away from. With Hitler coming into power Josephine was faced with a changing Europe, one she chose to fight against. Fighting for the side of freedom, something she pursued all her life.
This book showcases her little known life not as an entertainer but as one of Britain
's most valuable and successful spies! Well researched and written in an easy comprehensible manner, Agent Josephine is a illustrious account of the very significant role Josephine played in helping the allies become victorious over the Nazi regime. I recommend this book highly, it is very easy to read, entertaining, not dry like some non-fiction works can be. It will hold your interest till the end.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

nonfiction, declassified, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, biography, espionage, France, friendship, US-history, Hitler, German-SS, WW2, resistance-efforts, resilience, celebrities, shunned, wealthy*****

The beautiful and talented lady of African, Irish and Native American descent was disrespected in her own country, embraced by her adopted country, and a heroine in so many ways. Who she really was dictated the manner in which she chose to serve. No saint, and definitely flawed, but generous to a fault and able to keep state secrets (some not declassified until 2020) until her death in 1975. This fascinating book, which is not presented in a linear timeline, (mainly) presents her service as an unfinanced clandestine agent for the French Resistance even when in serious peril medically. Much of the impeccably diligent research is duly reported. It is of note that she was awarded both the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour with the rosette of the Resistance, (two of France’s highest military honors) and buried with military honors.
I requested and received an e-book copy from Public Affairs, a division of Hachette Book Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

For more reviews and bookish post visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis is a mini-biography about Josephine Baker. The book is mainly concerned with the star’s career as a secret agent for France during World War II.

Josephine Baker was the foremost star before World War II. She was known throughout Europe, and especially France, for her beauty, music, and dancing. In fact, Josephine Baker was the highest-paid performer at the time.

I did know that Ms. Baker was a famous star, and I also knew she was a spy for the Allies during that time. Her stardom and travel schedule were a perfect cover. I did not know, however, to what extent her contributions helped the war effort.

Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis is meticulously researched while telling a fascinating story. The book is well written, the narrative flows, as well as easy to read.

The author tells of Ms. Baker’s tremendous courage, facing certain death almost every day. This was a time when the death penalty for spies was to be beheaded with an axe while looking up so you could see it coming.
Human’s inhumanity to one another never ceases to surprise me.

With Ms. Baker, we meet several of her fellow secret agents, whom she forged a lifelong friendship with, and trusted them implicitly. There’s love and lost, but above all, defeating the Nazis was the most important goal.

The author makes it clear that Ms. Baker, an American who became a French citizen, was well aware that segregationist America. As a headliner, she was even refused rooms in New York City hotels with her white husband.

Josephine Baker was a staunch supporter of freedom and equality. The fact that she was willing to put aside her strong feelings about segregation in order to help the Allies shows of the quality of her character.

This is a very informative read about an astounding woman living a life of a legend. This is certainly a captivating story of a very unlikely World War II heroine.

"Damien Lewis Searched Second Wold War Archives to Uncover Josephine Baker’s Secret Past as an Allied Spy:
In "Agent Josephine," he details how the American burlesque star, who found fame in Paris, snuck French intelligence reports written in invisible ink past Nazi checkpoints" (article at link)

Until I read Agent Josephine I had only a general knowledge of this fascinating and strong woman. I knew of her talent and of her move to Paris but not many details and certainly not anything about her determination to help the Resistance. She was willing to use her position to fight the Nazis, risking her life for others. A truly remarkable woman. This book is a masterful piece of historical investigating. It is also very well written and I was never bored.
My thanks to the publisher PublicAffairs and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A remarkable story about the exploits and dangers of Josephine Baker as a secret agent during WWII. This was a topic I knew nothing about and came away much more informed after reading Lewis’ book.
Interspersed with her background, Lewis delves into the intricate spy and resistance rings emanating from France after the surrender in 1940. The author gave elongated explanations in the foreword and epilogue about how he had to turn archives upside down to find out all he did. The sleuthing part of the story was the most interesting to me.
Lewis highlights an unsung heroine, Josephine Baker, to give her her rightful place of honor.

I was given an advance reading copy (arc) of this book by NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Many years ago, I read a biography on Josephine Baker. She was a black child born in St. Louis, Missouri to a dirt poor family and the only kindness she received was from her grandmother. Her own mother admitted that she didn't want her. She was never quite sure who her father was. She often went hungry and didn't even own a pair of shoes to wear to school. Despite her talent, she faced prejudice and was shunned in her own country because of her skin color. She took a chance and went to Paris in the 1920s in search of a better life. There, she was accepted for the incredible singer and dancer that she was. She became the toast of Paris nightlife, the highest paid performer in Europe, and hobnobbed with the upper echelon of European society. Everyone loved Josephine Baker. And then Hitler came to power bringing with him a shift in politics across the continent. When the Nazis stormed Paris, Josephine was no longer allowed to work due to the fact that she was black. Outraged, she agreed to spy for the resistance using her fame and popularity to gather information that would help the Allies. Josephine Baker did not disappoint. Author Damien Lewis brings to life a period of French history that is not well known and writes about a gutsy lady who worked hard to rid Europe of fascists. She was not only fearless, but driven and despite being ill herself, she delivered documents, hid arms, and helped smuggle undesirables out of Europe. Josephine Baker was not just a chanteuse, but a woman who was not afraid to stand up for what is right. Her efforts gained her the respect of the French government, as well as the Croix du Guerre and the Legion of Honour with the rosette of the Resistance. She is also one of only six women honored at the Pantheon in Paris. If you are looking for an exciting page turner--this is the book for you. James Bond could take a lesson from the lady who perfected the banana dance! Well done, Mr. Lewis! You did a fine job detailing the head-spinning accomplishments of this remarkable woman.

I wish this story had more about Josephine Baker in it, as that is the whole reason why I wanted to read it. Interesting historical reading, but just wanted more of her and she seemed to be in the background in this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited to read about Josephine Baker and the role she played as a spy. However, this was not a well-written biography. It had very little information and was very repetitive. I recommend this for those that love to read everything about the fascinating Josephine Baker. However, I will be looking for a better biography of her.

I was disappointed. While all this history is, indeed, important and interesting, i was here for Josephine. Sadly, her role in the book is less than i feel i was led to believe.

Agent Josephine is a tale of two books. One is uplifting and thrilling. The other is tangents which bog down the narrative.

Author Damien Lewis centers his book on the life of Josephine Baker, an American entertainer transplanted to France who takes part in the resistance during World War II. When the book focuses on her, it is very entertaining and enlightening. Josephine was a dynamic and wonderfully stubborn woman who did much more than she is known for today. I did an informal poll of people I know and many of the Boomer generation remember her immediately. None of them knew she was active in spy activities. In that sense, the book is very much needed to rectify this. The parts of the book which are purely Josephine's got me excited about learning about this amazing woman.

However, there are entirely too many tangents and too many characters. Jacque Abtey, for instance, was her partner in crime during these years and he often overshadows her significantly in the narrative. It seems ridiculous to say because Abtey was fascinating and a hero in his own right, but I was here for Josephine and she disappears too often and for too long. Other characters drop in and out who could have been eliminated entirely to focus the story.

For someone who wants as much detail about World War II as possible, this may not be a deal breaker. However, it personally kept me from enjoying this as much as I wanted.

(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 7/12/2022.)

Full of information about the second World War and Josephine Baker’s part in it, but I found it too long and not very thrilling. I think this is a personal preference and I would have enjoyed historical fiction more than a biography.

Regardless, Josephine was a very interesting woman who did a lot with her life and it makes for a long, but informational read.