A most fascinating book for any reader who, like me, is interested in World War II, the little-known work of women who went to war to give their all for their country and in women's history in general. PROPAGANDA GIRLS reveals the remarkable contributions of four women who helped turn the tide of the war in both the European and Pacific theaters.

Consider these amazing women: Betty MacDonald, a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii, Zuzka Lauwers who grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21, Jane Smith-Hutton, the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo, and finally, Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, who 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 undercover campaigns ofWWII.

As members of the OSS, they sacrificed their peacetime lives to create propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Working in the European theater, across enemy lines in occupied China, and in Washington, D.C. , they forged letters and “official” military documents, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs, and even developed rumors for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy. And outside of a small group of spies, no one knew they existed. Until now.

In PROPAGANDA GIRLS, author Lisa Rogak reveals the story of four American women who, through their imaginative minds, remarkable language skills and incredible dedication would change the world's most horrific war and bring down the defeat of America's most powerful and vicious enemies. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Thsi is the story of four American women who worked for the OSS during WWII, producing propaganda and influencing public opinion about the war on both sides. One, Marlene Dietrich, was famous, but the others were among thousands of others in the war machine behind the front lines. The book is divided into four sections, pre-war, during the war, and post-war. I found the most compelling parts to be the first, describing their motivations for joining the war effort rather than staying home and living more conventional lives. The descriptions of Pearl Harbor are especially vivid. Somewhere along the way, the chapters begin to feel a bit less dynamic, even while the women were most involved in the war (exception being Dietrich, maybe because she left a more public trail to follow). There is obviously some reference to the obstacles they faced as women (lower pay, less recognition, harassment, etc), but the book doesn't focus on the broader context of the war, OSS, or women's place in them (maybe because that's well traveled ground)? And finally, the story ends abruptly with Jane's last chapter; I think it would benefit greatly from having an epilogue to tie everything together. All this aside, it's an interesting and concise book that WWII buffs will enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Review to be published in the shelf awareness newsletter and on www.shelf-awareness.com. It can be found by either searching the title or my last name.

How much do you know about the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the World War II predecessor to the CIA? Want to learn more, then join Lisa Rogak as she twines the tales of four women who worked in the Morale Operations branch of the OSS.

Lisa Rogak opens with background chapters on each of the four women in Propaganda Girls - Elizabeth "Betty" McDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Barbara "Zuzka" Lauwers, and Marlene Dietrich. The background chapters lay the groundwork and motivation of why each woman volunteered to be part of the OSS's black propaganda operation. The next several rounds of chapters laid out the various jobs they held and how each of these jobs whether in Washington D.C., in India, China, Italy, or France managed to aid the Allied cause while raising havoc with the Axis forces. For example, Zuzka had toilet paper created with the image of Hitler's face and the German phrase "Use this side" airdropped behind enemy lines. She also used POWs to sneak behind German lines in Italy with pamphlets saying that the war was over and Kesselring was in charge. Betty used her skills as a newspaper reporter to create newsletters dropped on Japan and behind the lines in China to create division in the enemy population. Jane used her hard-earned knowledge the Japanese language and culture to hold "rumor mill" sessions that proposed various rumors to be spread by spies and to create black propaganda items. Marlene was involved radio broadcasts from London that were beamed to Allied troops, but picked up the Germans as well. She was also in the MUZAK Project which had popular American songs sung in German by German artists. Marlene recorded 12 songs, some with special lyrics, for the program. Years later, all 12 songs were released as an album. Finally, Lisa Rognak covers the lives and careers of all four women after the end of the war.

So, if you are looking for a readable, well-documented account of some of the women who worked for the OSS, pick up Propaganda Girls and settle in for the ride.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this title!

Well, I just loved this book! It's inspiring, it is educational, it's funny at times - I think that this should be required reading in schools. It felt very modern for a book that is covering events from 80 years ago. It made me want to learn even more about Marlene Dettrick. These stories are ripe for an on-screen adaptation. Loved.

A brilliant true-life tale for fans of WWII stories. Features four women--the famous actress Marlene Dietrich, reporter Betty MacDonald from Hawaii, Zuzka Lauwers from Czechoslovakia, and Jane Smith-Hutton (spouse of a naval attaché based in Tokyo)--who helped pull off a highly successful secret propaganda campaign that contributed to the Allies winning the war. Unputdownable!

This is a concise and engaging account of four women who helped to end WWII in a way no one ever expected them to be able to. I really enjoyed this and will be using the stories of these women in my classroom.

This novel had me engaged the whole time. The nostalgic time with women from Hollywood and a piece of history almost forgotten. I learned a lot about Marlene Dietrich, which I knew from the movies, but her time during the war was difficult with what was happening with the Nazis, and she made decisions that were difficult at that time. We follow several ladies, Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene. These four women made their own impact during the war which sadly could not be recognized. I will be looking for more of Rogak’s work.