{"product_id":"book-and-dagger-how-scholars-and-librarians-became-the-unlikely-spies-of-world-war-ii","title":"Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy Elyse Graham\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRELATED EVENT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoin author Elyse Graham for a lecture at Neue Galerie New York on March 19, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Her talk, \"Book and Dagger: How Academics Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II,\" will present the story of a small group of academics-turned-OSS spies who invented modern spycraft and helped turn the tide of the war. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.neuegalerie.org\/programs\/book-and-dagger\"\u003eRegister Here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A fascinating new study. . .\u003cem\u003eBook and Dagger\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of four such recruits—and surveys many others—with an almost breathless sense of wartime romance and drama. It makes for entertaining, atmospheric reading.” —\u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe untold story of the academics who became OSS spies, invented modern spycraft, and helped turn the tide of the war\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBook and Dagger\u003c\/em\u003e, Elyse Graham draws on personal histories, letters, and declassified OSS files to tell the story of a small but connected group of humanities scholars turned 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrillingly paced and rigorously researched, \u003cem\u003eBook and Dagger\u003c\/em\u003e 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 the humanities to change the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardcover\u003cbr\u003e400 pages\u003cbr\u003eEcco, 2024\u003cbr\u003e6 x 1.15 x 9 inches\u003cbr\u003eISBN 9780063280847\u003cbr\u003eHistory, World War II\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443882033320,"sku":"9780063280847","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/8594\/files\/Book_and_Dagger_How_Scholars_and_Librarians_Became_the_Unlikely_Spies_of_World_War_II.jpg?v=1739305172","url":"https:\/\/neue-galerie-design-shop.myshopify.com\/products\/book-and-dagger-how-scholars-and-librarians-became-the-unlikely-spies-of-world-war-ii","provider":"Neue Galerie Design Shop \u0026 Book Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}