Synopsis:
The incredible untold story of four women who helped win WWII by generating a wave of black propaganda.
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. These four women, each fascinating in her own right, together contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII.
As members of the OSS, their task was to create a secret brand of 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., Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene forged letters and “official” military orders, 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, bestselling author Lisa Rogak brings to vivid life the incredible true story of four unsung heroes, whose spellbinding achievements would change the course of history.
My Edition:
E-ARC provided by Net Galley
My Thoughts:
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.
Propaganda Girls
By Lisa Rogak
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9781250275592
Publication Date: March 4, 2025
Hardcover, E-book, audio
240 Pages
