Agent Josephine

American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy

By: Damien Lewis

Narrated by: Damien Lewis

Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Singer. Actress. Beauty. Spy. During WW2, Josephine Baker, the world's richest and most glamorous entertainer, was an Allied spy in Occupied France. This is the story of her heroic personal resistance to Nazi Germany.

Prior to World War II, Josephine Baker was a music-hall diva renowned for her singing and dancing, her beauty and sexuality; she was the most highly paid female performer in Europe. When the Nazis seized her adopted city, Paris, she was banned from the stage, along with all "negroes and Jews". Yet, instead of returning to America, she vowed to stay and to fight the Nazi evil. Overnight she went from performer to Resistance spy.

In Agent Josephine best-selling author Damien Lewis uncovers this little known history of the famous singer's life. During the years of the war, as a member of the French Nurse paratroopers—a cover for her spying work—she participated in numerous clandestine activities and emerged as formidable spy. In turn, she was a hero of the three countries in whose name she served: the US, the nation of her birth; France, the land that embraced her during her adult career; and Britain, the country from which she took her orders, as one of London’s most closely guarded special agents. Baker’s secret war embodies a tale of unbounded courage, passion, devotion, and sacrifice, and of deep and bitter tragedy, fueled by her own desire to combat the rise of Nazism and to fight for all that is good and right in the world.

Drawing on a plethora of new historical material and rigorous research, including previously undisclosed letters and journals, Lewis upends the conventional story of Josephine Baker, revealing that her mark on history went far beyond the confines of the stage.

©2022 Damien Lewis (P)2022 PublicAffairs

Inspiring

Eye opening account of clandestine activities during WW2 in North Africa, Portugal, Spain, and Britain. Interesting linkage to Ian Fleming’s and his James Bond book series.

Fascinating story about a fascinating, adventurous woman

Fascinating story about a fascinating, adventurous woman. Hopefully more people learn her story. She was an amazing woman ahead of her time.

Hero

she lived a life that showed her beliefs unquestionably. Josephine was willing to give all for the people and countries she loved. It took a minute to train my ear to the English pronunciations, but that was the only problem I had!

Such a fascinating book!

The author does a tremendous job of portraying the character and nature of the real life heroine. As I think he says, if this were a novel many of the details would add up to be a little much but as a true story it is intensely interesting and Josephine Baker is about as inspiring as humans get.
My only negative note on the author’s narration is that I don’t like the voices he does for characters; however I am particularly sensitive to ANY narrator doing voices and I bet loads of listeners have no problem with any of it. Overall I’m still very glad the author read his own work.
I cannot recommend this book (and audible audiobook) highly enough. I’m a relative newcomer to WW2 history and the backdrop of the French perspective in itself made this a very memorable listen. I will definitely revisit it.

Wish it had more stories

I think Josephine is an amazing person and deserves recognition, I just wish this had more stories, and could have been better if it just focused on Josephine. I guess I was expecting a biography on her, rather than the story of all the other agents and world war II France spy history. Like other reviews, I think the title is misleading.

Amazing woman!

After visiting her Chateau I was inspired to learn about her. What a life force! She loved all living things and fought for them!

Who knew??

When I started with this book, all I knew was that Josephine Baker left the racist USA & became a wildly popular cabaret star in France. There was SO much more to her! I have read/listened to many books about WWII spies & the French underground, but Agent Josephine covered entirely new ground. Her very visibility, not something normally associated with spying, became her super power!

That said, the book felt padded, with tiresome repetitions & too many digressions.

what a fascinating read

I had no idea Josephine Baker was so amazing. glad I found this little gem. super interesting and based on evidence.

Historic account but not very exciting

This book talks of an incredible women and men in espionage in WW2 but it lacks excitement like other Damian Lewis books. It’s sounded like a general account but not a book

Misleading title

I was very disappointed that there was more written about the espionage effort in WWII in general than about Josephine. Josephine deserved more. And the author would have benefited from better editing.