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Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II Cover Image Book

Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II

How scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II (portion title)
Graham, Elyse 1985- (author.).

Summary: "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 U.S. 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."--

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780063280847
  • ISBN: 0063280841
  • ISBN: 9780063280854
  • Physical Description: print
    xxi, 376 pages ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition
  • Publisher: New York : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2024]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages [303]-356) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction -- 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

Subject:
Curtiss, Joseph T 1901-1992
Kibre, Adele
Kent, Sherman
United States. Office of Strategic Services Officials and employees Biography
Spies Recruiting United States History 20th century
World War, 1939-1945 Secret service United States
World War, 1939-1945 Secret service Europe
Espionage, American History 20th century
College teachers United States Biography
Librarians United States Biography
Genre:
Informational works.
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 67 of 72 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 2 of 2 copies available at Onslow County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 72 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Jacksonville Main Library 940.5486 GRA (Text) 36015000466439 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Sneads Ferry Branch Library 940.5486 GRA (Text) 36015000762720 Adult New Nonfiction Available -
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