Josephine Baker's Secret War : The African American Star Who Fought for France and Freedom.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Diamond, Hanna.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Baker, Josephine, 1906-1975.

Baker, Josephine.

Baker, Josephine, 1906-1975--Travel--Africa, North.

Genre:

Biographies

Physical Description:

1 online resource (361 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, 2025.

Summary:

The full story of Josephine Baker’s wartime and intelligence work in France and North Africa Before the Second World War, Josephine Baker (1906–1975) was one of the most famous performers in the world. She made her name dancing on the Parisian stage, but when war broke out she decided not to return to America. Instead, Baker turned spy for the French Secret Services. In this engaging, deeply researched study, Hanna Diamond tells the full story of Baker’s actions for the French and Allied powers in World War Two. Drawing on previously unseen material, Diamond reveals the vital role Baker played throughout the war, from counterintelligence work for the Allied landings in North Africa to serving in the French Air Force in 1944–45. A woman of colour operating in a white male environment, Baker exploited her celebrity to enable her war work across France, Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East. This groundbreaking account is the first to reveal the full significance of Baker’s wartime contribution.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

ABBREVIATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AUTHOR’S NOTE

INTRODUCTION

1 BECOMING AGENT BAKER (1939–1940)

2 SERVING FRANCE (1940–1941)

3 AGENT BAKER IN MOROCCO (1941–1942)

4 BAKER AND THE AMERICANS IN NORTH AFRICA (1943)

5 BAKER IN THE MIDDLE EAST (1943)

6 LIEUTENANT BAKER (1944–1945)

7 AFTER THE WAR (1945–1975)

AFTERWORD

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780300282078

0300282079

OCLC:

1511107474