Stream thousands of fine art and hand-crafting classes with Creativebug. Check it out here!

Evelyn Goldberg Briggs Memorial Library Iron River

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

Book Cover
Your Rating: 0 stars
Star rating for Book and dagger
Author:
Graham, Elyse, 1985-
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date:
2024
Language:
English
Choose a Format
On Shelf
Iron River Adult Nonfiction
940.54 GRA
Checked Out
1 copy, 99 people are on the wait list.
Checked Out
1 copy, 31 people are on the wait list.

Description

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, 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.

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 the humanities to change the world.

Also in This Series

More Like This

Subjects

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

More Details

ISBN:
9780063280847
9780063280861
9780063280878

Librarian Reviews

Published Reviews

Staff View

QR Code

Grouping Information

Grouped Work IDace5d509-1914-fa14-4cae-2a9270460a69
Grouping Titlebook and dagger how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of world war ii
Grouping Authorelyse graham
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2025-03-22 04:40:34AM
Last Indexed2025-03-22 05:52:15AM

Solr Fields

accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Graham, Elyse, 1985-
author_display
Graham, Elyse
available_at_ironriver
Iron River Library
detailed_location_ironriver
Iron River Adult Nonfiction
Online OverDrive Collection
display_description
"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 storyof 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 intelligenceand 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"--
format_category_ironriver
Audio Books
Books
eBook
format_ironriver
Book
eAudiobook
eBook
id
ace5d509-1914-fa14-4cae-2a9270460a69
isbn
9780063280847
9780063280861
9780063280878
itype_ironriver
BOOK - HARDCOVER
last_indexed
2025-03-22T10:52:15.704Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_ironriver
940.54 GRA
Online OverDrive
local_time_since_added_ironriver
Six Months
Year
owning_library_ironriver
Iron River Library
Iron River Library Online
owning_location_ironriver
Iron River Library
Online OverDrive Collection
primary_isbn
9780063280847
publishDate
2024
publisher
Ecco
HarperAudio
HarperCollins
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Biographies
College teachers -- United States -- Biography
Curtiss, Joseph T., -- 1901-1992
Espionage, American -- History -- 20th century
Kent, Sherman
Kibre, Adele
Librarians -- United States -- Biography
Spies -- Recruiting -- United States -- History -- 20th century
United States. -- Office of Strategic Services -- Officials and employees -- Biography
World War, 1939-1945 -- Secret service -- Europe
World War, 1939-1945 -- Secret service -- United States
title_display
Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II
title_full
Book and Dagger How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II
Book and dagger : how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II / Elyse Graham
title_short
Book and dagger
title_sub
how scholars and librarians became the unlikely spies of World War II
topic_facet
Biography & Autobiography
College teachers
Curtiss, Joseph T
Espionage, American
History
Kent, Sherman
Kibre, Adele
Librarians
Nonfiction
Officials and employees
Politics
Recruiting
Secret service
Spies
World War, 1939-1945

Solr Details Tables

item_details

Bib IdItem IdShelf LocationCall NumFormatFormat CategoryNum CopiesIs Order ItemIs eContenteContent SourceeContent URLDetailed StatusLast CheckinLocation
overdrive:802f6945-3a00-4100-adb3-b4aa3c30ddb81Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeAudiobookAudio Books0falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
overdrive:802f6945-3a00-4100-adb3-b4aa3c30ddb8-1Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeAudiobookAudio Books1falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
overdrive:87d82186-75b8-409c-9533-88d050d0d3711Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook0falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
overdrive:87d82186-75b8-409c-9533-88d050d0d371-1Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook1falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
ils:.b21378940.i35862014Manitowish Waters Adult NonfictionNEW 940.54 Gra1falsefalseAvailablemwanf
ils:.b21378940.i3583691xLand O Lakes Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseAvailableJan 20, 2025loanf
ils:.b21378940.i35826800Phelps Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseAvailablephanf
ils:.b21378940.i35828948Bayfield Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseAvailableJan 27, 2025baaun
ils:.b21378940.i3588065xIron River Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseAvailableMar 17, 2025iranf
ils:.b21378940.i35834389Sayner Adult Nonfiction940.5486 GRA1falsefalseAvailableJan 16, 2025saanf
ils:.b21378940.i35829655Hayward Adult And Young Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseIn TransitMar 21, 2025haanf
ils:.b21378940.i35980126Lac Courte Oreilles Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseOn Orderlcanf
ils:.b21378940.i35827270Superior Adult NonfictionNEW 940.5486 G76b1falsefalseAvailableMar 20, 2025suanf
ils:.b21378940.i35830001Presque Isle Adult NonfictionNEW 940.54 Gra1falsefalseAvailableFeb 20, 2025pianf
ils:.b21378940.i35840560Mercer Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA HISTORY1falsefalseAvailableJan 02, 2025mranf
ils:.b21378940.i35853220Boulder Junction Adult Nonfiction940.54 GRA1falsefalseAvailablebjanf

record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
overdrive:802f6945-3a00-4100-adb3-b4aa3c30ddb8eAudiobookAudio BooksEnglishHarperAudio2024
overdrive:87d82186-75b8-409c-9533-88d050d0d371eBookeBookEnglishHarperCollins2024
ils:.b21378940BookBooksFirst editionEnglishEcco2024xxi, 376 pages ; 24 cm

scoping_details_ironriver

Bib IdItem IdGrouped StatusStatusLocally OwnedAvailableHoldableBookableIn Library Use OnlyLibrary OwnedIs Home Pick Up OnlyHoldable PTypesBookable PTypesHome Pick Up PTypesLocal Url
overdrive:802f6945-3a00-4100-adb3-b4aa3c30ddb81Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsetruefalse
overdrive:802f6945-3a00-4100-adb3-b4aa3c30ddb8-1Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalse
overdrive:87d82186-75b8-409c-9533-88d050d0d3711Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsetruefalse
overdrive:87d82186-75b8-409c-9533-88d050d0d371-1Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalse
ils:.b21378940.i35862014On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i3583691xOn ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35826800On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35828948On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruetruefalsefalsefalse99999999
ils:.b21378940.i3588065xOn ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsetruefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35834389On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35829655In TransitIn Transitfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35980126On OrderOn Orderfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35827270On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35830001On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35840560On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b21378940.i35853220On ShelfAvailablefalsetruetruefalsefalsefalsefalse9999