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Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best History & Biography (2022)The New Yorker, Best Books of 2022
Vanity Fair, Best Books of 2022
Booklist, Best Books of 2022
Singer. Actress. Beauty. Spy. During WWII, Josephine Baker, the world's richest and most glamorous entertainer, was an Allied spy in Occupied France.
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 highest-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 , bestselling author Damien Lewis uncovers this little-known history of the famous singer’s life. During the war years, as a member of the French Nurse paratroopers—a cover for her spying work—Baker participated in numerous clandestine activities and emerged as a formidable spy. In turn, she was a hero of the three countries in whose name she served—the US, France, and Britain.
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, explaining why she fully deserves her unique place in the French Panthéon.
Vanity Fair, Best Books of 2022
Booklist, Best Books of 2022
Singer. Actress. Beauty. Spy. During WWII, Josephine Baker, the world's richest and most glamorous entertainer, was an Allied spy in Occupied France.
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 highest-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 , bestselling author Damien Lewis uncovers this little-known history of the famous singer’s life. During the war years, as a member of the French Nurse paratroopers—a cover for her spying work—Baker participated in numerous clandestine activities and emerged as a formidable spy. In turn, she was a hero of the three countries in whose name she served—the US, France, and Britain.
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, explaining why she fully deserves her unique place in the French Panthéon.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2022
About the author
Damien Lewis
69 books345 followersDamien Lewis became an author largely by accident, when a British publisher asked him if he'd be willing to turn a TV documentary he was working on into a book. That film was shot in the Sudan war zone, and told the story of how Arab tribes seized black African slaves in horrific slave raids. Lewis had been to the Sudan war zone dozens of times over the past decade, reporting on that conflict for the BBC, Channel 4 and US and European broadcasters.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
February 21, 2024
When I was attending community college, my history professor looked like Hagrid, and he had a magically powerful way of telling a story. Philip Pullman encourages teachers to learn a story so well that they know it without referencing the text. I remember that I would have attended my history class even if I wasn’t getting credit because Hagrid knew his stories without any cheat sheets. His enthusiasm and excitement kept the class riveted.
Reading Agent Josephine made me nostalgic for Hagrid.
Sadly, this book reads more like a research article than TED talk. This book had more acronyms than a governmental agency, and it would jump around chronologically.
Additionally, this book didn’t just focus on Josephine; it also covered many different people such as Churchill, Patton, Dunderdale, Abtey, and de Gaulle plus Major This and That. It was like drinking from a firehouse, especially with a timeline that was shifting in a disorganized fashion.
If you like war stories, you might really like this, but I found the narrative bogged down and inaccessible, frequently finding my mind drifting.
One thing that I did find interesting about this book is the non-US author’s viewpoint on US history. Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. She traveled to New York but was very limited in her roles based on racial discrimination. She migrated to Paris to get a fair chance, and she became a wildly famous sensation. However, when touring the United States even as a superstar, she couldn’t secure a hotel room. Josephine isn’t the only black woman in the United States whose potential was limited as a result of racial discrimination which begs the question: What would the United States be like now if all races were given equal opportunity?
How much I spent:
Softcover text – Free gift from Baldwin Public Library
Audiobook – $84.99 per year through Everand
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Reading Agent Josephine made me nostalgic for Hagrid.
Sadly, this book reads more like a research article than TED talk. This book had more acronyms than a governmental agency, and it would jump around chronologically.
Additionally, this book didn’t just focus on Josephine; it also covered many different people such as Churchill, Patton, Dunderdale, Abtey, and de Gaulle plus Major This and That. It was like drinking from a firehouse, especially with a timeline that was shifting in a disorganized fashion.
If you like war stories, you might really like this, but I found the narrative bogged down and inaccessible, frequently finding my mind drifting.
One thing that I did find interesting about this book is the non-US author’s viewpoint on US history. Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. She traveled to New York but was very limited in her roles based on racial discrimination. She migrated to Paris to get a fair chance, and she became a wildly famous sensation. However, when touring the United States even as a superstar, she couldn’t secure a hotel room. Josephine isn’t the only black woman in the United States whose potential was limited as a result of racial discrimination which begs the question: What would the United States be like now if all races were given equal opportunity?
How much I spent:
Softcover text – Free gift from Baldwin Public Library
Audiobook – $84.99 per year through Everand
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta
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July 29, 2022DNF b/c the poor editing distracted me too much. The book leads with an incomprehensible section about access to archival sources (why not put that at the end?). In the chapters that appear to be more polished, the content is bloated and often seems a bit naive (like a journalist who takes press releases at face value). Last problem: every two pages, a misplaced modifier jacks up an otherwise possibly fine sentence. My teacher/editor brain was so activated (agh! it's summer!) that I couldn't enjoy the stories.
Disappointing, b/c this aspect of Josephine Baker's life is fascinating. TBH, I find her so fascinating that if someone wrote a book about her gardening skills, I'd at least try to read it. On the plus side, the author has piled together a ton of material that, in the hands of good screenwriters, will make a nice eight-episode series for a streaming service.
Honest question: where were the editors? Why didn't anyone at Hachette catch stuff like this:
"Though it [a gift cheetah] was a male, Josephine had promptly named him Chiquita. Enchanted by him, Chiquita had quickly become her favorite pet . . . ."
or this (a sentence that's meant to be about Josephine Baker as a child):
"Sent to work at the age of eight as a maid in the home of affluent white folks, the lady of the house, Mrs. Kaiser, proved cruel."
Disappointing, b/c this aspect of Josephine Baker's life is fascinating. TBH, I find her so fascinating that if someone wrote a book about her gardening skills, I'd at least try to read it. On the plus side, the author has piled together a ton of material that, in the hands of good screenwriters, will make a nice eight-episode series for a streaming service.
Honest question: where were the editors? Why didn't anyone at Hachette catch stuff like this:
"Though it [a gift cheetah] was a male, Josephine had promptly named him Chiquita. Enchanted by him, Chiquita had quickly become her favorite pet . . . ."
or this (a sentence that's meant to be about Josephine Baker as a child):
"Sent to work at the age of eight as a maid in the home of affluent white folks, the lady of the house, Mrs. Kaiser, proved cruel."
April 16, 2024
A fascinating biography of Josephine Baker, an African American singer, dancer, and actress who moved to Paris, France in the 1920s. She was really an incredible person – very brave - and a great performer, which helped her to be a great spy. Her performances during World War II were done to raise money to (secretly) fund spying activities, to feed refugees, and to entertain soldiers.
-Stacy M.
-Stacy M.
October 17, 2022
I cannot give more than 1 star to an author who promises to write about a woman and then devotes most of his time to writing about a man. Josephine Baker is the selling point of this book but it is evident that the author's real darling is Baker's spy-partner-turned-lover, Jacques Abtey. If Abtey is Bond, Baker is his Bond girl, flitting around in the background doing remarkable things, but never getting to take center stage herself. This is extremely disappointing, since it is her face on the cover and her name in the title. The subtitle teases at an exploration of her various identities and her growth over the years, but this is never realized either.
Some readers, especially those who already know a lot about Baker's life, may choose to slog through this one, but they will spend a lot of time bogged down in Damien Lewis' distracted tangents about the state of WWII elsewhere in the world, and the adventures of various men who are vaguely connected to Josephine Baker. You can skip these parts, but if you do you will find yourself turning page after page waiting for Josephine to reappear. For readers like me, who don't know much about Baker and were hoping to learn more about her life, this is not a good book. Not recommended.
Some readers, especially those who already know a lot about Baker's life, may choose to slog through this one, but they will spend a lot of time bogged down in Damien Lewis' distracted tangents about the state of WWII elsewhere in the world, and the adventures of various men who are vaguely connected to Josephine Baker. You can skip these parts, but if you do you will find yourself turning page after page waiting for Josephine to reappear. For readers like me, who don't know much about Baker and were hoping to learn more about her life, this is not a good book. Not recommended.
August 2, 2022
Josephine Baker is a certifiable badass. Unfortunately this book is not.
May 30, 2022
My knowledge of Josephine Baker, prior to reading “Agent Josephine” was extremely limited. I had heard of her and knew she was a big star back in the thirties, but that was about as far as my knowledge took me.
You will learn about a quite formidable, resolute and highly courageous woman who used her stardom to fight Nazi tyranny, putting herself in grave danger on many occasions for the good of all. You will be hooked from the very beginning; Damien uses the preface to explain how the book came to be written and that story in itself is totally engrossing.
This is not a typical Damien Lewis book by any means. There are no battle-hardened troops jumping from planes to wreak havoc on the German war machine; no daring escapes under enemy fire. Instead we have an amazing account of the most unlikely, yet true, story of a real WW2 heroine, not to mention the bravery of those around her, particularly her accomplice, Jacques Abtey. A heroine whose endeavour stretched beyond the war years in her fight for equality and against discrimination in all its forms. The story of a superstar whose star still shines to this day, with her very recently being honoured with a place in the Pantheon in Paris, an honour bestowed on very few people; she is a true French hero. And now, with this new book, telling the tale of her little known WW2 years the star that shone so brightly during her lifetime will now never fade.
The depth of research that has gone in to produce this quite excellent book is nothing short of breathtaking and is clearly evident in the detail of the storytelling. However, rather than it getting bogged down in that detail the narrative flows seamlessly keeping the reader engaged throughout, all the time desperate to know what will happen next; how will Josephine survive, endure and ultimately triumph.
Put simply, this is a masterful work. It is a triumph of research and storytelling and I urge everyone to read it. Although quite a lengthy book, it took me only three sessions to complete. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it.
You will learn about a quite formidable, resolute and highly courageous woman who used her stardom to fight Nazi tyranny, putting herself in grave danger on many occasions for the good of all. You will be hooked from the very beginning; Damien uses the preface to explain how the book came to be written and that story in itself is totally engrossing.
This is not a typical Damien Lewis book by any means. There are no battle-hardened troops jumping from planes to wreak havoc on the German war machine; no daring escapes under enemy fire. Instead we have an amazing account of the most unlikely, yet true, story of a real WW2 heroine, not to mention the bravery of those around her, particularly her accomplice, Jacques Abtey. A heroine whose endeavour stretched beyond the war years in her fight for equality and against discrimination in all its forms. The story of a superstar whose star still shines to this day, with her very recently being honoured with a place in the Pantheon in Paris, an honour bestowed on very few people; she is a true French hero. And now, with this new book, telling the tale of her little known WW2 years the star that shone so brightly during her lifetime will now never fade.
The depth of research that has gone in to produce this quite excellent book is nothing short of breathtaking and is clearly evident in the detail of the storytelling. However, rather than it getting bogged down in that detail the narrative flows seamlessly keeping the reader engaged throughout, all the time desperate to know what will happen next; how will Josephine survive, endure and ultimately triumph.
Put simply, this is a masterful work. It is a triumph of research and storytelling and I urge everyone to read it. Although quite a lengthy book, it took me only three sessions to complete. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it.
July 19, 2022
Most authors who choose to have their book in audio format hire a professional narrator. The author for this book, Damien Lewis, chose to read it himself and in my opinion that was a huge mistake. He read it like a disinterested student reading a book report. It was tedious to listen to. I found it very hard to concentrate on the storyline.
December 17, 2022
5 Stars Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy (audiobook) by Damien Lewis read by the author.
This an amazing story about a talented and courageous woman who really made a difference during WWII. She risked her life entertaining the troops and working as a spy across Europe and North Africa.
This an amazing story about a talented and courageous woman who really made a difference during WWII. She risked her life entertaining the troops and working as a spy across Europe and North Africa.
November 6, 2022
Agent Josephine is a tale of two books. One is uplifting and thrilling. The other is tangents which bog down the narrative.
Author Damien Lewis centers his book on the life of Josephine Baker, an American entertainer transplanted to France who takes part in the resistance during World War II. When the book focuses on her, it is very entertaining and enlightening. Josephine was a dynamic and wonderfully stubborn woman who did much more than she is known for today. I did an informal poll of people I know and many of the Boomer generation remember her immediately. None of them knew she was active in spy activities. In that sense, the book is very much needed to rectify this. The parts of the book which are purely Josephine's got me excited about learning about this amazing woman.
However, there are entirely too many tangents and too many characters. Jacque Abtey, for instance, was her partner in crime during these years and he often overshadows her significantly in the narrative. It seems ridiculous to say because Abtey was fascinating and a hero in his own right, but I was here for Josephine and she disappears too often and for too long. Other characters drop in and out who could have been eliminated entirely to focus the story.
For someone who wants as much detail about World War II as possible, this may not be a deal breaker. However, it personally kept me from enjoying this as much as I wanted.
(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)
Author Damien Lewis centers his book on the life of Josephine Baker, an American entertainer transplanted to France who takes part in the resistance during World War II. When the book focuses on her, it is very entertaining and enlightening. Josephine was a dynamic and wonderfully stubborn woman who did much more than she is known for today. I did an informal poll of people I know and many of the Boomer generation remember her immediately. None of them knew she was active in spy activities. In that sense, the book is very much needed to rectify this. The parts of the book which are purely Josephine's got me excited about learning about this amazing woman.
However, there are entirely too many tangents and too many characters. Jacque Abtey, for instance, was her partner in crime during these years and he often overshadows her significantly in the narrative. It seems ridiculous to say because Abtey was fascinating and a hero in his own right, but I was here for Josephine and she disappears too often and for too long. Other characters drop in and out who could have been eliminated entirely to focus the story.
For someone who wants as much detail about World War II as possible, this may not be a deal breaker. However, it personally kept me from enjoying this as much as I wanted.
(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)
November 20, 2022
This book is only ostensibly about Josephine Baker. It's mostly about men doing things, which I did not sign up for in a book purportedly about a woman. (It even begins with a man's story, not Baker's.) Baker has a bit part only. If you want to skip through to the parts that feature Baker, you will have very little to read. Throughout, she's referred to as Josephine, while all the men are referred to by their last name.
Feels like another dude capitalizing on a woman's story who cares less about who she was and more about what cache her name brings to this poorly written, poorly edited, frankly boring book. We get inside the men's heads, particularly Abtey's, probably because he left his own account for the writer to draw from, whereas Baker was mum about her spy activities. Attempts at getting into Baker's head are imaginative in a derivative and cringey manner, and all throughout we see her through the male gaze.
Feels like another dude capitalizing on a woman's story who cares less about who she was and more about what cache her name brings to this poorly written, poorly edited, frankly boring book. We get inside the men's heads, particularly Abtey's, probably because he left his own account for the writer to draw from, whereas Baker was mum about her spy activities. Attempts at getting into Baker's head are imaginative in a derivative and cringey manner, and all throughout we see her through the male gaze.
Read
October 31, 2022Filed this one under "50 page rule" but didn't rate it.
Read the intro, which presents Josephine Baker as an amazing heroine and gushes on fulsomely about how the author became interested in her life.
Then the book begins and, lawdy, it's overwritten. I skimmed ahead a little and realized I just..could..not..read..this. (I ended up ordering a different biography of her.)
Read the intro, which presents Josephine Baker as an amazing heroine and gushes on fulsomely about how the author became interested in her life.
Then the book begins and, lawdy, it's overwritten. I skimmed ahead a little and realized I just..could..not..read..this. (I ended up ordering a different biography of her.)
August 27, 2022
DNF about 100 pages in. This writing style: hyperbolic, gushing, and full of fiction (how can the author know if her eyes flashed? if she grinned? WTF?), isn't what I look for in a non-fiction book. There's a story here, but it didn't need to be embellished like this. No, thanks.
August 6, 2022
a LOT of beating around the bush.
July 17, 2022
How did a dancer and singer known for her near-nude cavorting with the Folies Bergère in the Roaring Twenties become an international secret agent, an American civil rights activist, and foster mother to numerous children who was awarded (among other recognitions) the title of Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur? In AGENT JOSEPHINE, award-winning author Damien Lewis has devoted considerable time and diligent research to revealing the real Josephine Baker.
Josephine Freda McDonald was born in 1906 into extreme poverty in St. Louis, Missouri. From odd jobs around her slum neighborhood, she realized that she had a talent for song and dance. By 1925, these gifts would transport her from backstreet vaudeville to Paris, where she was celebrated for her beauty and adored by such notables as Ernest Hemingway and Jean Cocteau. She had a large appreciative fan base and enjoyed her highly publicized success, with a forthright personality that infused her queenliness onstage.
When war broke out in Europe, Baker was recruited by her lifelong friend and sometime lover, Jacques Abtey. He saw her potential as a spy, someone who could mix well with military, embassy and bureaucratic operatives and report on the intelligence that slipped from their lips at social gatherings. This role was amplified as the war heated up, and Baker --- clearly a highly intelligent, dutiful, loyal American despite her lowly status as a Black female back home --- took on all assignments offered.
When the war was over, Baker was horrified by her visit to Buchenwald. Upon returning to the US, she readily took up the banner of racial integration. She was even offered leadership of the Black struggles after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., with whom she had addressed March on Washington crowds, the only female speaker to share that significant stage.
Lewis has constructed a lengthy biography of this remarkable woman. AGENT JOSEPHINE is based on factual data concerning her espionage cohorts, and against the background of war, hatred, racial and religious bias. It stresses the contrast between the underprivileged child and the adult hero she would become --- largely because of her strong character and true grit.
Baker did not refuse the espionage tasks given her during World War II, though her life was always in peril. Likewise, despite threats by the Klan and others, she did not shy away from promoting American civil rights. Yet to many, she might have been feted only as the gorgeous “lady in the banana skirt” were it not for Lewis’ determination to offer her multilayered, fully fascinating and undeniably admirable life history to a new generation.
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Josephine Freda McDonald was born in 1906 into extreme poverty in St. Louis, Missouri. From odd jobs around her slum neighborhood, she realized that she had a talent for song and dance. By 1925, these gifts would transport her from backstreet vaudeville to Paris, where she was celebrated for her beauty and adored by such notables as Ernest Hemingway and Jean Cocteau. She had a large appreciative fan base and enjoyed her highly publicized success, with a forthright personality that infused her queenliness onstage.
When war broke out in Europe, Baker was recruited by her lifelong friend and sometime lover, Jacques Abtey. He saw her potential as a spy, someone who could mix well with military, embassy and bureaucratic operatives and report on the intelligence that slipped from their lips at social gatherings. This role was amplified as the war heated up, and Baker --- clearly a highly intelligent, dutiful, loyal American despite her lowly status as a Black female back home --- took on all assignments offered.
When the war was over, Baker was horrified by her visit to Buchenwald. Upon returning to the US, she readily took up the banner of racial integration. She was even offered leadership of the Black struggles after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., with whom she had addressed March on Washington crowds, the only female speaker to share that significant stage.
Lewis has constructed a lengthy biography of this remarkable woman. AGENT JOSEPHINE is based on factual data concerning her espionage cohorts, and against the background of war, hatred, racial and religious bias. It stresses the contrast between the underprivileged child and the adult hero she would become --- largely because of her strong character and true grit.
Baker did not refuse the espionage tasks given her during World War II, though her life was always in peril. Likewise, despite threats by the Klan and others, she did not shy away from promoting American civil rights. Yet to many, she might have been feted only as the gorgeous “lady in the banana skirt” were it not for Lewis’ determination to offer her multilayered, fully fascinating and undeniably admirable life history to a new generation.
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
January 1, 2024
This was a great audiobook, well narrated and paired. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself while doing it. Recommend.
September 28, 2022
Agent Josephine
This review is both about the book and the audiobook (specifically the narration).
I really, really wanted to like this book. I found the subject matter fascinating. As a fellow Missourian, I love reading of historical figures from our great state. Unfortunately I didn’t find the way this was delivered appealing at all. I found it very difficult to get through in that I had to force myself to keep going back to it to finish.
First off, the narration. I cringe when I see an author has narrated their own work. Writing and narrating are two very different art forms that I find rarely overlap. This book was no exception. I believe a great narrator could have taken this book to a whole new level, but even a good narrator could have made it tolerable and even enjoyable. Unfortunately Damien Lewis is neither. It sounded like someone reading words from a textbook without fully understanding/acknowledging what they are reading. It was dry and mundane and hard to keep going. Full disclosure, I tend to listen to audiobooks at 1.25x or even 1.35x speed. I talk fast and it is a personal preference to speed up the narration on most books. However, there were weird pauses in the narration, without seeing the written word, I can only assume occurred with “ for a direct quote or perhaps parentheses. I really don’t know, but it was very distracting and was worse at normal speed. Recommend reading this book as opposed to listening. Would not recommend the audiobook at all. Personal side note, pronouncing the city of St. Louis as Saint Louie was cringeworthy.
At the beginning of the book there was a forward/author’s notes (I can’t remember exactly what it was called). It felt like it should have been at the end of the book. Took forever to get to the actual story.
All-in-all, a story worth telling, albeit stick to the written form, not audio in this case. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a historical fiction, in that Josephine Baker didn’t feel like the prominent character in this book as the title would have suggested. I don’t know if that is because she was a private person and there was very little evidence/documentation of her involvement or what. There was a lot of research done in this book, so much so, that it could really have been two (2) books. A much smaller, possibly historically fiction, on Josephine Baker, and a longer nonfiction book of Capt. Abtey. I felt at times he was the main character and the one there was a lot of documentation on.
This review is both about the book and the audiobook (specifically the narration).
I really, really wanted to like this book. I found the subject matter fascinating. As a fellow Missourian, I love reading of historical figures from our great state. Unfortunately I didn’t find the way this was delivered appealing at all. I found it very difficult to get through in that I had to force myself to keep going back to it to finish.
First off, the narration. I cringe when I see an author has narrated their own work. Writing and narrating are two very different art forms that I find rarely overlap. This book was no exception. I believe a great narrator could have taken this book to a whole new level, but even a good narrator could have made it tolerable and even enjoyable. Unfortunately Damien Lewis is neither. It sounded like someone reading words from a textbook without fully understanding/acknowledging what they are reading. It was dry and mundane and hard to keep going. Full disclosure, I tend to listen to audiobooks at 1.25x or even 1.35x speed. I talk fast and it is a personal preference to speed up the narration on most books. However, there were weird pauses in the narration, without seeing the written word, I can only assume occurred with “ for a direct quote or perhaps parentheses. I really don’t know, but it was very distracting and was worse at normal speed. Recommend reading this book as opposed to listening. Would not recommend the audiobook at all. Personal side note, pronouncing the city of St. Louis as Saint Louie was cringeworthy.
At the beginning of the book there was a forward/author’s notes (I can’t remember exactly what it was called). It felt like it should have been at the end of the book. Took forever to get to the actual story.
All-in-all, a story worth telling, albeit stick to the written form, not audio in this case. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a historical fiction, in that Josephine Baker didn’t feel like the prominent character in this book as the title would have suggested. I don’t know if that is because she was a private person and there was very little evidence/documentation of her involvement or what. There was a lot of research done in this book, so much so, that it could really have been two (2) books. A much smaller, possibly historically fiction, on Josephine Baker, and a longer nonfiction book of Capt. Abtey. I felt at times he was the main character and the one there was a lot of documentation on.
August 15, 2024
I managed to read the first 30% and skimmed the rest. I wanted to know about the war time adventure of Josephine Baker, but the poor editing (or the writing style?) distracted me too much. The book feels too amateur. Damien Lewis can’t tell a coherent story, nor can he put a historical figure on paper.
If only Ben Macintyre or Sonia Purnell had written this book.
If only Ben Macintyre or Sonia Purnell had written this book.
January 1, 2023
While Josephine Baker did great things for France in WWII, and her story deserves to be better know, this book was incredibly disappointing. It is far too long, and despite supposedly being about Baker (not Josephine, as the book always calls her, even when using men's last names...) it is more often about the men around Baker Doing Heroic Things while she batts her eyes and thinks of France. True, Baker spent more than a year convalescing in a hospital during the war, but if you're writing history, sometimes your subjects are doing things like recovering from major illness, and you report that and move on. The effort to turn everyone into a hero got old rather quickly. Parts of the book felt patronizing--Baker is just as often discussed loving animals or heroically thinking of France as she is actually conducting espionage or helping the war effort. Large periods when she was actively involved in espionage (often by attending parties and diplomatic functions and observing what was going on) is reported in a way that seemed more social pages of the paper than any discussion as to how her efforts actually helped the war. Less than 10% of this book actually deals with her espionage career, and that's being generous. By the end of this book I was left wondering if Baker actually helped the war with her spying (if so, how exactly?) and if not, then why not focus on her morale building efforts (also important) and stop setting her up as some super spy. Her fellow agent's efforts were explicitly discussed but hers were not.
This book is far too long, and while it opens saying this won't be a biography of Baker instead focusing on the war years, it frequently delves into her past, often artificially connecting some story from her childhood that happens to exactly link up to the moment at hand. It felt like filler and unnecessary stage dressing. Things that are common knowledge to someone with even a very basic understanding of history are often explained or defined. Everyone in this story is treated as a saint which shifts from annoying through most of the book, to distasteful when one agent's Nazi collaboration is explained away with some handwaving towards the end. Overall, it isn't worth it for a book of this length.
This book is far too long, and while it opens saying this won't be a biography of Baker instead focusing on the war years, it frequently delves into her past, often artificially connecting some story from her childhood that happens to exactly link up to the moment at hand. It felt like filler and unnecessary stage dressing. Things that are common knowledge to someone with even a very basic understanding of history are often explained or defined. Everyone in this story is treated as a saint which shifts from annoying through most of the book, to distasteful when one agent's Nazi collaboration is explained away with some handwaving towards the end. Overall, it isn't worth it for a book of this length.
March 11, 2023
My rating of this book has nothing to do with how much I admire the amazing, brave, and daring Josephine Baker. The issue is that this book is titled Agent Josephine, but she is basically a guest star and not the main act. The depth of research is to be commended, but the writing gets mired in so many tangents and focuses far more on the men surrounding Josephine Baker, and significantly less on her own actions. Also, the phrase “in due course” never needs to be used 10 times in one book. Never. It’s a shame because Josephine Baker is a truly remarkable person. This book didn’t even show her the respect of making her the main focus. But it sure used her name and image on the cover to drum up excitement. Absolutely feels like a bait and switch.
I went back and forth between the book and audiobook. I cannot recommend the audiobook either except for the perk that I was able to speed it up just get to the end. I do recommend it if you’re looking for a good way to fall asleep. The voice is both bored and boring. As a bonus you can sometimes hear pages turn and swallowing. 2 stars feels a bit generous to be honest.
I went back and forth between the book and audiobook. I cannot recommend the audiobook either except for the perk that I was able to speed it up just get to the end. I do recommend it if you’re looking for a good way to fall asleep. The voice is both bored and boring. As a bonus you can sometimes hear pages turn and swallowing. 2 stars feels a bit generous to be honest.
August 26, 2022
Ok, true, this is not my genre. If I was to read something historical, I'd go fiction over non fiction. The issue is, I still think this was a total mislead. I feel like Lewis really wanted to write about Abtey, her spy companion, but knew it wouldn't sell so he fashioned that this was a book all about Josephine Baker to write what he wanted (which ironically, Abtey did as well to get funds and fame). There would be a short blurb or glimpse into Baker's life and then back again to the whole story about Abtey. I do not care about him, the book didn't make me interested in him, it was just a bore to read. I will not deny that Lewis knows his history, the extensive footnote list speaks for itself, but this does not make a crafted and cohesive novel. 1 star.
December 23, 2022
I stand by my earlier status update: I slogged through this solely because of my fascination with Josephine Baker, and that aspect didn’t disappoint. What an incredible woman! But this author didn’t make it easy—this book needed an editor! (Honestly, where was the editor?!) I also listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author—a major mistake. It’s monotonous. Josephine Baker is endlessly fascinating, as is her story, and it will be fun to see this told some day in a series form on Netflix or Prime. The true story is great for that, but please get a good screenwriter.
May 30, 2022
Captivating true story of Josephine Baker, the most unlikely of World War II heroes. A tale of jazz, stardom, espionage and the amazing resilience of the human spirit. Josephine is an unsung hero who worked with the British master spy who was the model for James Bond and the head of intelligence for the French Resistance, hiding all the while in plain sight and mesmerizing friend and foe with a song and an erotic dance. I loved this book.
April 26, 2024
Josephine Baker is the heroine that you needed to read about and more. The intelligence war during WWII was very interesting as well.
August 13, 2022
(3.5 rounded to 4.0)
Before reading this book, I knew that Josephine Baker was a black singer/dancer, had some role in the U.S. Civil Rights movement and she had lived in Europe between the late 1920s through the end of WWII. The book filled in more of the blanks and fleshed out a portrait of a talented, intelligent, loving woman.
Born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri and brought up in extreme poverty. After a short career in vaudeville, she moved to Paris in 1925. Her career as a singer/erotic dancer/actress began a upward spiral until she becomes one of the most desirable performers in Paris, until Paris fell to the Nazis in 1939. As the Nazis concentrated their hold on Paris, one action was to ban black artists from performing. Josephine had been dabbling in espionage work since the mid 1930s. Now she devoted herself fully to working against the Third Reich by gathering, transporting and delivering information. Throughout the War, she used her connections in the French and German elite to gather information.
For her work during the war, she was recognized by France, Britain and America. But she still was not as successful in the U.S. than in Europe. But she continued to work with the Civil Rights movement.
The book is packed with information and research and is interesting to read. The writing was well organized, well researched and flows well. It is long (16+ hrs. In audio) and could have benefitted from an editor. I am glad that I finished it because the story of Josephine Baker is that of an extraordinary woman.
Before reading this book, I knew that Josephine Baker was a black singer/dancer, had some role in the U.S. Civil Rights movement and she had lived in Europe between the late 1920s through the end of WWII. The book filled in more of the blanks and fleshed out a portrait of a talented, intelligent, loving woman.
Born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri and brought up in extreme poverty. After a short career in vaudeville, she moved to Paris in 1925. Her career as a singer/erotic dancer/actress began a upward spiral until she becomes one of the most desirable performers in Paris, until Paris fell to the Nazis in 1939. As the Nazis concentrated their hold on Paris, one action was to ban black artists from performing. Josephine had been dabbling in espionage work since the mid 1930s. Now she devoted herself fully to working against the Third Reich by gathering, transporting and delivering information. Throughout the War, she used her connections in the French and German elite to gather information.
For her work during the war, she was recognized by France, Britain and America. But she still was not as successful in the U.S. than in Europe. But she continued to work with the Civil Rights movement.
The book is packed with information and research and is interesting to read. The writing was well organized, well researched and flows well. It is long (16+ hrs. In audio) and could have benefitted from an editor. I am glad that I finished it because the story of Josephine Baker is that of an extraordinary woman.
October 13, 2022
I really enjoyed the story, 5 stars for bringing to light Josephine’s contributions to WWII. Grab a paper copy, don’t listen to the book, the author narrates and is very dry and ‘bookish’, 3 stars for audio quality.
August 19, 2022
A fascinating subject that could have been so much better presented. The author seems desperate to tell us how brave Josephine Baker was, instead of letting her actions speak for themselves. Too melodramatic at times.
Another complaint: Way too many cliches found their way into the prose.
"The eyes are the windows to the soul."
"Murder most foul."
And the author frequently explains things that don't need an explanation.
"[President] Roosevelt (often referred to by his initials FDR)"
"The granddaughter of the inventor of Morse Code - the system of dots and dashes used for
transmitting coded messages by radio."
Another complaint: Way too many cliches found their way into the prose.
"The eyes are the windows to the soul."
"Murder most foul."
And the author frequently explains things that don't need an explanation.
"[President] Roosevelt (often referred to by his initials FDR)"
"The granddaughter of the inventor of Morse Code - the system of dots and dashes used for
transmitting coded messages by radio."
Read
March 6, 2023I really really wanted to love this book, but I did not. I assumed that a book about Josephine Baker would be passionate, exciting, and thrilling, none of those terms apply to this book. I felt that it was more about WWII and the spy networks in Europe, than it was about Josephine Baker. The material too focused on details and minutia to hold my attention. After I was a quarter of the way through the book, I returned it.
Caveat: I listened to the audiobook, that was read by the author. Maybe the material would’ve been helped by hiring a professional reader. Sadly,the author’s recitation sounded like he was reading a grocery list.
Caveat: I did not think it was fair to rate this book since I did not finish it.
Caveat: I listened to the audiobook, that was read by the author. Maybe the material would’ve been helped by hiring a professional reader. Sadly,the author’s recitation sounded like he was reading a grocery list.
Caveat: I did not think it was fair to rate this book since I did not finish it.
March 13, 2023
Listened via the Libby app
I found this book to be slow and the title to be misleading. I was so looking forward to learning more about Josephine Baker and her amazingly courageous work as a spy for the French resistance during WW2. Unfortunately, I learned more about her handlers, other well known French spies, and the inner turmoil of all the different French spy rings. The book could have been organized differently so as to better express just how much work Josephine did. I also learned more about her in the epilogue than was in the heart of the book.
Giving it 3 stars, because I learned more than I knew about spying during WW2. Still intrigued by Josephine Baker - just need to find a different book to hopefully truly learn more.
I found this book to be slow and the title to be misleading. I was so looking forward to learning more about Josephine Baker and her amazingly courageous work as a spy for the French resistance during WW2. Unfortunately, I learned more about her handlers, other well known French spies, and the inner turmoil of all the different French spy rings. The book could have been organized differently so as to better express just how much work Josephine did. I also learned more about her in the epilogue than was in the heart of the book.
Giving it 3 stars, because I learned more than I knew about spying during WW2. Still intrigued by Josephine Baker - just need to find a different book to hopefully truly learn more.
January 25, 2023
I was so excited about this book, and when it was about Josephine it was pretty good. The problem with this book is that it was more about the war and the men around Josephine then its central character. As per usual, the author cites lack of declassified documents and death of people as a lack of information. But I felt it was more a cover of the poor editing and lack of keeping on task. Because of this, I have to give it a 2 stars.
October 17, 2022
I really wanted to like this one, but I just couldn’t get into it. It was yet another WW2 biography about a woman that was actually focused on all the men. I just wanted to learn about Josephine Baker, but this book managed to be about everything else.
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