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The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece
From the New York Times bestselling author, the incredible true story of the American archaeologists and classicists who went undercover as OSS spies during World War II to fight the Nazis and protect the world's most precious relics
In 1942, as head of the newly formed OSS, Wild Bill Donovan deployed spies across Europe and around the world to try to thwart the Nazis. In Greece, Nazis weren’t just taking over territory; they were seizing and threatening to destroy some of the world’s most important and valuable historical monuments and artifacts. So, Donovan tapped a young Ivy League-trained archaeologist named Rodney Young to assemble and lead a team of spies to collect intel.
Young set about recruiting the most unlikely of spies—academics, classicists, epigraphers, and other specialists and scholars—who would come to be kown as “the Greek Desk.” These men and women, along with their Greek allies, went undercover and tried desperately to protect some of the world’s most significant treasures. The archaeologists hid priceless artifacts in ancient caves, bank vaults, and even underneath the city of Athens itself. They created fakes to give over to the Nazis to appease their lust for these remarkable works. Ultimately, when it became clear the cat-and- mouse game on its own wasn’t going to save Athens, they brought in an army of Greek American soldiers to beat back the Nazi regime and save their homeland.
In 1942, as head of the newly formed OSS, Wild Bill Donovan deployed spies across Europe and around the world to try to thwart the Nazis. In Greece, Nazis weren’t just taking over territory; they were seizing and threatening to destroy some of the world’s most important and valuable historical monuments and artifacts. So, Donovan tapped a young Ivy League-trained archaeologist named Rodney Young to assemble and lead a team of spies to collect intel.
Young set about recruiting the most unlikely of spies—academics, classicists, epigraphers, and other specialists and scholars—who would come to be kown as “the Greek Desk.” These men and women, along with their Greek allies, went undercover and tried desperately to protect some of the world’s most significant treasures. The archaeologists hid priceless artifacts in ancient caves, bank vaults, and even underneath the city of Athens itself. They created fakes to give over to the Nazis to appease their lust for these remarkable works. Ultimately, when it became clear the cat-and- mouse game on its own wasn’t going to save Athens, they brought in an army of Greek American soldiers to beat back the Nazi regime and save their homeland.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2026
About the author
Stephan Talty
37 books326 followersStephan Talty is the New York Times bestselling author of six acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction, as well as the Abbie Kearney crime novels. Originally from Buffalo, he now lives outside New York City.
Talty began as a widely-published journalist who has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, Time Out New York, Details, and many other publications. He is the author of the forthcoming thriller Hangman (the sequel to Black Irish), as well as Agent Garbo: The Brilliant, Eccentric Double Agent who Tricked Hitler and Saved D-Day (2012) and Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws Bloody Reign (2008).
His short e-book, The Secret Agent: In Search of America's Greatest World War II Spy was the best-selling Amazon Single of 2013.
Talty began as a widely-published journalist who has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, Time Out New York, Details, and many other publications. He is the author of the forthcoming thriller Hangman (the sequel to Black Irish), as well as Agent Garbo: The Brilliant, Eccentric Double Agent who Tricked Hitler and Saved D-Day (2012) and Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws Bloody Reign (2008).
His short e-book, The Secret Agent: In Search of America's Greatest World War II Spy was the best-selling Amazon Single of 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
June 18, 2026
This is not a bad book, but I found it somewhat disappointing. I haven't read a lot on WWII in many years and that mostly on espionage. It was my father's war (Army Air Corps, N. Africa, Italy, and the Philippines), and my college professors, most of whom were in intelligence. I knew Jack Caskey, who figures off and on throughout the book. I never had him for a class. Jack only taught graduate students and that rarely; mostly he did his excavations and directed dissertations based on them. But I would occasionally chat with him in the department tea room (and there was always a departmental tea at 4pm in those days). He never talked about the war. Carl Trahman, the senior Latin professor, was in cryptography (seconded from the Army to Naval Intelligence). He never talked about it either, except to say that most of the routine military discipline (spit polish, bouncing quarters off of newly made beds, etc.) was solely to make you obey orders without thinking. I can't imagine Carl not thinking.
Talty give the impression with his title (a rather poor attempt at cleverness) that the book is about archaeology and archaeologists in the war. This is only half true. About half of it is about Greek Americans who served as spies and commandos in occupied Greece; interesting enough, but little to do with archaeology for the most part. Rodney Young (PhD, Princeton; later Penn faculty), Jerome Sperling (PhD Cincinnati, Yale). Dorothy Cox (later a curator at Yale), and Jack Caskey. Young gets far and away the most attention. Still others pop up once or twice, often with minimal identification, such as JH Oliver (Greek epigrapher, a student of Rostovtzeff at Yale, later at Hopkins) and Gerald Else (Greek, Iowa, then Michigan). Connections to the American School of Classical Studies are not always made clear. Talty tends to leave things hanging: at one point he refers to a Brit who died defending Crete during the Nazi invasion, without bothering to give his name (JDS Pendlebury). He also makes the occasional boneheaded mistake. He gratuitously claims that Jason's ship, the Argo, was named for Argos in the Peloponnese. Jason was from Thessaly, the ship was built by and named for a man named Argos (read Apollonius!).
Talty's research could be better. He often tends to ride one book or memoir for the bulk of a chapter. References are thin (at most a half-dozen per chapter). Susan Heuck Allen's Classical Spies is a far superior book, more detailed and far better researched. Allen was a PhD student of Caskey at Cincinnati (disclosure: we overlapped there as students, but moved in entirely different circles).
Talty is readable, and I learned some things I didn't previously know. But if you really want to know about archaeologists in the OSS, read Allen.
Talty give the impression with his title (a rather poor attempt at cleverness) that the book is about archaeology and archaeologists in the war. This is only half true. About half of it is about Greek Americans who served as spies and commandos in occupied Greece; interesting enough, but little to do with archaeology for the most part. Rodney Young (PhD, Princeton; later Penn faculty), Jerome Sperling (PhD Cincinnati, Yale). Dorothy Cox (later a curator at Yale), and Jack Caskey. Young gets far and away the most attention. Still others pop up once or twice, often with minimal identification, such as JH Oliver (Greek epigrapher, a student of Rostovtzeff at Yale, later at Hopkins) and Gerald Else (Greek, Iowa, then Michigan). Connections to the American School of Classical Studies are not always made clear. Talty tends to leave things hanging: at one point he refers to a Brit who died defending Crete during the Nazi invasion, without bothering to give his name (JDS Pendlebury). He also makes the occasional boneheaded mistake. He gratuitously claims that Jason's ship, the Argo, was named for Argos in the Peloponnese. Jason was from Thessaly, the ship was built by and named for a man named Argos (read Apollonius!).
Talty's research could be better. He often tends to ride one book or memoir for the bulk of a chapter. References are thin (at most a half-dozen per chapter). Susan Heuck Allen's Classical Spies is a far superior book, more detailed and far better researched. Allen was a PhD student of Caskey at Cincinnati (disclosure: we overlapped there as students, but moved in entirely different circles).
Talty is readable, and I learned some things I didn't previously know. But if you really want to know about archaeologists in the OSS, read Allen.
Read
August 26, 2026This was included in the summer encore Goodreads challenge, but it was the only book that was available that I could find. Not my usual type of read, although it was an interesting story about American archaeologists who helped save Greek sculptures and works of art from the Nazis during World War II.
June 27, 2026
As the Nazis occupied Greece and tried to loot its treasures for themselves, a group of archaeologists hired by the OSS was assigned to protect some of the country's most cherished cultural possessions. This story is engaging and fast-paced. Throughout, you're kept on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn. In the end, it's a tale of ingenuity and resistance against oppressive power.
August 15, 2026
Why had I never heard of this before ?
June 19, 2026
Most people with a knowledge of history are aware of the Nazis insatiable appetite to steal and destroy the cultural artifacts of others. Whether we are speaking of the art works stolen from the Louvre in Paris, the personal possessions of Jews, archeological treasures from museums, and a host of other sources the Nazis had to be outsmarted by those who sought to save their countries treasures. A special example of how a group of people made up of archeologists, academics, epigraphers, classists, and other vocations did so in World War II Greece which is wonderfully portrayed in Stephan Talty’s latest book, THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SPIES: THE ARCHEOLOGISTS WHO FOUGHT THE NAZIS AND SAVED THE TREASURES OF ANCIENT GREECE.
Talty’s monograph is broken into a number of subjects. First, the problem of the relics and how to keep them from the Germans. Second, a useful description of how and where the relics would be hidden and preserved. Third, the recruitment of individuals to serve as agents for the Greek Desk created to oppose Nazi actions. Fourth, the conduct of the missions needed to defeat and block Nazi attempts at destroying relics or shipping them back to Berlin. Fifth, the introduction of the most important individuals, their training, and missions to thwart the likes of Adolf Hitler and Herman Goering as they attempted to seize Greece’s cultural heritage. Sixth, a section on the status of relics following the end of the war.
Talty immediately introduces the reader to Rodney Young, the first of many important characters that are developed. Young was an American archeologist, an east coast blue blood and heir to the Ballantine Beer fortune whose mother had a passion for Latin and Greek culture. Young earned a Ph.D from Columbia in the Classics and Archeology. He rejected the life of the “social register” to pursue his chosen field in Athens. He would be based at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. He would be recruited by OSS head William Donovan to set up a spy ring to thwart the Nazis in Greece. Young would recruit an unusual cadre of people who would be known as “the Greek Desk.”
Once the Germans arrived in Greece many American archeologists returned to the United States as Hitler in particular made plans to seize as many artifacts as possible. The Nazis had taught their followers that Ancient Greece had been built by their own ancestors. The Nazis wanted to curate Athenian ruins and see what they could bring back to Berlin as Hitler and his cohorts were fixated on Ancient Greek artifacts. Hitler believed that the Aryan race had given birth to Ancient Athenian culture. He wrote in MEIN KAMPF that a racial kinship connected Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Nazis in a straight line. Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS created a German Ancestral Heritage Society and charged scholars to locate the missing links between the “true German culture.” Alfred Rosenberg, Hitler’s racial theorist would order teams of archeologists to central Greece to locate “pre- and post-historic” Germanic and Slavic finds which would prove the connection between Ancient Greece and early Germanic culture. By using what Talty describes as archeological strip mining, the Germans located 10,000 relics which they argued proved the missing links were found.
Talty delves into the Greek government’s plan to bury their relics under the National Archeological Museum in Athens. Before he met William Donovan, Rodney Young was one of the volunteers. Fearing a full German invasion the volunteers had to work quickly to bury artifacts in the ground under the museum and throughout the city. In addition, homes, bank vaults ,and air raid shelters were also used. By April 1941, the most important items were taken from the museum which then stood empty which did not make the Nazis happy.
Donovan played a major role in blocking the Germans as he believed that a classic spy network was needed. He was convinced that conventional methods could not alone defeat the Nazis. His plan was to create a series of guerilla units to be drawn from Greek immigrant communities in the United States, train them in sabotage, and have them infiltrate their ancestral homeland. Once Young was chosen he recruited a number of important colleagues. Among the most important were Dorothy Hannah Cox, an excavation architect and numismatist; Jerome Spirling, an archeology professor at Yale with great experience excavating Troy in Turkey; and Jack Caskey, fluent in Greek he spent part of his youth in Athens and was a trained archeologist. Except for Cox, among Young’s two dozen classist recruits, most were overwhelmingly male, Wasp, and from monied families.
Talty does an exceptional job explaining how the Germans went about looting relics and shipping the ones they did not destroy back to Berlin. For example, items that were too large to ship or were attractive enough were ground up and used for military purposes, since marble and stone made for excellent building materials for bunkers and other needs.
Young’s headquarters were in Cairo and Talty goes to great lengths describing how agents were recruited with new identities provided, how information was gathered, and how cable traffic was managed. Young created his own merchant marine using Caiques, traditional Greek fishing vessels to transport agents, information, and the tools that a spy needed to operate. The Greek Desk created German documents employing a separate team of counterfeiters. The OSS bureaucracy was of little help, and neither were the British who saw the Balkans being part of their sphere of influence.
Talty is correct as he explores British distrust of American agents in Greece. Cox reported that Winston Churchill saw Washington as interlopers in the Balkans who supported liberal elements rather than King George II. She believed that the British pressured the Turks not to cooperate with American agents. Once the Germans were defeated and withdrew from Greece Churchill wanted to forbid elections and hold on to power. Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met in Moscow from October 9 to October 19, 1944, at a summit codenamed the Tolstoy Conference. Their discussions defined the postwar map of Eastern Europe and produced the “Percentages Agreement,” on October 9, whereby Churchill and Stalin negotiated a secret "spheres of influence" deal for the Balkans. Churchill wrote percentages of dominance on a piece of paper (i.e., granting the Soviet Union 90% control in Romania and 10% in Greece). Stalin famously reviewed the list and simply marked it with a large red tick. The agreement was made without Franklin Roosevelt’s approval.
The reader is introduced to a number of remarkable characters. Cornelia Kapp whose father was an Abwehr agent posing as a diplomat switched sides and worked with the Americans spying on Ludwig Moyzisch, the German attaché in Ankara, Turkey. Helias Doudoulakis sent by Young to set up a network of spies and operators in Salonika, and his brother George was effective in obtaining valuable information about German rail and Caiques schedules, bridge locations etc. Nikolaos Platon the head of the Heraklion Museum on the island of Crete refused to give into the demands of Nazi Commander Julius Ringel whose stolen relics were mostly recovered after the war.
Talty is very critical of the British role after the Germans withdrew and their refusal to cooperate with Greek leftists and allow elections which led to a bloody civil war fostered by the emerging Cold War. It would take until 1948 for the National Archeological Museum to reopen in Athens after three years of excavating and recovering relics. Despite the retrieval of thousands of objects, thousands more were not, though over the years many were returned.
Talty’s work tells the story of two sets of agents sent to Greece. Each had a distinct mission. One was to harass and kill Germans by blowing up trains, calling in airstrikes and passing on military secrets. The other group was to safeguard Greece’s treasure trove of archeological riches. Talty does well as he describes the work of these agents and how they survived, and were able to make a major contribution to the war effort, in addition to recovering Greece’s national treasures.
Talty’s monograph is broken into a number of subjects. First, the problem of the relics and how to keep them from the Germans. Second, a useful description of how and where the relics would be hidden and preserved. Third, the recruitment of individuals to serve as agents for the Greek Desk created to oppose Nazi actions. Fourth, the conduct of the missions needed to defeat and block Nazi attempts at destroying relics or shipping them back to Berlin. Fifth, the introduction of the most important individuals, their training, and missions to thwart the likes of Adolf Hitler and Herman Goering as they attempted to seize Greece’s cultural heritage. Sixth, a section on the status of relics following the end of the war.
Talty immediately introduces the reader to Rodney Young, the first of many important characters that are developed. Young was an American archeologist, an east coast blue blood and heir to the Ballantine Beer fortune whose mother had a passion for Latin and Greek culture. Young earned a Ph.D from Columbia in the Classics and Archeology. He rejected the life of the “social register” to pursue his chosen field in Athens. He would be based at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. He would be recruited by OSS head William Donovan to set up a spy ring to thwart the Nazis in Greece. Young would recruit an unusual cadre of people who would be known as “the Greek Desk.”
Once the Germans arrived in Greece many American archeologists returned to the United States as Hitler in particular made plans to seize as many artifacts as possible. The Nazis had taught their followers that Ancient Greece had been built by their own ancestors. The Nazis wanted to curate Athenian ruins and see what they could bring back to Berlin as Hitler and his cohorts were fixated on Ancient Greek artifacts. Hitler believed that the Aryan race had given birth to Ancient Athenian culture. He wrote in MEIN KAMPF that a racial kinship connected Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Nazis in a straight line. Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS created a German Ancestral Heritage Society and charged scholars to locate the missing links between the “true German culture.” Alfred Rosenberg, Hitler’s racial theorist would order teams of archeologists to central Greece to locate “pre- and post-historic” Germanic and Slavic finds which would prove the connection between Ancient Greece and early Germanic culture. By using what Talty describes as archeological strip mining, the Germans located 10,000 relics which they argued proved the missing links were found.
Talty delves into the Greek government’s plan to bury their relics under the National Archeological Museum in Athens. Before he met William Donovan, Rodney Young was one of the volunteers. Fearing a full German invasion the volunteers had to work quickly to bury artifacts in the ground under the museum and throughout the city. In addition, homes, bank vaults ,and air raid shelters were also used. By April 1941, the most important items were taken from the museum which then stood empty which did not make the Nazis happy.
Donovan played a major role in blocking the Germans as he believed that a classic spy network was needed. He was convinced that conventional methods could not alone defeat the Nazis. His plan was to create a series of guerilla units to be drawn from Greek immigrant communities in the United States, train them in sabotage, and have them infiltrate their ancestral homeland. Once Young was chosen he recruited a number of important colleagues. Among the most important were Dorothy Hannah Cox, an excavation architect and numismatist; Jerome Spirling, an archeology professor at Yale with great experience excavating Troy in Turkey; and Jack Caskey, fluent in Greek he spent part of his youth in Athens and was a trained archeologist. Except for Cox, among Young’s two dozen classist recruits, most were overwhelmingly male, Wasp, and from monied families.
Talty does an exceptional job explaining how the Germans went about looting relics and shipping the ones they did not destroy back to Berlin. For example, items that were too large to ship or were attractive enough were ground up and used for military purposes, since marble and stone made for excellent building materials for bunkers and other needs.
Young’s headquarters were in Cairo and Talty goes to great lengths describing how agents were recruited with new identities provided, how information was gathered, and how cable traffic was managed. Young created his own merchant marine using Caiques, traditional Greek fishing vessels to transport agents, information, and the tools that a spy needed to operate. The Greek Desk created German documents employing a separate team of counterfeiters. The OSS bureaucracy was of little help, and neither were the British who saw the Balkans being part of their sphere of influence.
Talty is correct as he explores British distrust of American agents in Greece. Cox reported that Winston Churchill saw Washington as interlopers in the Balkans who supported liberal elements rather than King George II. She believed that the British pressured the Turks not to cooperate with American agents. Once the Germans were defeated and withdrew from Greece Churchill wanted to forbid elections and hold on to power. Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met in Moscow from October 9 to October 19, 1944, at a summit codenamed the Tolstoy Conference. Their discussions defined the postwar map of Eastern Europe and produced the “Percentages Agreement,” on October 9, whereby Churchill and Stalin negotiated a secret "spheres of influence" deal for the Balkans. Churchill wrote percentages of dominance on a piece of paper (i.e., granting the Soviet Union 90% control in Romania and 10% in Greece). Stalin famously reviewed the list and simply marked it with a large red tick. The agreement was made without Franklin Roosevelt’s approval.
The reader is introduced to a number of remarkable characters. Cornelia Kapp whose father was an Abwehr agent posing as a diplomat switched sides and worked with the Americans spying on Ludwig Moyzisch, the German attaché in Ankara, Turkey. Helias Doudoulakis sent by Young to set up a network of spies and operators in Salonika, and his brother George was effective in obtaining valuable information about German rail and Caiques schedules, bridge locations etc. Nikolaos Platon the head of the Heraklion Museum on the island of Crete refused to give into the demands of Nazi Commander Julius Ringel whose stolen relics were mostly recovered after the war.
Talty is very critical of the British role after the Germans withdrew and their refusal to cooperate with Greek leftists and allow elections which led to a bloody civil war fostered by the emerging Cold War. It would take until 1948 for the National Archeological Museum to reopen in Athens after three years of excavating and recovering relics. Despite the retrieval of thousands of objects, thousands more were not, though over the years many were returned.
Talty’s work tells the story of two sets of agents sent to Greece. Each had a distinct mission. One was to harass and kill Germans by blowing up trains, calling in airstrikes and passing on military secrets. The other group was to safeguard Greece’s treasure trove of archeological riches. Talty does well as he describes the work of these agents and how they survived, and were able to make a major contribution to the war effort, in addition to recovering Greece’s national treasures.
September 3, 2026
Great book! It focuses on a few Americans who are sent to Greece and Turkey by OSS during WWII. The book follows them, as well as what Greeks did to save their art and ancient artifacts from the Nazis, who were quite keen to steal or destroy these things. I learned a great deal about Greece during WWII. The afterword, which focused on Greece immediately after the war, was an eye-opener; England, Russia, Nazi Germany, and America all intent on “helping” Greece and often not helping at all. Well-written, entertaining, and educational!
September 4, 2026
I listened to this as an audiobook to satisfy a bookmark this month. I don’t think I ever would have picked it up on my own, but when I read this summary, I was very intrigued by the idea of archaeologists serving undercover during the war. My feelings about the book echo some of the other reviews I have read, in that I found it sort of disappointing because I was under the impression there would have been more about the archeology/artifacts. In some ways, I felt like I didn’t always understand some of the references to Greek geography and/or history and needed to do more research to understand the impact on their society. The problem is the book didn’t leave me feeling motivated to do more research. It was a struggle to get through for me, but may be a good choice for someone with a bigger interest in Greek or WWII history.
September 6, 2026
The American School of Spies tells the remarkable story of how American archaeologists, classicists, and other scholars helped protect Greece’s priceless antiquities during World War II—and then went undercover as OSS operatives. Working alongside Greek allies and, later, Greek American soldiers, they gathered intelligence, built resistance networks, and fought to protect Greece’s cultural heritage from the Nazis.
April 4, 2026
Well paced book about the archaeologists who were part of the story of Greece in World War II. Great telling of happenings not commonly in our history books.
August 19, 2026
How the OSS saved the Parthenon and other Greek treasures in World War II
Most of what appears in print today about the OSS in World War II dwells on the heroic men and women it infiltrated into France to sabotage the Nazis or in the China-Burma-India theater. Of course, “Wild Bill” Donovan’s brief as head of the Office of Strategic Services was much broader than that. The agency worked in dozens of countries across Europe, North Africa, and Asia. And one of the most consequential was its unique campaign to help protect the treasures of Ancient Greece and undermine Germany’s invading army there. Author Stephan Talty tells the fascinating story in The American School of Spies.
Nazi thieves and buried ancient relics
After an ineffectual Italian campaign in Albania and northern Greece early in the war, the Wehrmacht invaded Greece in April 1941. Archaeologists and art historians around the world trembled as Nazi soldiers camped out in the world-renowned monuments of Ancient Greece and began looting anything they could carry back to Germany. But the treasures of the country’s major museums remained out of reach of the thieves.
Anticipating the invasion, Greek archaeologists had hidden tens of thousands of relics, including some of the most famous statues of the country’s Golden Age. The artifacts lay under the floors of the museums, in ancient caves and bank vaults, and even underneath the city of Athens itself. A standoff ensued, as German commanders demanded in vain the display of the treasures.
Hitler’s delusion that his “Aryan” forebears had founded Ancient Greece came to naught. Unsatisfied, his acolytes began digging up artifacts from new sites. And, of course, they found “evidence” that proved the connection. But they hadn’t reckoned on the ferocity of Greek resistance. Or the resourcefulness of the spies the OSS slipped into the country.
The OSS, the Greek Desk, and the American School of Spies
Donovan’s effort begfan with an extensive campaign of intelligence-gathering from its base in Cairo starting in 1942. Then there was intensive training in the United States. Only then did the OSS begin infiltrating spies and saboteurs into Greece late in 1943. Its efforts reached their peak the following year in the run-up to the Normandy Invasion. But those efforts were unlike anything else the agency had undertaken elsewhere in the world. Because the Nazis weren’t just taking over territory. They were threatening to destroy some of the world’s most iconic historical monuments and artifacts. And those treasures were central not just to Greek identity but to Western civilization everywhere.
To meet the unique circumstances presented by the Nazi invasion of Greece, “Wild Bill” Donovan turned to a young Princeton-trained archaeologist named Rodney Young (1907-74). He charged the young man with pulling together a team of Greek American spies fluent in the language who could blend into the population. None were trained commandos. They were academics, classicists, and other specialists. They formed “the Greek Desk.” These scholars weaponized exactly what made them ordinary: fluency in the Greek language, its geography, mythology, and history. And their operation in Cairo became known as the American School of Spies.
Two heroic Greek American brothers and a female numismatist
Rodney organized his recruits in two separate teams. One was dedicated to intelligence-gathering and to assisting local people in protecting the nation’s ancient treasures. The other worked with the powerful Greek resistance (the andartes) and carried out sabotage. Its work came to a head late in the war as the Normandy Invasion neared and the Wehrmacht began shipping troops away from Greece to fight the Allies in France.
Each of the two teams was captained by one of the two Doundalakis brothers, Helias (1923-2016) and his older brother George (1921-2007). The two, plus Rodney himself and a brilliant numismatist (a coin specialist) named Dorothy Cox (1892-1977). In fact, it was she who organized the Greek Desk in Cairo and vetted and recruited many of its operatives. These four are the principal figures in Talty’s long-ignored story.
About the author
Stephan Talty (1964-) has written 16 books. Among them are both novels and nonfiction, as well as two screenplays, one of them for the film Captain Phillips. He is an Irish American journalist and author better known for his detective fiction.
Most of what appears in print today about the OSS in World War II dwells on the heroic men and women it infiltrated into France to sabotage the Nazis or in the China-Burma-India theater. Of course, “Wild Bill” Donovan’s brief as head of the Office of Strategic Services was much broader than that. The agency worked in dozens of countries across Europe, North Africa, and Asia. And one of the most consequential was its unique campaign to help protect the treasures of Ancient Greece and undermine Germany’s invading army there. Author Stephan Talty tells the fascinating story in The American School of Spies.
Nazi thieves and buried ancient relics
After an ineffectual Italian campaign in Albania and northern Greece early in the war, the Wehrmacht invaded Greece in April 1941. Archaeologists and art historians around the world trembled as Nazi soldiers camped out in the world-renowned monuments of Ancient Greece and began looting anything they could carry back to Germany. But the treasures of the country’s major museums remained out of reach of the thieves.
Anticipating the invasion, Greek archaeologists had hidden tens of thousands of relics, including some of the most famous statues of the country’s Golden Age. The artifacts lay under the floors of the museums, in ancient caves and bank vaults, and even underneath the city of Athens itself. A standoff ensued, as German commanders demanded in vain the display of the treasures.
Hitler’s delusion that his “Aryan” forebears had founded Ancient Greece came to naught. Unsatisfied, his acolytes began digging up artifacts from new sites. And, of course, they found “evidence” that proved the connection. But they hadn’t reckoned on the ferocity of Greek resistance. Or the resourcefulness of the spies the OSS slipped into the country.
The OSS, the Greek Desk, and the American School of Spies
Donovan’s effort begfan with an extensive campaign of intelligence-gathering from its base in Cairo starting in 1942. Then there was intensive training in the United States. Only then did the OSS begin infiltrating spies and saboteurs into Greece late in 1943. Its efforts reached their peak the following year in the run-up to the Normandy Invasion. But those efforts were unlike anything else the agency had undertaken elsewhere in the world. Because the Nazis weren’t just taking over territory. They were threatening to destroy some of the world’s most iconic historical monuments and artifacts. And those treasures were central not just to Greek identity but to Western civilization everywhere.
To meet the unique circumstances presented by the Nazi invasion of Greece, “Wild Bill” Donovan turned to a young Princeton-trained archaeologist named Rodney Young (1907-74). He charged the young man with pulling together a team of Greek American spies fluent in the language who could blend into the population. None were trained commandos. They were academics, classicists, and other specialists. They formed “the Greek Desk.” These scholars weaponized exactly what made them ordinary: fluency in the Greek language, its geography, mythology, and history. And their operation in Cairo became known as the American School of Spies.
Two heroic Greek American brothers and a female numismatist
Rodney organized his recruits in two separate teams. One was dedicated to intelligence-gathering and to assisting local people in protecting the nation’s ancient treasures. The other worked with the powerful Greek resistance (the andartes) and carried out sabotage. Its work came to a head late in the war as the Normandy Invasion neared and the Wehrmacht began shipping troops away from Greece to fight the Allies in France.
Each of the two teams was captained by one of the two Doundalakis brothers, Helias (1923-2016) and his older brother George (1921-2007). The two, plus Rodney himself and a brilliant numismatist (a coin specialist) named Dorothy Cox (1892-1977). In fact, it was she who organized the Greek Desk in Cairo and vetted and recruited many of its operatives. These four are the principal figures in Talty’s long-ignored story.
About the author
Stephan Talty (1964-) has written 16 books. Among them are both novels and nonfiction, as well as two screenplays, one of them for the film Captain Phillips. He is an Irish American journalist and author better known for his detective fiction.
June 14, 2026
It has been nearly 90 years since World War II commenced with Germany’s invasion of Poland. But it continues as a fertile area for historical research and writing by contemporary authors and scholars.
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SPIES by New York Times reporter Stephan Talty is an engrossing and entertaining book about a group of men and women who initially were neither spies nor military operatives. Many were trained archaeologists who volunteered along with Greek Americans and other citizens of Nazi-occupied Greece to save the history and humanity of the Greek nation. It sometimes reads like a spy novel, with equal parts of James Bond and Indiana Jones. But the story is real, and the courageous behavior of its subjects is a skillfully told account of WWII heroism.
Even before the United States entered the war, the FDR administration was preparing to engage Germany and Japan. The President asked former Wall Street attorney General William “Wild Bill” Donovan to create intelligence operations in Europe and the Balkans. Donovan visited overseas nations to evaluate the needs and resources in areas invaded by Germany. He spoke with political leaders, as well as kings and military figures, and was impressed by them. He also met an American, Rodney Young, who was driving a Red Cross vehicle. Young and Donovan shared Ivy League educations, as did many others who eventually would serve in the OSS. Donovan asked Young if he would help put a team of spies together to operate in Greece. He quickly agreed to it.
Young’s background is precisely the result of building a spy from scratch. He was born in 1907 and was part of the East Coast upper class. His father was an attorney, and his mother was an heiress. He was a third-generation Princeton man who obtained a PhD from Columbia in classics and archaeology. In 1933, he joined the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, pursuing the digging and discovery of antiquities. As the invasion of Greece by the Nazis became imminent and many western Europeans started leaving the country, Young stayed as a volunteer to begin salvaging and protecting ancient artifacts. He was involved in this work when he was recruited by the OSS.
For a clandestine organization, Donovan cast a wide net for potential operators in Greece. He enlisted the aid of Archbishop Athenagoras, the leader of Greek parishioners in America. They were looking for males of military age with language skills and military experience. The archbishop even sent a letter to every Greek Orthodox parish in the US telling parishioners that he was “full of Pride and Happiness” at being asked to join a secret project. The OSS wanted mechanics, medics, radio operators, safecrackers and commandos. The result of the recruiting was thousands of applications.
Greece was important not just for its geographical location in central Europe. It also had historical significance for Germany and the US. Hitler believed that Ancient Greece had Aryan roots, while the US saw the country as the birthplace of democracy. In part, the mission to save Greece also became a mission to save artifacts and archaeology.
As THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SPIES tells its compelling story, the intersection of wartime resistance with archaeology and intelligence gathering makes for an extraordinarily rich historical account.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SPIES by New York Times reporter Stephan Talty is an engrossing and entertaining book about a group of men and women who initially were neither spies nor military operatives. Many were trained archaeologists who volunteered along with Greek Americans and other citizens of Nazi-occupied Greece to save the history and humanity of the Greek nation. It sometimes reads like a spy novel, with equal parts of James Bond and Indiana Jones. But the story is real, and the courageous behavior of its subjects is a skillfully told account of WWII heroism.
Even before the United States entered the war, the FDR administration was preparing to engage Germany and Japan. The President asked former Wall Street attorney General William “Wild Bill” Donovan to create intelligence operations in Europe and the Balkans. Donovan visited overseas nations to evaluate the needs and resources in areas invaded by Germany. He spoke with political leaders, as well as kings and military figures, and was impressed by them. He also met an American, Rodney Young, who was driving a Red Cross vehicle. Young and Donovan shared Ivy League educations, as did many others who eventually would serve in the OSS. Donovan asked Young if he would help put a team of spies together to operate in Greece. He quickly agreed to it.
Young’s background is precisely the result of building a spy from scratch. He was born in 1907 and was part of the East Coast upper class. His father was an attorney, and his mother was an heiress. He was a third-generation Princeton man who obtained a PhD from Columbia in classics and archaeology. In 1933, he joined the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, pursuing the digging and discovery of antiquities. As the invasion of Greece by the Nazis became imminent and many western Europeans started leaving the country, Young stayed as a volunteer to begin salvaging and protecting ancient artifacts. He was involved in this work when he was recruited by the OSS.
For a clandestine organization, Donovan cast a wide net for potential operators in Greece. He enlisted the aid of Archbishop Athenagoras, the leader of Greek parishioners in America. They were looking for males of military age with language skills and military experience. The archbishop even sent a letter to every Greek Orthodox parish in the US telling parishioners that he was “full of Pride and Happiness” at being asked to join a secret project. The OSS wanted mechanics, medics, radio operators, safecrackers and commandos. The result of the recruiting was thousands of applications.
Greece was important not just for its geographical location in central Europe. It also had historical significance for Germany and the US. Hitler believed that Ancient Greece had Aryan roots, while the US saw the country as the birthplace of democracy. In part, the mission to save Greece also became a mission to save artifacts and archaeology.
As THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SPIES tells its compelling story, the intersection of wartime resistance with archaeology and intelligence gathering makes for an extraordinarily rich historical account.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
July 31, 2026
The author shines a light on a group of archaeologists who worked for the OSS to gather information and direct operations in Greece. In part, they were motivated to preserve Greek cultural artifacts from destruction and looting by the Germans. In part, many were of Greek ancestry. They felt a need to help the people of their homeland.
In his journalistic style, the author takes us from Greece before the German invasion, to the collection of individuals recruited and trained by the OSS to gather intelligence from Greece, to individuals who were infiltrated to Greece to gather data and sometimes to physically and violently disrupt German activities.
Many individuals appear in this narration. Two key individuals were Rodney Young, who was in charge of the “Greek Desk,” and Dorothy Cox, head of the Izmir Station in Turkey. Rodney was a key coordinator of all activities involving the OSS in Greece, and after the war made a major archeological discovery about the lost civilization of the Phrygians, who predated the Greeks in Gordion on the Anatolian plateau in Turkey. In Turkey during the war, hearing the stories of escapees from Greece gave the Allies much-needed information and was very depressing for Dorothy. After the war, she returned to her research in numismatics, and also reunited with some of her colleagues from the OSS on excavations in Gordium, Turkey.
He also gives the perspective of several German archaeologists. One of whom, Roland Hampe, worked tirelessly to avoid major combat in Athens when the Germans were withdrawing troops.
The author highlights the colonial mentality of the British towards the Greeks, especially as the war wound down, and the disrespect of the American OSS efforts in Greece. He also mentions the concerns of the American archaeologists about how a British hand in post-war Greece, or a Russian one, would defeat their entire purpose of working in the war effort, namely to keep Greece free.
The author shares several interesting stories. One of how some Greeks in the hill country did not know how far America was from Greece; or the respect of the Greeks for the Americans—even stopping a gun battle between factions to let an American agent cross the street.
Other stories include how the Greeks buried many statues and treasures under the basement of the National Archaeological Museum, and never during the occupation told the Germans where those statues were. Also, the Greek’s valiant defense on the Albanian border against Italians, from Fall 1940 to Spring 1941, won them world praise and admiration.
With such a diverse collection of individuals who operated individually, the author has a challenge in weaving together a cohesive narrative. His work is a mosaic of many pieces and vignettes. As a whole, the story relates the value of this dedicated group of academics turned spies.
A note. This book includes an index and many notes which are very useful.
Overall, a solid effort to share the efforts of dedicated individuals, trained in another subject, who work to preserve ancient treasures and help the Greeks be free.
In his journalistic style, the author takes us from Greece before the German invasion, to the collection of individuals recruited and trained by the OSS to gather intelligence from Greece, to individuals who were infiltrated to Greece to gather data and sometimes to physically and violently disrupt German activities.
Many individuals appear in this narration. Two key individuals were Rodney Young, who was in charge of the “Greek Desk,” and Dorothy Cox, head of the Izmir Station in Turkey. Rodney was a key coordinator of all activities involving the OSS in Greece, and after the war made a major archeological discovery about the lost civilization of the Phrygians, who predated the Greeks in Gordion on the Anatolian plateau in Turkey. In Turkey during the war, hearing the stories of escapees from Greece gave the Allies much-needed information and was very depressing for Dorothy. After the war, she returned to her research in numismatics, and also reunited with some of her colleagues from the OSS on excavations in Gordium, Turkey.
He also gives the perspective of several German archaeologists. One of whom, Roland Hampe, worked tirelessly to avoid major combat in Athens when the Germans were withdrawing troops.
The author highlights the colonial mentality of the British towards the Greeks, especially as the war wound down, and the disrespect of the American OSS efforts in Greece. He also mentions the concerns of the American archaeologists about how a British hand in post-war Greece, or a Russian one, would defeat their entire purpose of working in the war effort, namely to keep Greece free.
The author shares several interesting stories. One of how some Greeks in the hill country did not know how far America was from Greece; or the respect of the Greeks for the Americans—even stopping a gun battle between factions to let an American agent cross the street.
Other stories include how the Greeks buried many statues and treasures under the basement of the National Archaeological Museum, and never during the occupation told the Germans where those statues were. Also, the Greek’s valiant defense on the Albanian border against Italians, from Fall 1940 to Spring 1941, won them world praise and admiration.
With such a diverse collection of individuals who operated individually, the author has a challenge in weaving together a cohesive narrative. His work is a mosaic of many pieces and vignettes. As a whole, the story relates the value of this dedicated group of academics turned spies.
A note. This book includes an index and many notes which are very useful.
Overall, a solid effort to share the efforts of dedicated individuals, trained in another subject, who work to preserve ancient treasures and help the Greeks be free.
June 12, 2026
An unlikely group of scholars who spied and saved historical treasures
Before there was a CIA there was its precursor, the Office of Strategic Services, that was spearheaded by Wild Bill Donovan. In addition to the network of spies and informants he had spread in spots all across Western Europe during WWII Donovan saw another area in need of infiltration....Greece. The Germans were advancing and would soon take that country over, not only gaining another maritime foothold but also having dominion over the historic sites and important artifacts located there. Hitler was known to have an obsession with classical Greek art and claimed that in fact the Aryan race had its roots there, and there were fears that his troops would destroy and loot there way across the country. Donovan recruited a quirky group of academics and other scholars headed by Rodney Young, an Ivy school educated archaeologist, and assigned them a two-pronged mission....gather information on the German troops' movements and plans and do anything in their power to protect the theft and destruction of Greece's priceless artifacts.
Much has been written on the OSS during WWII but most of that has focused on its work in places like France and other Northern European countries. What happened in Greece during this time has been less explored, and I found it fascinating to read about it. From museum officials hiding their treasures in caves and bank vaults and burying them underneath the museum buildings themselves to the patriotism of Greek American soldiers who were eager to both serve the US and provide aid to the country from which their parents and grandparents had emigrated, the book reads like a combination of espionage thriller and historical guide. The narrative moves along at a good clip, providing a solid level of detail without getting too lost in the weeds while highlighting the parallels between scholarly skills and those of a good spy. There is also a look at the geopolitical tensions that were present in Greece and the difficulties posed by the dueling interests even within the Allies. Those who enjoyed the movie Monument Men as well as readers of author Stephan Tally and of Erik Larson, Robert M. Edsel and Ben Macintyre should pick up a copy of this book, a solid 4.5 ⭐️ read rounded up to 5. My thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for allowing me access to this work in exchange for my honest review.
Before there was a CIA there was its precursor, the Office of Strategic Services, that was spearheaded by Wild Bill Donovan. In addition to the network of spies and informants he had spread in spots all across Western Europe during WWII Donovan saw another area in need of infiltration....Greece. The Germans were advancing and would soon take that country over, not only gaining another maritime foothold but also having dominion over the historic sites and important artifacts located there. Hitler was known to have an obsession with classical Greek art and claimed that in fact the Aryan race had its roots there, and there were fears that his troops would destroy and loot there way across the country. Donovan recruited a quirky group of academics and other scholars headed by Rodney Young, an Ivy school educated archaeologist, and assigned them a two-pronged mission....gather information on the German troops' movements and plans and do anything in their power to protect the theft and destruction of Greece's priceless artifacts.
Much has been written on the OSS during WWII but most of that has focused on its work in places like France and other Northern European countries. What happened in Greece during this time has been less explored, and I found it fascinating to read about it. From museum officials hiding their treasures in caves and bank vaults and burying them underneath the museum buildings themselves to the patriotism of Greek American soldiers who were eager to both serve the US and provide aid to the country from which their parents and grandparents had emigrated, the book reads like a combination of espionage thriller and historical guide. The narrative moves along at a good clip, providing a solid level of detail without getting too lost in the weeds while highlighting the parallels between scholarly skills and those of a good spy. There is also a look at the geopolitical tensions that were present in Greece and the difficulties posed by the dueling interests even within the Allies. Those who enjoyed the movie Monument Men as well as readers of author Stephan Tally and of Erik Larson, Robert M. Edsel and Ben Macintyre should pick up a copy of this book, a solid 4.5 ⭐️ read rounded up to 5. My thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for allowing me access to this work in exchange for my honest review.
June 18, 2026
Thank you to Dutton for the gifted copy of The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece by Stephan Talty.
I picked this up because "archaeologist spies during World War II" is one of those concepts that sounds almost too wild to be true. Somehow the real story ended up being even more fascinating than I expected.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
What makes this book so compelling is that it sits at the intersection of so many things I wouldn't normally think of together: espionage, archaeology, military history, cultural preservation, and resistance. The idea that scholars and academics became key players in protecting ancient treasures while simultaneously gathering intelligence feels like something straight out of a novel.
I especially loved learning about the lengths people went to in order to protect Greece's cultural heritage. Hiding artifacts in caves, burying them beneath museums, creating decoys to fool the Nazis... every chapter seemed to reveal another unbelievable piece of history.
The pacing was also excellent. Nonfiction can sometimes get bogged down in details, but this never felt like a textbook. It reads more like a historical thriller while still delivering plenty of context and research.
What I Loved
• The incredible true story behind the Greek Desk
• The blend of espionage, archaeology, and WWII history
• The focus on protecting cultural treasures during wartime
• Fast-paced storytelling that never felt dry
• Learning about a lesser-known aspect of World War II
• The Greek American soldiers and their connection to the mission
What Didn’t Work for Me
• There are a lot of historical figures and organizations to keep track of
• Some geopolitical discussions slowed the momentum slightly
• Readers looking for nonstop spy action may find parts more history-focused than thriller-focused
Overall, this is one of those nonfiction books that reminds you how strange and remarkable real history can be. It shines a light on a lesser-known chapter of World War II while celebrating the people who risked everything to preserve pieces of human history that could have been lost forever. If you enjoyed The Monuments Men or love hidden-history stories, this is absolutely worth picking up. 🏛️🕵️📚
I picked this up because "archaeologist spies during World War II" is one of those concepts that sounds almost too wild to be true. Somehow the real story ended up being even more fascinating than I expected.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
What makes this book so compelling is that it sits at the intersection of so many things I wouldn't normally think of together: espionage, archaeology, military history, cultural preservation, and resistance. The idea that scholars and academics became key players in protecting ancient treasures while simultaneously gathering intelligence feels like something straight out of a novel.
I especially loved learning about the lengths people went to in order to protect Greece's cultural heritage. Hiding artifacts in caves, burying them beneath museums, creating decoys to fool the Nazis... every chapter seemed to reveal another unbelievable piece of history.
The pacing was also excellent. Nonfiction can sometimes get bogged down in details, but this never felt like a textbook. It reads more like a historical thriller while still delivering plenty of context and research.
What I Loved
• The incredible true story behind the Greek Desk
• The blend of espionage, archaeology, and WWII history
• The focus on protecting cultural treasures during wartime
• Fast-paced storytelling that never felt dry
• Learning about a lesser-known aspect of World War II
• The Greek American soldiers and their connection to the mission
What Didn’t Work for Me
• There are a lot of historical figures and organizations to keep track of
• Some geopolitical discussions slowed the momentum slightly
• Readers looking for nonstop spy action may find parts more history-focused than thriller-focused
Overall, this is one of those nonfiction books that reminds you how strange and remarkable real history can be. It shines a light on a lesser-known chapter of World War II while celebrating the people who risked everything to preserve pieces of human history that could have been lost forever. If you enjoyed The Monuments Men or love hidden-history stories, this is absolutely worth picking up. 🏛️🕵️📚
September 20, 2026
📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖 — The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty — 3.5⭐ (3⭐ audio / 4⭐ book, if I'm being precise about it)
Okay so confession time: I did this one on audio and I genuinely wish I hadn't. The narrator's voice was lovely - like, objectively pleasant - but it had the exact pitch and tempo to lull me straight to sleep. Not a knock on him, just a mismatch for this particular book. I think I'm going to circle back and reread the physical copy at some point, partly because I want to actually see the references (hard to do with a library audiobook when you can't just flip to the back) and partly because I suspect I missed things when my attention wandered. 😅
That griping aside - the content itself? Genuinely interesting. This is about Greek American archaeologists who got recruited into the OSS to work as spies and commandos in Nazi-occupied Greece, and it's a side of WWII I hadn't read about before. We all know the broad strokes of the Nazi obsession with hoarding, stealing, and destroying cultural treasures - this book zooms in on the very specific, very scrappy group of academics, diplomats, and agents who tried to stop them. Recruitment, tradecraft, the whole spy machinery - it's a fascinating cast of characters doing work you wouldn't expect from a bunch of classicists.
Here's my one real caveat: if you're going into this expecting an "archaeological Monuments Men," recalibrate. There's surprisingly little about the artifacts themselves, and a lot more about blowing up trains and running resistance networks - it's archaeology-adjacent, not archaeology-forward. I also found some of the Greek geography references tough to follow without a map in front of me. But if you go in wanting a fight-in-Greece-for-its-treasures story rather than an artifact-recovery story, it delivers.
Averaging it out: 3.5⭐. Would recommend the physical book over the audio, hands down. 🎧❌📖✅
Real-life espionage
Unlikely spies (academics turned agents)
WWII home-front-adjacent resistance
Nazi art/artifact plunder
Occupied-territory setting
Diplomatic intrigue
Recruitment/training arc
Sabotage & guerrilla tactics
"Not what the marketing implies" twist
#TheAmericanSchoolOfSpies #StephanTalty #WWIINonfiction #HistoricalNonfiction
Okay so confession time: I did this one on audio and I genuinely wish I hadn't. The narrator's voice was lovely - like, objectively pleasant - but it had the exact pitch and tempo to lull me straight to sleep. Not a knock on him, just a mismatch for this particular book. I think I'm going to circle back and reread the physical copy at some point, partly because I want to actually see the references (hard to do with a library audiobook when you can't just flip to the back) and partly because I suspect I missed things when my attention wandered. 😅
That griping aside - the content itself? Genuinely interesting. This is about Greek American archaeologists who got recruited into the OSS to work as spies and commandos in Nazi-occupied Greece, and it's a side of WWII I hadn't read about before. We all know the broad strokes of the Nazi obsession with hoarding, stealing, and destroying cultural treasures - this book zooms in on the very specific, very scrappy group of academics, diplomats, and agents who tried to stop them. Recruitment, tradecraft, the whole spy machinery - it's a fascinating cast of characters doing work you wouldn't expect from a bunch of classicists.
Here's my one real caveat: if you're going into this expecting an "archaeological Monuments Men," recalibrate. There's surprisingly little about the artifacts themselves, and a lot more about blowing up trains and running resistance networks - it's archaeology-adjacent, not archaeology-forward. I also found some of the Greek geography references tough to follow without a map in front of me. But if you go in wanting a fight-in-Greece-for-its-treasures story rather than an artifact-recovery story, it delivers.
Averaging it out: 3.5⭐. Would recommend the physical book over the audio, hands down. 🎧❌📖✅
Real-life espionage
Unlikely spies (academics turned agents)
WWII home-front-adjacent resistance
Nazi art/artifact plunder
Occupied-territory setting
Diplomatic intrigue
Recruitment/training arc
Sabotage & guerrilla tactics
"Not what the marketing implies" twist
#TheAmericanSchoolOfSpies #StephanTalty #WWIINonfiction #HistoricalNonfiction
June 19, 2026
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece by Stephan Talty tells about the "Greek Desk", an OSS operation during World War II using a ragtag team of archaeologists and academics instead of seasoned commandos. Mr. Talty is an Irish best-selling author.
The book makes the point that protecting historical artifacts is sometimes just as important as as protecting its borders. A group of academics, archaeologists and classicist are, mostly of Greek origins, went undercover to try and save antiquities, and Greece itself from the Nazis.
The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty tells of their mission in an exciting, readable manner. The Greek and American scholars have weaponized their knowledge of the Greek language, its history, mythology, antiquities, the greed of Nazi officers and, of course, geography to execute high-risk operations in both sabotage and hiding antiquities from plunder.
The book's most interesting part is the psychological transition of the amateur spies. They went from academics, teachers, and researchers to forging documents, lying, and coordinating resistance cells while the Gestapo is a step or two behind them.
This is an amazing story that, as far as I know, have fallen under the shadow of Europe's Monument Men. Saving the heritage of Greece, could be seen as saving the founding of democracy itself. Ironically, Greece, at the time, was not even a democracy. I enjoyed the combination of the quiet, efficient and all too human academics turned spies and saboteurs, to that of the likes of William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, the aggressive head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
This book, however, does take careful reading, and even that sometimes doesn't work. The intricate story or intricate networks got me lost at several points. The author always goes back to the main mission, but the side missions, which are important and exciting, still took me out of the narrative and it was a challenge to get back.
The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece by Stephan Talty tells about the "Greek Desk", an OSS operation during World War II using a ragtag team of archaeologists and academics instead of seasoned commandos. Mr. Talty is an Irish best-selling author.
The book makes the point that protecting historical artifacts is sometimes just as important as as protecting its borders. A group of academics, archaeologists and classicist are, mostly of Greek origins, went undercover to try and save antiquities, and Greece itself from the Nazis.
The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty tells of their mission in an exciting, readable manner. The Greek and American scholars have weaponized their knowledge of the Greek language, its history, mythology, antiquities, the greed of Nazi officers and, of course, geography to execute high-risk operations in both sabotage and hiding antiquities from plunder.
The book's most interesting part is the psychological transition of the amateur spies. They went from academics, teachers, and researchers to forging documents, lying, and coordinating resistance cells while the Gestapo is a step or two behind them.
This is an amazing story that, as far as I know, have fallen under the shadow of Europe's Monument Men. Saving the heritage of Greece, could be seen as saving the founding of democracy itself. Ironically, Greece, at the time, was not even a democracy. I enjoyed the combination of the quiet, efficient and all too human academics turned spies and saboteurs, to that of the likes of William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, the aggressive head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
This book, however, does take careful reading, and even that sometimes doesn't work. The intricate story or intricate networks got me lost at several points. The author always goes back to the main mission, but the side missions, which are important and exciting, still took me out of the narrative and it was a challenge to get back.
September 4, 2026
About 5 percent of the Greek population died during the Nazi occupation, two to three times the rate as in other countries including France and the Netherlands.
I had no idea.
The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty is more than just a military story. It's about a team of US archeologists who sought to save ancient Greek relics, including the Acropolis, from destruction during World War II.
They became spies on the ground. Some died. They were recruited by the OSS, the predecessor to the CIA, about the time the
Nazis invaded Greece on April 27, 1941.
Led by Rodney Young, the leadership team comprised two dozen classicists, mostly male, all WASPs, most from money.
Why did these rich people serve?
“The image of the swastika flying over the Acropolis was distressing,” Young said.
Some spoilers below…
They would go in under different covers, relief worker, bureaucrat, whatever, after having been trained briefly in cryptography codes, subversive warfare, a little German, how to shoot a gun and knife a sentry and how to lie. They recruited hundreds of helpers, many of whom already had literally buried so many priceless statuary and other ancient Greek relics that baffled the Germans upon arrival.
Why did they have to? Besides the obvious threat to democracy everywhere, Hitler was convinced the brilliant ancient Greeks were the offspring of the Aryans and he wanted to prove it.
While the Nazis showed some care in protecting relics, they just wanted to conquer the world. And Greece.
For example, in marching into Greece, German tanks rolled into the Sanctuary of Artemis. It is the site where Agamemnon, the ancient Greek general, and his men were stranded on their way to battle with Troy, according to classical Greek Poetry. The winds had died and Agamemnon offered a human sacrifice to the gods to stir the winds behind his sails, according to Greek Mythology. He got his wish after slicing the throat of his daughter, Iphigenia, on that sacred waterfront.
The Germans, needing cement to build an airport, flattened it.
If you love Greek mythology, or military/WW2 history, or archeology, or ancient Greece, you will love this history story.
I had no idea.
The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty is more than just a military story. It's about a team of US archeologists who sought to save ancient Greek relics, including the Acropolis, from destruction during World War II.
They became spies on the ground. Some died. They were recruited by the OSS, the predecessor to the CIA, about the time the
Nazis invaded Greece on April 27, 1941.
Led by Rodney Young, the leadership team comprised two dozen classicists, mostly male, all WASPs, most from money.
Why did these rich people serve?
“The image of the swastika flying over the Acropolis was distressing,” Young said.
Some spoilers below…
They would go in under different covers, relief worker, bureaucrat, whatever, after having been trained briefly in cryptography codes, subversive warfare, a little German, how to shoot a gun and knife a sentry and how to lie. They recruited hundreds of helpers, many of whom already had literally buried so many priceless statuary and other ancient Greek relics that baffled the Germans upon arrival.
Why did they have to? Besides the obvious threat to democracy everywhere, Hitler was convinced the brilliant ancient Greeks were the offspring of the Aryans and he wanted to prove it.
While the Nazis showed some care in protecting relics, they just wanted to conquer the world. And Greece.
For example, in marching into Greece, German tanks rolled into the Sanctuary of Artemis. It is the site where Agamemnon, the ancient Greek general, and his men were stranded on their way to battle with Troy, according to classical Greek Poetry. The winds had died and Agamemnon offered a human sacrifice to the gods to stir the winds behind his sails, according to Greek Mythology. He got his wish after slicing the throat of his daughter, Iphigenia, on that sacred waterfront.
The Germans, needing cement to build an airport, flattened it.
If you love Greek mythology, or military/WW2 history, or archeology, or ancient Greece, you will love this history story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2026
The American School of Spies begins with an irresistible idea: when war threatened the treasures of ancient Greece, the people best equipped to defend them were not hardened soldiers but scholars who knew how to read the landscape, the language, and the past. Stephan Talty turns that unlikely premise into a vivid story of intellect becoming resistance.
Talty writes with clarity and momentum, moving easily between archaeology, espionage, and military history. His style is accessible without feeling simplified, and he gives the story the atmosphere of an adventure while preserving the gravity of occupied Greece. There is something quietly thrilling about watching knowledge usually confined to lecture halls, archives, and excavation sites become a weapon against destruction.
The narrative follows the formation and work of the OSS’s Greek Desk, revealing its members and missions piece by piece. At times, the number of scholars, operatives, military figures, and overlapping efforts makes the path a little crowded. I occasionally had to stop and remember how someone fit into the larger picture, but the central purpose of the story remained clear enough to pull me forward.
The research feels substantial, yet Talty rarely allows it to weigh down the narrative. The historical details deepen the stakes, especially when the book considers what is truly lost when cultural treasures are stolen or destroyed. These objects are not treated as beautiful relics alone, but as fragments of memory, identity, and civilization worth risking lives to preserve.
What stayed with me most was the book’s faith in unexpected forms of courage. Its scholar-spies succeed not by abandoning what they know, but by discovering how powerful that knowledge can become when history itself is under attack.
Of interest for those drawn to World War II espionage, archaeology, cultural preservation, and little-known stories of resistance. It is thoughtful, absorbing, and proof that even the dustiest corners of scholarship may conceal the makings of an adventure.
Talty writes with clarity and momentum, moving easily between archaeology, espionage, and military history. His style is accessible without feeling simplified, and he gives the story the atmosphere of an adventure while preserving the gravity of occupied Greece. There is something quietly thrilling about watching knowledge usually confined to lecture halls, archives, and excavation sites become a weapon against destruction.
The narrative follows the formation and work of the OSS’s Greek Desk, revealing its members and missions piece by piece. At times, the number of scholars, operatives, military figures, and overlapping efforts makes the path a little crowded. I occasionally had to stop and remember how someone fit into the larger picture, but the central purpose of the story remained clear enough to pull me forward.
The research feels substantial, yet Talty rarely allows it to weigh down the narrative. The historical details deepen the stakes, especially when the book considers what is truly lost when cultural treasures are stolen or destroyed. These objects are not treated as beautiful relics alone, but as fragments of memory, identity, and civilization worth risking lives to preserve.
What stayed with me most was the book’s faith in unexpected forms of courage. Its scholar-spies succeed not by abandoning what they know, but by discovering how powerful that knowledge can become when history itself is under attack.
Of interest for those drawn to World War II espionage, archaeology, cultural preservation, and little-known stories of resistance. It is thoughtful, absorbing, and proof that even the dustiest corners of scholarship may conceal the makings of an adventure.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The American School of Spies is an interesting new book about WWII and the effort of a group of dedicated American archaeologists and classicists who went undercover in a dangerous effort to hide and protect significant works of art and culture as the Nazis were invading Greece. With an art background, Hitler appreciated the sculpture and other artifacts from ancient Greece and wanted to add them to his plunder.
How this group of scholars and academicians were able to succeed against incredibly difficult odds is a story most people know nothing about. We may have read or seen the movie "Monuments Men" about efforts to save artwork in France and other countries, but little is known about Greece until now.
As a country in southern Europe, Greece was isolated during WWII. Mussolini controlled Italy, the Ottoman empire most of the Balkans. War raged in Africa before the Allies turned on Italy. Greece was not a big concern of the Allies except for Great Britain. Greece was never a colony, but it faced great influence from the British.
The geopolitical aspects of the war and its impact on Greece is a sidebar to the book's main story, and one very interesting. Greece wanted independence, but Communists also wanted to control Greece after the Nazis left.
I learned a great deal about Greece that I had no knowledge of despite visiting the country a couple of times. Climbing up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon years ago I had no idea it was once controlled by the Nazis, nor did I realize if I looked close enough I might see evidence of bullet holes in the structure.
My rating is 4.5/5, rounded down to 4 stars.
I want to thank the author, publisher Dutton, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
How this group of scholars and academicians were able to succeed against incredibly difficult odds is a story most people know nothing about. We may have read or seen the movie "Monuments Men" about efforts to save artwork in France and other countries, but little is known about Greece until now.
As a country in southern Europe, Greece was isolated during WWII. Mussolini controlled Italy, the Ottoman empire most of the Balkans. War raged in Africa before the Allies turned on Italy. Greece was not a big concern of the Allies except for Great Britain. Greece was never a colony, but it faced great influence from the British.
The geopolitical aspects of the war and its impact on Greece is a sidebar to the book's main story, and one very interesting. Greece wanted independence, but Communists also wanted to control Greece after the Nazis left.
I learned a great deal about Greece that I had no knowledge of despite visiting the country a couple of times. Climbing up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon years ago I had no idea it was once controlled by the Nazis, nor did I realize if I looked close enough I might see evidence of bullet holes in the structure.
My rating is 4.5/5, rounded down to 4 stars.
I want to thank the author, publisher Dutton, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece by Stephan Talty is a fascinating blend of history, espionage, and wartime heroism. Talty uncovers the little-known story of archaeologists and scholars connected to the American School of Classical Studies at Athens who used their deep knowledge of Greece to aid the Allied war effort during World War II. The result is a gripping narrative that combines intellectual history with the suspense of a spy thriller.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to bring overlooked historical figures to life. Talty portrays these archaeologists not as distant academics, but as courageous individuals who risked their lives to resist Nazi occupation and protect Greece’s cultural treasures. The book also highlights the importance of preserving history and heritage during times of war, adding emotional depth to the larger geopolitical story.
Talty’s writing is engaging and cinematic, making complex historical events accessible without oversimplifying them. The pacing keeps the story moving, especially during the espionage and resistance sections, while still providing rich historical context about Greece and archaeology. Readers interested in World War II history, secret operations, or cultural preservation will find the book especially rewarding.
Overall, The American School of Spies is an absorbing and well-researched work of nonfiction that shines a light on an extraordinary chapter of history. It successfully combines adventure, scholarship, and wartime drama into a compelling and memorable read.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to bring overlooked historical figures to life. Talty portrays these archaeologists not as distant academics, but as courageous individuals who risked their lives to resist Nazi occupation and protect Greece’s cultural treasures. The book also highlights the importance of preserving history and heritage during times of war, adding emotional depth to the larger geopolitical story.
Talty’s writing is engaging and cinematic, making complex historical events accessible without oversimplifying them. The pacing keeps the story moving, especially during the espionage and resistance sections, while still providing rich historical context about Greece and archaeology. Readers interested in World War II history, secret operations, or cultural preservation will find the book especially rewarding.
Overall, The American School of Spies is an absorbing and well-researched work of nonfiction that shines a light on an extraordinary chapter of history. It successfully combines adventure, scholarship, and wartime drama into a compelling and memorable read.
July 23, 2026
I was tremendously disappointed in this book. I have a familial connection to Greece so knew much of the background and looked forward to reading about Greece's place in WWII which is so often overlooked.
The book started like a house afire and led the reader to believe there would be a focus on saving Greece's antiquities. It then devolved into what I imagine would be a book written by a sufferer of ADD. It jumped from topic to topic without ever deeply exploring any. There were references to antiquities and archaeologists but, again, never in depth. Turns out a lot of participants in Greece in WWII were archaeologists.
The Greek Desk was never covered in depth either. There were a few accounts of resistance accomplishments like blowing up German trains, but never a deep dive into resistance efforts. Another member of the desk evidently got a lot of intel from Greeks fleeing to Turkey, but again, not much useful was disclosed.
There are a few very confusing chapters about the "open city" of Athens when the Germans retreated. Worse, the author tried to cover the Greek Civil War that followed WWII in about 20 pages. Left out was the entire lead-up to that during the war with the various resistance group having vastly different aims and methods. Talk to a Greek even today and you will still hear strident opinions of those groups. That dichotomy was largely ignored until it popped up and given short shrift with no background at the end.
In sum, there was not a lot to be learned from this book and what was, was not cogently presented.
The book started like a house afire and led the reader to believe there would be a focus on saving Greece's antiquities. It then devolved into what I imagine would be a book written by a sufferer of ADD. It jumped from topic to topic without ever deeply exploring any. There were references to antiquities and archaeologists but, again, never in depth. Turns out a lot of participants in Greece in WWII were archaeologists.
The Greek Desk was never covered in depth either. There were a few accounts of resistance accomplishments like blowing up German trains, but never a deep dive into resistance efforts. Another member of the desk evidently got a lot of intel from Greeks fleeing to Turkey, but again, not much useful was disclosed.
There are a few very confusing chapters about the "open city" of Athens when the Germans retreated. Worse, the author tried to cover the Greek Civil War that followed WWII in about 20 pages. Left out was the entire lead-up to that during the war with the various resistance group having vastly different aims and methods. Talk to a Greek even today and you will still hear strident opinions of those groups. That dichotomy was largely ignored until it popped up and given short shrift with no background at the end.
In sum, there was not a lot to be learned from this book and what was, was not cogently presented.
July 30, 2026
In this fascinating new World War II history title from Stephan Talty, readers discover the OSS’s collection of former archaeologists and classicists turned spies in occupied Greece and their efforts to protect important historical monuments and artifacts from the greedy Nazis. Led by Rodney Young, the book follows the Greek Desk, a team of academics, epigraphers, specialists, archaeologists, and scholars, who worked undercover with their Greek allies to protect priceless artifacts, create fakes, and, eventually, bring in an army of Greek-American soldiers to push the Nazis out of Greece. Packed with detail and absolutely fascinating, this book offers brilliant insights into the multiple levels of Nazi occupation during the war and the cultural wars they waged upon Greece. The details really highlight the scope of this operation and how it evolved as the war progressed, while the many biographies really highlight how different the recruits were from each other and typical spies. The pacing is great and offers an overview of the occupation years, and fans of World War II history will absolutely love this new addition to the historical canon. Packed with details, readable, and engaging, this new history title from Stephan Talty is an immersive and high-stakes read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the advance copy.
September 5, 2026
This is a very thorough history of Greece during World War II, focusing specifically on the role archaeologists and classics experts played in both preserving culture and running traditional spy networks. It’s a fascinating, lesser-known side of WWII history that rarely gets the same airtime as its French counterparts, and I certainly wasn't familiar with the realities of Greece during this period—let alone the academics involved.
The book features a lot of characters who can be hard to keep track of at times, but the author clearly wanted to expand the narrative beyond just Young and the typical leaders usually mentioned. The sheer volume of people highlighted demonstrates just how deep and meticulous the research was to uncover every layer of this story.
That said, the pacing definitely suffers in places. Some chapters drag and feel a bit "list-y" as the author attempts to include every single step, event, and research finding. It’s not particularly narrative-driven or story-esque; there is a lot of "they did this, went here, did that, went there." While still readable for a history text—and far from a total snooze—it lands more as a somewhat dense academic tome rather than the thrilling, intriguing narrative I was hoping for.
I received an eARC copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
The book features a lot of characters who can be hard to keep track of at times, but the author clearly wanted to expand the narrative beyond just Young and the typical leaders usually mentioned. The sheer volume of people highlighted demonstrates just how deep and meticulous the research was to uncover every layer of this story.
That said, the pacing definitely suffers in places. Some chapters drag and feel a bit "list-y" as the author attempts to include every single step, event, and research finding. It’s not particularly narrative-driven or story-esque; there is a lot of "they did this, went here, did that, went there." While still readable for a history text—and far from a total snooze—it lands more as a somewhat dense academic tome rather than the thrilling, intriguing narrative I was hoping for.
I received an eARC copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m a history nerd which is why I like historical fiction and history books so much. And when I find a book about a little known historical topic to me, it’s an exciting day (so my thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me access to this ARC).
This is the story of an OSS’s (the American predecessor to the CIA) decision to save Greek artifacts and prepare Greece for D-Day. William Donovan, the head of OSS, in 1942, tapped a young Ivy League archeologist, Rodney Young, to assemble a team to gather intel and help save ancient artifacts. Young assembled a most atypical group: classicists, academics, epigraphers and other scholars known as “the Greek Desk.” Along with Greek allies, they went to save Greek artifacts and treasure from Nazi art predators. Eventually the US sent in its Greek American soldiers to save Greece.
I am so thankful to these men and women as I got to see many marvelous Greek artifacts when I visited Greece. I never thought in seeing them about the heroic efforts that occurred so that these were preserved. That’s why a book like this is so incredibly important. We need to remember and honor the past. My thanks to the author for doing that.
Highly recommend.
This is the story of an OSS’s (the American predecessor to the CIA) decision to save Greek artifacts and prepare Greece for D-Day. William Donovan, the head of OSS, in 1942, tapped a young Ivy League archeologist, Rodney Young, to assemble a team to gather intel and help save ancient artifacts. Young assembled a most atypical group: classicists, academics, epigraphers and other scholars known as “the Greek Desk.” Along with Greek allies, they went to save Greek artifacts and treasure from Nazi art predators. Eventually the US sent in its Greek American soldiers to save Greece.
I am so thankful to these men and women as I got to see many marvelous Greek artifacts when I visited Greece. I never thought in seeing them about the heroic efforts that occurred so that these were preserved. That’s why a book like this is so incredibly important. We need to remember and honor the past. My thanks to the author for doing that.
Highly recommend.
September 1, 2026
This book is really, believe it or not, three different topics that probably should not have been stitched into one. Worse, Talty doesn't do a great job with transitions or overviews, so it's all kind of a mess. That is truly a shame, because the subjects are quite interesting!
The first third of the book has to do with how the Greeks sought to protect their antiquities from the Nazi assault. They buried hundreds of relics and somehow managed never to blab to the Germans about where they were hidden.
The next major portion of the book deals with OSS efforts at spycraft in Greek & Turkey during the war. This too is quite a tale, and does involve some of the archaeologists mentioned in the subtitle. But even here it is merely episodic; no big-picture writing is offered.
Then the last portion (less than a third) deals with the Allies' "What to do with Greece?" issues. A civil war between socialists and royalists was more or less breaking out simultaneously with the German retreat. Talty again provides little background, and I'm not sure readers could have a very good grasp of the stakes or background involved.
It's clear that the author has some interesting tales to tell, and does so ably. But that unfortunately has not led to a well-written book.
The first third of the book has to do with how the Greeks sought to protect their antiquities from the Nazi assault. They buried hundreds of relics and somehow managed never to blab to the Germans about where they were hidden.
The next major portion of the book deals with OSS efforts at spycraft in Greek & Turkey during the war. This too is quite a tale, and does involve some of the archaeologists mentioned in the subtitle. But even here it is merely episodic; no big-picture writing is offered.
Then the last portion (less than a third) deals with the Allies' "What to do with Greece?" issues. A civil war between socialists and royalists was more or less breaking out simultaneously with the German retreat. Talty again provides little background, and I'm not sure readers could have a very good grasp of the stakes or background involved.
It's clear that the author has some interesting tales to tell, and does so ably. But that unfortunately has not led to a well-written book.
August 30, 2026
An interesting and well-written book, but not quite what I was expecting. I was looking for an emphasis on how archeological treasures were saved and protected -- sort of an archeological Monuments Men, and while there was some of that there was a lot more of guys who just happened to be archaeologists and other guys who just happened to be Greeks spying on the Nazis in Greece in non-archeology-adjacent ways and blowing up trains and such. It wasn't exactly a book about the Greek resistance to the Germans either, and didn't go very deep. The best part of the story was actually about a German archeologist (again, not acting as an archeologist, but as a translator) who negotiated the exit of the Germans from Greece after D-Day so that they left without blowing up all the Greek archeological sites as Hitler had directed them to do. THAT story was pretty amazing. So I'm glad I read it, but I'm still looking for that book about how American archeologists (or anybody else's) saved the great archeological sites of Greece in WWII that goes beyond "we found them and we buried them and we refused to dig them up when the Germans asked us to."
September 14, 2026
1.5/10, DNF at chapter 4. Somehow made Nazis, spies, and stolen Greek treasures put me to sleep.
Two of my favourite historical subjects, ancient archaeology and WWII espionage, and Talty still found a way to make it feel like reading the fine print on a terms of service update.
Like a NBA player who suddenly gets yips before some 4th quarter free throws, the delivery here is poor.
Names get dropped with zero setup, the story jump around, and character motivation never actually gets explained, it's just X said do this, Y said no, scene over. On audiobook that scattershot structure becomes genuine disorientation, not the interesting kind. No depth anywhere, likely a source material problem, but that's not my problem to solve as the reader. Instead of a narrative history, names get randomly dropped and there's a ton of scattered jumping around, disorienting. There's no insight into anyone's motivations, it stays surface level: X said "you must do this," Y said "no." No depth anywhere, likely a source material issue, but the result reads the same either way.
Life's too short, and chapter 4 made me pull the parachute and move on to more interesting historical reads 🪂
Two of my favourite historical subjects, ancient archaeology and WWII espionage, and Talty still found a way to make it feel like reading the fine print on a terms of service update.
Like a NBA player who suddenly gets yips before some 4th quarter free throws, the delivery here is poor.
Names get dropped with zero setup, the story jump around, and character motivation never actually gets explained, it's just X said do this, Y said no, scene over. On audiobook that scattershot structure becomes genuine disorientation, not the interesting kind. No depth anywhere, likely a source material problem, but that's not my problem to solve as the reader. Instead of a narrative history, names get randomly dropped and there's a ton of scattered jumping around, disorienting. There's no insight into anyone's motivations, it stays surface level: X said "you must do this," Y said "no." No depth anywhere, likely a source material issue, but the result reads the same either way.
Life's too short, and chapter 4 made me pull the parachute and move on to more interesting historical reads 🪂
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are certain corners of World War II which are frequently forgotten. One of them is Greece, and Stephan Talty is here to shed some light on it in The American School of Spies.
Talty looks at a group of American spies and some other likely (and not so likely) allies as they try to keep the treasures of Greece from being destroyed or straight up stolen by the dang Nazis. I enjoy every single one of Talty's books because he always writes books which feel like they are very detailed while being briskly paced. This one feels like an especially fast read since he does have about half a dozen main characters who aren't always directly connected.
The main crux of the narrative is about protecting Greece's treasures with a healthy dose of post-World War II Red Scare thrown in for a little spice at the end. This is the type of book which is great for people who want to dip their toe into World War II without reading a 1,000-page tome. Talty always delivers and this book is no different.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
Talty looks at a group of American spies and some other likely (and not so likely) allies as they try to keep the treasures of Greece from being destroyed or straight up stolen by the dang Nazis. I enjoy every single one of Talty's books because he always writes books which feel like they are very detailed while being briskly paced. This one feels like an especially fast read since he does have about half a dozen main characters who aren't always directly connected.
The main crux of the narrative is about protecting Greece's treasures with a healthy dose of post-World War II Red Scare thrown in for a little spice at the end. This is the type of book which is great for people who want to dip their toe into World War II without reading a 1,000-page tome. Talty always delivers and this book is no different.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
September 1, 2026
The American School of Spies is a non-fiction book that tells the true story of American archaeologists and classicists who went undercover in Greece during World War II to protect and save ancient antiquities and historical treasures from Nazi looting and destruction. The book is a vivid recounting of an overlooked aspect of World War II.
I had absolutely no awareness that Hitler firmly believed that ancient Classical Greece was not a Mediterranean civilization, but was actually founded by "Aryan" tribes migrating from the north. By claiming the Greek philosophers, artists, and democracy as proto-Germanic achievements, the Nazis sought to frame their empire as the rightful heir to Western civilization's greatest treasures.
As Nazi Germany occupied and advanced through Europe, Adolf Hitler sought to loot priceless antiquities and propagate the false ideological notion that ancient Greece belonged to Aryan roots. The title says it all, The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece.
I had absolutely no awareness that Hitler firmly believed that ancient Classical Greece was not a Mediterranean civilization, but was actually founded by "Aryan" tribes migrating from the north. By claiming the Greek philosophers, artists, and democracy as proto-Germanic achievements, the Nazis sought to frame their empire as the rightful heir to Western civilization's greatest treasures.
As Nazi Germany occupied and advanced through Europe, Adolf Hitler sought to loot priceless antiquities and propagate the false ideological notion that ancient Greece belonged to Aryan roots. The title says it all, The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece.
June 14, 2026
4.25 stars
Excited to have found a WWII story I knew nothing about, and it's a good one. Covering three types of operatives recruited by the OSS to work in or for Greece in 1943 and beyond, we get to know the bosses, aka the archaeologists of the title, who worked outside of Greece; the spies who gathered intel on the ground in Greece; and the commandos who conducted operations against the Nazis. also in Greece The latter two groups were primarily Greek Americans.
The book is full of nail-biting scenes of antiquities being rushed into hiding, spies almost found out, informants secreted out of harm's way, and commandos grievously injured. Of course I was happy to see another Bryn Mawr alum, Dorothy Cox, in a prominent role.
However, part 3 of the book, about the retreat of the Nazis from Greece and the factions fighting over the country's future, is a total snooze. Could be just me, but I found it v boring, hence 4.25 stars.
Excited to have found a WWII story I knew nothing about, and it's a good one. Covering three types of operatives recruited by the OSS to work in or for Greece in 1943 and beyond, we get to know the bosses, aka the archaeologists of the title, who worked outside of Greece; the spies who gathered intel on the ground in Greece; and the commandos who conducted operations against the Nazis. also in Greece The latter two groups were primarily Greek Americans.
The book is full of nail-biting scenes of antiquities being rushed into hiding, spies almost found out, informants secreted out of harm's way, and commandos grievously injured. Of course I was happy to see another Bryn Mawr alum, Dorothy Cox, in a prominent role.
However, part 3 of the book, about the retreat of the Nazis from Greece and the factions fighting over the country's future, is a total snooze. Could be just me, but I found it v boring, hence 4.25 stars.
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