What do John Ford, Moe Berg, Julia Child and Nelson Eddy have in common? They all stepped away from their respective careers during WWII and joined a newly formed organization called The Office of Strategic Services a.k.a. the OSS. In short, they were spies for a group that was the forerunner to both the CIA and the Army’s Special Forces. From Julia’s special recipe for shark repellent, to John Ford’s undercover training films for secret agents, to Moe’s training of Slavic-American recruits to go on parachute drops into Yugoslavia, and Nelson Eddy’s “singing tour” of the Middle East, these extraordinary individuals risked their lives and their careers to secretly serve their country during its time of crisis. But for the OSS, would the Allies have even won the war? It's certainly a question worth asking and a great reason to dig a little deeper into this secret organization that only officially existed during WWII.
Books
- Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of the Men and Women of World War II's OSS by Patrick K. O’Donnell
- OSS: The Secret History of America’s First Central Intelligence Agency by Richard Harris Smith
- The OSS and Ho Chi Minh: Unexpected Allies in the War against Japan by Dixee Bartholomew-Feis
- James Bond: Original Series (14 Books) by Ian Fleming
Film
- Casablanca (1943) with Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains & Paul Henreid
- The Conspirators (1944) with Hedy Lamarr, Paul Henreid & Peter Lorre
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.