A fascinating (and well-researched) look at Marlene Dietrich, Zuzka Lauwers, Betty Macdonald, Jane Smith-Hutton and their efforts for the OSS that helped win WWII. Before reading this, I was only familiar with Ms Dietrich, but never knew of these accomplishments.

I had a difficult time putting this one down, and recommend. Publishing early in Women’s History Month, Propaganda Girls is a great choice for book clubs, and those interested in history.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

A compelling look at women who defied convention and worked in secret against the Nazis in WWII. I really enjoyed the incredibly thorough look at the lives of each of these brave ladies and the courage they showed not only as soldiers, but as females in a male dominated field. The tales of their determination and fortitude are inspiring. The research is impeccable and each story jumps from the page.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Macmillan audio for my copies. These opinions are my own.

This is a really good book about women in the OSS. By following four particular women, it gives a grand overview of how creative all these women were. That one of them is Marlene Dietrich is a surprising bonus. The stories are fascinating and fun to read. The fact that these women were mistreated and abused because they are women is touched on. Highly recommended.

Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak, covers four of the most famous women to join the OSS a.k.a. Donovan‘s dreamers and goes on to talk about what motivated them. from German Bourne actress Marlena Dietrich to women’s reporter Betty Macintosh, Jane Smith Hutton who lived in Japan when the war started and last but not least Barbara “Zuzka” Lowers a native of Czechoslovakia but like all of these women will prove to be a child of the world. these women proved to be brave and started a wartime tradition not a propaganda but of entertaining the troops and at the same time cording danger. Some would use their feminine wilds some a damsel in distress persona but all was back by intelligence stealth and an aim to fight for good. Molina Dietrich has been my favorite actress for many years but now she is my hero. Some of the act the women do are small and summer are big but all were for the American cause and that of peace. This is a great book I have never read a book by this author before but I will not make that mistake again. If you love historical non fiction then you would definitely love this true story about four brave women in their fight for justice. I especially liked the set up of the book how each ladies chapter win an order so if you want to pass up someone else’s story it is easily done the way she set it up by myself did not pass up anyone’s story and found them all so very interesting. #NetGalley,#SaintMartin’sPress, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #LisaRadek, #PropagandaGirls,

This was such an engaging read! It's a very well-researched book, but the information never feels dry or boring. I loved learning about each of the women profiled in the book. And I loved the glimpse into that side of WWII, at all of the effort that went into demoralizing the Axis side. I did find the book confusing when it jumped around (which didn't happen often), and sometimes I had questions or wanted the author to go into more detail about certain events, but she didn't. I also struggled to keep Betty and Jane's stories separate sometimes and I wish they'd been differentiated a bit more. But those are minor complaints. Overall I loved this book!

This book exceeded my expectations; it was such an amazing read. I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel.
The book was full of vivid descriptions and vivid imagery to the point where I felt like I had slipped into the pages.

5 out of 5 stars

A thrilling look at four talented women from around the world who worked for the United States to produce different forms of propaganda to assist the Allied Powers during World War II.

Lisa Rogak examines the careers of four women: Betty MacDonald from Hawaii, Zuzka Lauwers from Czechoslovakia, Jane Smith-Hutton, a navy attaché wife living in Tokyo, and Marlene Dietrich from Germany, in her book Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS. These four women came from different backgrounds and lived all over the world. Still, they each had talents that made them perfect candidates for the Office of Strategic Services or OSS, the precursor to the CIA, and their goal of fighting the Axis Powers outside the battlefield. The book follows the lives of each woman before, during, and after their work with the OSS. It also discusses the impact the women had on the war efforts and how the jobs affected their lives.

Although Propaganda Girls is not a long book, Rogak condenses her topics enough and adds plenty of detail, so the book feels much longer. I was captivated the whole time while reading. The exploration into Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene provided interesting perspectives into the lives of people, women specifically, outside the battlefield. Rogak shows how women had (and wanted) to work during the war, and how they were welcomed by some but still faced the pushback from the ingrained sexism of the 1940s. This was particularly evident with Jane and Zuzka who were both in the United States military, doing as much work as the men, but could not get a promotion without a great fight. The same issue also came up at the end of the war when women were expected to go back to being wives and mothers, even women who worked hard for their country during the war.

Along with covering the impact women had on the work of the Allied Powers, Rogak explores the use of propaganda in World War II. Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene each had specific talents they used to produce different kinds of propaganda. These talents created leaflets, songs, books, and other mediums that were spread to both soldiers and civilians in war-torn areas around the world. The women all knew multiple languages and used that knowledge to make believable pieces in various languages, including German and Japanese. These skills allowed for the propaganda to spread further and made it more believable. The women’s work impacted the view of the war for soldiers and civilians and contributed to the success of the Allies. Rogak successfully shows all of this through her analysis of the four women.

Even though I enjoyed this book, the one critique I have is, I wish Rogak kept the order of the women the same for each section. The book is split up into four acts, with a chapter dedicated to one woman for each act. However, the order changes for every act and, at times, it becomes hard to follow which woman is being discussed. It was not hard to follow the clues back to whom the chapter focused on, but I often found myself tracing back to earlier chapters to find out who was doing what and from where.

Overall, this book is a very well-written history book. It provides an abundance of information without being overwhelming. Rogak discusses Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene without making the reader feel like they are receiving a play-by-play of their days. I particularly like how Rogak looks at each woman’s life before, after, and during their work with the OSS. It shows the struggles these women faced during those times, while also showing how they rose above the struggles and became successful in fields traditionally held by men. I highly recommend this book for those interested in a different woman-led exploration of World War II.

I've learned so much about the role women played behind the scenes in several wars just because of this book, I believe it will add to the growing literature of books that highlight the importance seen and unseen ways women have contributed to history.

4.5 stars

While I might not adopt this for my classroom, I might very well use anecdotes from this book to share with my students. It is rare to see female representation in World War II history, except as nurses or Rosie the Riveter. Fascinating stories, including someone as exotic and glamorous and exotic as Marlene Dietrich! I try to teach my students that propaganda sometimes gets a bad rap. That's it's not always about demonizing the good guys. That sometimes it can be used to sink the bad guys. And, I love that women used their smarts to do it! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book description: .The incredible untold story of four women who spun the web of deception that helped win World War II.

The four women in question, Betty Macdonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich. The four women worked for the OSS( Office of Strategic Services) and created propaganda that was aimed at shaking the morale of Axis soldiers.

What I Thought:

Well researched. split into four sections, chapters alternating between Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene made it easy to become familiar with each woman. I appreciated so much that, instead of resorting to " this is what she thought," the author, Lisa Rogak, would write "according to____" which just made me like this book even more.

World War II stories continue to flood our book publishing world because let's face it, there are still so many more stories to be revealed and/or further explored. If readers are interested in this topic of history, you will certainly enjoy it. If you're looking for a good Women's History Month read, I do recommend this one.




Publication Date 04/03/25
Goodreads Review 04/03/25

Propaganda Girls is a fascinating look at the women who played key roles in propaganda during World War II. It is thoroughly researched and the writing is engaging and easy to follow.

The book focuses on Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene, who worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the war. It takes us through their lives before they joined the OSS, their important work during the war, and what came after. For these women, their time in the OSS was the most meaningful part of their lives, knowing they made a real impact. Despite their significant contributions, their work often went unnoticed next to the achievements of their male counterparts, but their roles were crucial in shaping history.

Overall, Propaganda Girls is a must-read for anyone interested in history or media studies. It shines a light on the often-forgotten but incredibly important role these women played in history.

Propaganda Girls is a meticulously well-researched, well-organized, and well-written account of the lives of four women whose work in World War II truly changed the course of the war for the Allied forces, and it's a refreshing peek behind the curtain of how propaganda and the crafting of stories can alter a society.

The book focuses on the sometimes-intertwining lives of Betty Mcdonald, Bozena (Zuzka) Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich. Each woman worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II in various capacities, but all of their roles, in one way or another, consisted of crafting black propaganda to target the Axis forces. In different ways, they created stories, entertainment, political cartoons, and leaflets that, when carefully disseminated and distributed into the hands of their enemies, had the power to sway thousands of soldiers to surrender.

Not only did I find the stories of these four individual women fascinating, I also thought the subject matter posed a fascinating perspective on the role of propaganda. It's something that our public consciousness should focus on more, especially in today's climate of social media and our access immediate information distribution. It's important to think about who is crafting the messages that we read and to ponder the subversive messages beneath them. The impact that these four women and their talent, ideas, and brains alone had on the messaging of World War II was massive - to imagine how much more impactful some of their work would be in today's world is staggering to consider.

I'm coming away from this book feeling grateful to know the names of these women who added so much to the effort of World War II and to our nation's (and world's) history. Too often, the stories of women in history are overshadowed by their male counterparts', so a big thank you to Lisa Rogak for highlighting Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene!

And thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This book is out today & it's one I'd encourage anyone to pick up and read.

I enjoyed reading Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I think it’s amazing that even after almost 100 years, we’re still learning about events and people who changed history during World War II! Propaganda Girls tells the story of four women, who you didn’t learn about in your history class, who created propaganda to destroy the morale of Axis soldiers.

The author tells each woman’s story and explains what they were doing before the war and how they got the unique job with the OSS, as well as what they did after the war! Rogak also explains the different types of propaganda and how meticulous the OSS had to be in order for it to seem real. All of the women have fascinating stories, and the writing was very easy to read! I finished this book in just a few days!

My favorite parts were the stories about Marlene Dietrich doing USO shows and making propaganda songs for the radio, and the stories about how Betty, Jane, and Zuzka had to go behind enemy lines in order to get their propaganda spread! These women were brilliant and truly brave!
I’m so glad I read this book!

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to read about World War II history, and wants to learn something new! This book is also perfect for Women’s History Month!

Propaganda Girls is out now!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

Two things you should take from this book: the power of morale, and the way women are repeatedly undervalued in situations that are determined to be "for men" - like war.

The four women in this book came from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and had different interactions with WWII and the inciting events. But they all had the same response: there was work to do, and they were going to sign up to do it.

These women led extraordinary lives, before and after their war work, and it's taken us nearly 80 years to recognize what they and other women did during a period of time that shattered and reshaped the world. It's fascinating to dive into their lives and their work, and how much it impacted the war effort.

Marlene Dietrich is especially tragic, to be honest, and it's made me curious to read her own book.

Never underestimate the power of words and perception.

A compelling read about brave and inspiring women. It kept my attention and it's a wonderful addition to books written about that era. I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it.

I should start by saying I'm not generally super into war history. But I am into the history of anti-fascism, anti-Nazi sentiment, and women's roles in combat/warfare throughout the ages. And I'm super interested in Marlene Dietrich because she is an ICON (go back in time and TRY to tell her she can't wear pants to work - I dare you).

Anyway, Propaganda Girls didn't really tread a whole lot of new ground for me, as a person with some amount of familiarity with the OSS and the roles of these and other heroic women in it - although I was less familiar with Zuzka and Betty than Jane and Marlene, so it was nice to learn a bit more about them. Still though, their stories are utterly fascinating, and the decision to delve not only into their time in the OSS, but what drove each of them to want to become a part of the war effort however they could was fascinating.

If I were to say I had any issues with Propaganda Girls, it would be that I wish there had been slightly more care given to the book's conclusion. It feels quite abrupt. We follow the four women through what led them to the war, their places in it, and then what came after. I guess I wish there had been some sort of epilogue - something to debrief you after the heaviness the war left behind. Maybe delving into the important roles so many women played in the war effort, and how little credit they are given in history books for having done so. Or the power and incredible dangers of propaganda. I don't know, something.

And when we got to the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, tonally, it seemed the author might be implying that had the bombs not been dropped, the women were on the edge of ending the war themselves simply by virtue of their propaganda machine. Which I don't think is super realistic, unfortunately. Could they have? Sure, maybe. But it likely would have taken many more years of opperations to sway enough Axis soldiers to end the war. I don't know if that was Rogak's intention, or just the way it read to me, but...I did think the sentiment felt a little out of place.

And to get back to things I really liked about Propaganda Girls (compliment sandwich!), there was clearly a lot of research done by the author, so the cited works are an absolute treasure trove of further information on World War II.

Rating:

★★★★

Overall, Propaganda Girls is well researched and definitely an interesting read. I think if you're at all interested in history, feminism, or women's roles in warfare, this is a great, albeit slightly hyperbolic, but definitely entertaining read.

*this review goes live 3/5/25*

Fascinating book, fascinating women. Different personalities, backgrounds, and lives but common among them was their strength, dedication, bravery and ingenuity, their lack of hesitation to stand up, step forward, do whatever they could to help defeat the enemy.

World War II is one of the most interesting historical topics. It seems no matter how much you read, there is always more to learn. Author Rogak brings the daring contributions of these four women to life in all their dangerous, thrilling, exciting detail. A very satisfying read. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Propaganda Girls via NetGalley. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys looking beyond the well-known facts of this historical period. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I read a lot of WWII nonfiction history and historical fiction books. I had never heard about the Propaganda Girls that worked in the Marole Operations (MO) branch of the OSS. Propaganda Girls tells of four women who worked in the MO office.

Rogak, you can tell when you read it, a thoroughly researched book. These 4 ladies were a major part of WWII. They helped with false information to enemy soldiers trying to get them to surrender. The MO office was quite successful in accomplishing turning the enemy soldiers' morale to low and causing some to surrender to the Allies.

If you enjoy WWII history, you would probably enjoy Propaganda Girls.

Tentative Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Lisa Rogak for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#Netgalley #SaintMartinPress #LisaRogak #PropagandaGirls #ARC #MonthlyNonfictuon2025 #Read2025

This book details the story of 4 amazing women who helped to win World War II. 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. Each of these women was fascinating in their own right, but together contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII. They were recruited to the OSS, and their mission was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. The methods they used were as ingenious as they were effective. I love reading about strong, accomplished women, so this book was perfect for me. If you enjoy historical fiction, then you should definitely check this out.