Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
by Damien Lewis
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61:19
Author presentation, slideshow and interview in video call format
5K
201
Aug, 2022
Spoiler:
Author Damien Lewis, presenting for the International Spy Museum in Washington, educates the audience on how Josephine Baker used her star status to slip “war-winning” documents past Gestapo checkpoints in Europe, knowing she would face torture and execution if caught. Although she had vowed never to sing or dance again in France while Nazis remained there, she continued to do so as a cover for her spy work. The author also shows recently-declassified photos and comments on them.
63:07
Author interview, commentary on photo slideshow in video call format
405
13
Nov, 2022
Spoiler:
Brian Alessandro of Queens Public Library asks the author to give a basic biography of Josephine Baker, starting from her childhood of crushing poverty in the U.S. The interview then jumps to how the French recruited Baker as a spy and used her star power as a cover. The author also comments on photos of Baker from before the war and in moving moments such as performing for injured soldiers in North Africa.
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Other books by Damien Lewis
Publications
The New York Times: Josephine Baker, International Woman of Mystery?
The Wall Street Journal: ‘Agent Josephine’ Review: A Spy in Costume
The New Yorker: Josephine Baker Was the Star France Wanted—and the Spy It Needed
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