The history of celebrities dabbling in espionage is a fascinating one. As Ronald Drabkin illustrates in Beverly Hills Spy, famous people often have opportunities to gather intelligence from high-value sources. Who would not want to socialize with a beautiful or handsome star?

One of the most audacious celebrity spies during World War II was Josephine Baker, an American-born French singer, dancer, and actress. When France declared war on Germany in September 1939, Baker was recruited by French military intelligence as an "honorable correspondent" and worked directly with the head of French counterintelligence in Paris. She attended parties at embassies, ministries, night clubs, and other social gatherings, charming German officials while gathering information that she transmitted to French counterintelligence contacts.

When the Nazis invaded and occupied France, Baker supported the French Resistance by leveraging her celebrity with Nazi Party officials at parties and ...