Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of War War II / Elyse Graham.
"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 US 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, diaries, and declassified OSS files to tell the story of a small but connected group of humanities scholars turned unlikely 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 humanities to change the world." -- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063280847
- ISBN: 0063280841
- Physical Description: xxi, 376 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2024]
- Copyright: ©2024
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index (pages 357-376). |
Formatted Contents Note: | The spy who came in from the carrel -- A girl's guide to burglary -- Through the looking glass -- Too clever to be trapped by a woman -- Breaking codes and reading trash -- The dirtiest work that can possibly be imagined -- Surrender on demand -- The longest day -- Lies and damned lies -- Searching for a new plot. |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Informational works. Biographies. |
Available copies
- 14 of 29 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 2 of 2 copies available at Stone County.
Holds
- 7 current holds with 29 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stone County-Blue Eye | 940.548 GRA (Text) | 31358001492722 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Stone County-Galena | 940.548 GRA (Text) | 31358001492730 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |