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    The American School of Spies

    The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece

    Author Stephan Talty On Tour
    Read by John Pirhalla
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    Audio | Penguin Audio
    On sale Jun 09, 2026 | 10 Hours and 0 Minutes | 9798217338351
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    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.
    © Natacha Vilceus
    Stephen Talty is the award-winning author of Agent Garbo, Empire of Blue Water, and other bestselling works of narrative nonfiction. His books have been made into two films, the Oscar-winning Captain Phillips and Only the Brave. He is also the author of two psychological thrillers, including the New York Times bestseller Black Irish, set in his hometown of Buffalo. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, GQ, and many other publications. Talty now lives outside New York City with his family. View titles by Stephan Talty
    Praise for The American School of Spies:

    "This is the achievement of Talty’s book: to rescue men and women from diplomatic oblivion and tell a story of war from a revealing, unexpected angle. A fast-paced tale of heroic scholar-spies." —Kirkus

    “Stephan Talty's artfully written The American School of Spies offers up one of the great previously untold stories of World War II with shrewdly plotted drama and immense narrative flair. It has everything that kept me turning the pages: compelling characters, nail-biting suspense, and I learned a lot about archaeology and Greek art in the process. Just when you think you know where this story is going, it grabs you with a surprising conclusion. I was riveted. —Howard Blum, New York Times bestselling author of In The Enemy's House and The Spy Who Knew Too Much

    “A cloak-and-dagger WWII tale that reads like an Indiana Jones saga, but the story is painfully real. Talty pulls back the curtain on the intricacies of real life espionage, dropping you into the middle of war-torn Greece and a race against time to save the world’s greatest antiquities from the clutches of the Nazis. This gripping account, set in the shadow of the ancient Acropolis, will leave you breathless.” — Christine Kuehn, New York Times bestselling author of Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor

    "A paean to the men and women who saved the Acropolis and the treasures of Greek civilization from fascist destruction. Gorgeously written as a fast-paced thriller, The American School of Spies is an urgent reminder of how collective action saved the west and that courage is often found in the most unlikely of places. In this lively true account, a ragtag team of archeologists, a long-forgotten army of Greek Americans, and an American socialite all put themselves behind enemy lines at the height of WWII, fighting in the shadows to save the honor, the history, and the humanity of the Greek people." —Michelle Young, award-winning author of The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland

    "Stephen Talty does it again with an engrossing tale of dedication and resistance. Talty sweeps us along with the tweedy American aristocrats and gritty refugees turned secret operatives, in their fight to save some of the world’s most important relics – and Greece itself. With rich insights into the intricacies of spycraft, this is a great read." —Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500

    About

    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.

    Author

    © Natacha Vilceus
    Stephen Talty is the award-winning author of Agent Garbo, Empire of Blue Water, and other bestselling works of narrative nonfiction. His books have been made into two films, the Oscar-winning Captain Phillips and Only the Brave. He is also the author of two psychological thrillers, including the New York Times bestseller Black Irish, set in his hometown of Buffalo. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, GQ, and many other publications. Talty now lives outside New York City with his family. View titles by Stephan Talty

    Praise

    Praise for The American School of Spies:

    "This is the achievement of Talty’s book: to rescue men and women from diplomatic oblivion and tell a story of war from a revealing, unexpected angle. A fast-paced tale of heroic scholar-spies." —Kirkus

    “Stephan Talty's artfully written The American School of Spies offers up one of the great previously untold stories of World War II with shrewdly plotted drama and immense narrative flair. It has everything that kept me turning the pages: compelling characters, nail-biting suspense, and I learned a lot about archaeology and Greek art in the process. Just when you think you know where this story is going, it grabs you with a surprising conclusion. I was riveted. —Howard Blum, New York Times bestselling author of In The Enemy's House and The Spy Who Knew Too Much

    “A cloak-and-dagger WWII tale that reads like an Indiana Jones saga, but the story is painfully real. Talty pulls back the curtain on the intricacies of real life espionage, dropping you into the middle of war-torn Greece and a race against time to save the world’s greatest antiquities from the clutches of the Nazis. This gripping account, set in the shadow of the ancient Acropolis, will leave you breathless.” — Christine Kuehn, New York Times bestselling author of Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor

    "A paean to the men and women who saved the Acropolis and the treasures of Greek civilization from fascist destruction. Gorgeously written as a fast-paced thriller, The American School of Spies is an urgent reminder of how collective action saved the west and that courage is often found in the most unlikely of places. In this lively true account, a ragtag team of archeologists, a long-forgotten army of Greek Americans, and an American socialite all put themselves behind enemy lines at the height of WWII, fighting in the shadows to save the honor, the history, and the humanity of the Greek people." —Michelle Young, award-winning author of The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland

    "Stephen Talty does it again with an engrossing tale of dedication and resistance. Talty sweeps us along with the tweedy American aristocrats and gritty refugees turned secret operatives, in their fight to save some of the world’s most important relics – and Greece itself. With rich insights into the intricacies of spycraft, this is a great read." —Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500

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