The book is about 4 women loved their country and who shaped the CIA by infiltrating foreign cities, recruiting spy networks, and providing valuable knowledge to US policy makers. One example is the woman who knew the Soviets were about to launch Sputnik, but whose warnings to alert the higher ups were ignored by her boss. She knew the CIA would be blamed for intelligence failure. Another knew of a plot to assainate the King of Jordan and was able to get him protection. The author skipped around too much for me to keep the 4 threads in my head until a little later. Names with too little background were not memorable enough for me to identify who I was reading about and where they were in the story. ( )

Following five women who worked for the CIA in its early years, the author demonstrates how women failed to achieve equal pay and failed to receive the promotions and other recognitions men might receive. The "Petticoat Panel" on which the women served is the only way these women interacted as they all served on different missions and in different areas. The book felt a bit disjointed because of the author's focus on feminist ideals rather than on the women and their careers. ( )

This book follows the careers of five women who worked for the CIA from its World War II infancy to their retirement (or, in one case, her death). Although these women did not get the recognition they deserved, did not receive equal pay for their work, and received delayed promotions, they paved the way for better working conditions for the women who would follow them.

Rather than espionage, the unifying theme of the book seems to be the women’s campaign for equal pay and recognition. The prologue introduces the women in the context of the 1953 “Petticoat Panel.” The chapter on the “Petticoat Panel” lies at the center of the book, with the preceding chapters looking forward to it and the succeeding chapters looking back at it.

Placing the “Petticoat Panel” at the heart of the book forced the author into a chronological narrative. The “Petticoat Panel” was the only project the women worked on together, so the other chapters seem disjointed as they jump between the operations each woman was involved with during the period covered in the chapter. It felt like watching a four-ring circus. It might have flowed better if each woman had been given her own chapter(s), with a concluding analysis of the similarities in their careers and the barriers they faced. ( )

Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage contains a wealth of information, presented in such a way that is fascinating and often surprising. To say that for many, many years the achievements of these women were overlooked, their ideas uncredited and their potential untapped would be an understatement. Although attractive, none of the women in the book are notorious sexy femme fatales, so their names don’t even rate a second thought. Until you read this book. Just a highlight of what they did was amazing: developed new cryptosystems that advanced how spies communicate with each other, built overseas partnerships and allegiances that would last decades, gathered intelligence on deadly Soviet weaponry, participated in scientific and technical operations worldwide, exposed global terrorism threats. Although they did attain powerful, influential positions and were able to effect change, it wasn’t easy. They made sacrifices and paid a price for their unconventional choices. One of the original Wise Gals, Jane Burrell, paid with her life.

Strides have definitely been made through the years but women today still face barriers when trying to earn respect and influence in traditionally male fields. Imagine trying to make your mark or convince all the skeptical men that your idea has merit, that you can do the job as well or even better, in the post-WWII era. Women made huge contributions during the war, but when the war was over the women were for the most part expected to go back where they came from – as nurses, teachers, housewives – and give the important jobs back to the men so things could get back to normal. It is a testament to their tenacity, dedication, yes, stubbornness and their amazing intelligence and brilliance that they persevered and had the successes they did. And it’s only through the meticulous research and efforts of authors like Nathalia Holt that we are now able to learn about these monumental achievements and the women behind them.

Wise Gals is excellent reading, so well laid out that it takes the reader smoothly from woman to woman and historical event to historical event making you understand what motivates and frustrates these women, makes clear all the obstacles they faced, and leaves you feeling you know them quite well.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a copy of Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage in exchange for my honest review. I spent my time going back and forth between amazement and awe with what these women accomplished and irritation with what they had to put up with to achieve it, but at no time did I want to stop reading. It’s a fascinating history of the CIA and of those who helped create it. I highly recommend it. All opinions are my own. ( )

nonfiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, espionage, CIA, OSS, declassified, cold-war-era, women-in-history, WW2, foreign-espionage, career-agents, double-agent, doctorates, experience, gender-disparity, archival-photos, Lakota, personal-sacrifice, personal-isolation*****

This book is the result of the author digging into recently declassified info from the CIA and from personal records and photos kept by the families of these five and other women agents during and between the wars. These were five of the women who worked to transform the OSS into the CIA and improve the art of spycraft and wanted recognition by contemporaries in their field. It shows the depth of investigation and the hard work to assimilate it all into a somewhat cohesive narrative. These women and others are the real deal who fought in their own way to defeat the enemies of their time while also fighting for their right to contribute. Excellent work! Get a copy for your local library as well!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )