On the Media Wars Are Won By Stories
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Jan 22, 2025 Elyse Graham, historian and professor at Stony Brook University, discusses her book 'Book and Dagger', revealing the surprising role of scholars and librarians as spies during World War II. She highlights their integral contributions to wartime narratives, likening information battles to physical fights. The conversation dives into the OSS's unconventional recruitment, the essential role of cartographers, and how ‘whispering’ propaganda shaped perceptions. Graham underscores storytelling's power in both history and politics, making for a captivating exploration of espionage.
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Misinformation Campaign
- The narrative that WWII was "the Physicists' War" is a successful misinformation campaign.
- The story emphasized physics but omitted crucial roles of chemistry, metallurgy, and engineering.
Curtis's Recruitment
- Joseph Curtis, a literature professor, was recruited by the OSS after a cinematic encounter involving a purple tie at the Yale Club.
- His unassuming nature made him an ideal spy, overlooked by most.
Curtis's Counterespionage
- In Istanbul, Curtis uncovered the failing OSS operation led by McFarland, whose cover was blown due to his affairs with enemy agents.
- Curtis then successfully built a counterintelligence unit, spreading propaganda and turning enemy agents.
