The 2016 feature film Hidden Figures, based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, introduced the previously untold story of three courageous and brilliant Black women mathematicians who worked for NASA in the 1960s facing racism, as well as sexism.

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak reveals yet another untold chapter of the history of women in America. This one involves four other women who went to work for the US government during World War II, creating psychological propaganda, known as “black propaganda,” designed “to break the morale” of the enemy Axis soldiers.

In her introduction to Propaganda Girls, Rogak explains that “In essence, black propaganda was a series of believable lies designed to cause the enemy soldiers to lose heart and ultimately surrender...” It consisted of pamphlets, radio broadcasts, fake newspapers, and other campaigns based on “lies, stories, and rumors” regarding the war.

Who were the Propaganda Girls?

The book is divided into four parts, each with a chapter focusing on one of the four women: Betty McDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Zuzka Lauwers, and Marlene Dietrich (yes, that Marlene Dietrich).

The women were hand-selected by General William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which Rogak identifies as “the precursor of today’s CIA.” Unlike most men of his generation, Donovan specifically sought to hire women. He was convinced that women “would excel at creating subversive materials.”

Before Donovan tapped her, Betty MacDonald was the society and women’s editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. She found this job less than professionally engaging, so she devoted her spare time to learning about Asian culture.

Zuzka Lauwers was born in Czechoslovakia. With a facility for languages, she eventually landed in the Czech consulate in Washington as a ghostwriter, before being hired by Donovan.

Jane Smith-Hutton, married to a diplomat, lived at the American embassy in Tokyo, where she and her family were held hostage for a time. In Tokyo, she became near-fluent in Japanese. That skill, and her desire for revenge, helped her in her work creating black propaganda aimed at Japanese soldiers.

The fourth of the Propaganda Girls was Marlene Dietrich, famous American entertainer and German expat who had great antipathy toward Nazi Germany. She wanted nothing more than to take down the Nazis.

For Rogak, the sexism deeply embedded in the culture in which these four unusual women operated is a significant part of the story. They loved their OSS work but were increasingly stymied by male decision-makers who tried to clip their creative wings, despite their effectiveness.

She focuses on what they endured in the 1940s: low pay and low military rank in comparison to the contributions they were making; having to answer to male superiors who had far less experience in their areas of expertise; and ceaseless frustration at not being recognized.

Rogak characterizes MacDonald, Lauwers, Smith-Hutton, and Dietrich as women who “All had careers that were highly unusual for women in the 1930s and ’40s, and they all yearned to escape the gender restrictions of the day that dictated they are mothers and wives, or teachers or nurses if they absolutely had to work.”

After introducing the four women, the central part of the book describes in detail the black propaganda campaigns they undertook and the risky circumstances they found themselves in, along with the sexism they encountered.

In part four, Rogak devotes a chapter each to what happened to the women after the war. This section lacks the drama of the first three, reading somewhat like an undergraduate research paper, but it does tie up loose ends.

Lauwers was tasked with mounting a music festival in Salzburg, Austria, in the immediate aftermath of the war. She reunited with her parents in Czechoslovakia, moved frequently between Europe and the United States, and eventually settled into a fulfilling life with two serious partners.

Dietrich found the transition to civilian life emotionally challenging. Eventually, she returned to entertaining but always considered the work she did during WW II “the most important work I’ve ever done.”

MacDonald also suffered from a lack of direction and urgency in the immediate post-war period. As soon as she returned to the States, she had “the realization that the autonomy and independence that she had experienced for the last three years was over.”

Smith-Hutton, the only one of the four whose marriage survived the war, spent her war years in Paris as the wife of an American diplomat before returning to the US.

The book closes with an extensive bibliography and more than 250 endnotes. It is due to be released on March 4. 

The reviewer is a freelance journalist and expert on the non-Jewish awakening to Torah, happening in our day. She is the editor of Ten From The Nations and Lighting Up The Nations.

As a female Navy veteran, I’m always drawn to stories that spotlight women’s service to their country—especially the ones history tends to overlook. Propaganda Girls does exactly that, and in such a compelling, accessible way. It’s so important that these stories are told—not just to honor the women who paved the way for us, but to inspire future generations of women AND men.

Lisa Rogak takes an intriguing slice of World War II history and turns it into an incredibly palatable read. This isn’t your typical dry nonfiction—Propaganda Girls feels like fiction in the best possible way: engaging, pacy, and fascinating.

The book tells the untold story of four remarkable women—Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich—who used forged letters, fake newspapers, and scripted broadcasts as part of a secret OSS operation designed to break enemy morale. Their contributions were bold, covert, and absolutely essential to the war effort… and until now, largely unknown.

This is exactly the kind of nonfiction I love: informative and entertaining, spotlighting extraordinary women who deserve to be household names. Highly recommend for fans of WWII history, spy stories, and women’s untold contributions.

I am so happy that I found this book for Women's History Month because I have never heard of these women or their efforts to help make the world a.safer place or all their contributions to ending the war. I am so happy that this is a book that others will learn from and these women are getting their recognition.

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!

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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.