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Holding Details

LocationOakland
Call NoHISTORY MILITARY WWII
TitleBook and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II / Elyse Graham.
AuthorGraham, Elyse, 1985- author.
Barcode529340
CollectionNF History
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 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.
Reserve Item

Copies

LocationStatusBarcodeCall NoCollectionShelf LocCirc Status
Oakland 529340HISTORY MILITARY WWIINF HistoryNew ShelfAvailable

Catalog Details

International Standard Book Number 9780063280847 : $30.00
International Standard Book Number 0063280841 : $30.00
Dewey Decimal Classification Number 940.54/8673 23/eng/20240418
Personal Name Graham, Elyse, 1985- author.
Title Statement Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II / Elyse Graham.
Edition Statement First edition.
Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice New York, NY : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2024]
Physical Description xxi, 376 p. Hardcover 24 cm
Content Type text txt rdacontent
Media Type unmediated n rdamedia
Carrier Type volume nc rdacarrier
Bibliography, Etc. Note Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-356) and index.
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.
Summary, Etc. "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.
Subject-Personal Name Curtiss, Joseph T., 1901-1992.
Subject-Personal Name Kibre, Adele.
Subject-Personal Name Kent, Sherman.
Subject United States. Office of Strategic Services Biography. Officials and employees
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term College teachers Biography. United States
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Librarians Biography. United States
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term World War, 1939-1945 Secret service Europe.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term World War, 1939-1945 Secret service United States.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Espionage, American History 20th century.
Subject Added Entry - Topical Term Spies Recruiting History 20th century. United States