Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War

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Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War

3.05 of 5 stars 3.05 · rating details · 479 ratings · 106 reviews

“From this century, in France, three names will remain: de Gaulle, Picasso, and Chanel.” –André Malraux

Coco Chanel created the look of the modern woman and was the high priestess of couture.

She believed in simplicity, and elegance, and freed women from the tyranny of fashion. She inspired women to take off their bone corsets and cut their hair. She used ordinary jersey as...more “From this century, in France, three names will remain: de Gaulle, Picasso, and Chanel.” –André Malraux

Coco Chanel created the look of the modern woman and was the high priestess of couture.

She believed in simplicity, and elegance, and freed women from the tyranny of fashion. She inspired women to take off their bone corsets and cut their hair. She used ordinary jersey as couture fabric, elevated the waistline, and created bell-bottom trousers, trench coats, and turtleneck sweaters.

In the 1920s, when Chanel employed more than two thousand people in her workrooms, she had amassed a personal fortune of $15 million and went on to create an empire.

Jean Cocteau once said of Chanel that she had the head of “a little black swan.” And, added Colette, “the heart of a little black bull.”

At the start of World War II, Chanel closed down her couture house and went across the street to live at the Hôtel Ritz. Picasso, her friend, called her “one of the most sensible women in Europe.” She remained at the Ritz for the duration of the war, and after, went on to Switzerland.

For more than half a century, Chanel’s life from 1941 to 1954 has been shrouded in vagueness and rumor, mystery and myth. Neither Chanel nor her many biographers have ever told the full story of these years.

Now Hal Vaughan, in this explosive narrative—part suspense thriller, part wartime portrait—fully pieces together the hidden years of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s life, from the Nazi occupation of Paris to the aftermath of World War II.

Vaughan reveals the truth of Chanel’s long-whispered collaboration with Hitler’s high-ranking officials in occupied Paris from 1940 to 1944. He writes in detail of her decades-long affair with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, “Spatz” (“sparrow” in English), described in most Chanel biographies as being an innocuous, English-speaking tennis player, playboy, and harmless dupe—a loyal German soldier and diplomat serving his mother country and not a member of the Nazi party.

In Vaughan’s absorbing, meticulously researched book, Dincklage is revealed to have been a Nazi master spy and German military intelligence agent who ran a spy ring in the Mediterranean and in Paris and reported directly to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, right hand to Hitler.

The book pieces together how Coco Chanel became a German intelligence operative; how and why she was enlisted in a number of spy missions; how she escaped arrest in France after the war, despite her activities being known to the Gaullist intelligence network; how she fled to Switzerland for a nine-year exile with her lover Dincklage. And how, despite the French court’s opening a case concerning Chanel’s espionage activities during the war, she was able to return to Paris at age seventy and triumphantly resurrect and reinvent herself—and rebuild what has become the iconic House of Chanel.(less)

Hardcover, 279 pages

Published August 16th 2011 by Alfred A. Knopf (first published August 2011)

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Mar 08, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-nonfiction, biography-memoir, espionage, war-stories-nonfiction

Hal Vaughan’s meticulously researched and documented book provides a view of the life of Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel. He traces her life from her early years as an abandoned child who was raised in an orphanage, to a life of luxury as the world famous designer of women’s haute couture clothing and perfume. But most intriguing is his documentation of her activities and associations during World War II in France. It has long been rumored that Chanel was a Nazi collaborator, and the evidence Vaughan re...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book riveting and finished it very quickly. It gives a clearer than usual picture of a complicated woman driven almost entirely by self-interest.

Most of what I've read to date about Coco Chanel is overly positive or overly negative, but this book represents her more as a shrewd and very lucky human being driven by self-interest and operating under extremely difficult circumstances. She's shallow, cunning, and fascinating. She also contributed greatly to making women's clothing wear...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Danna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: about-the-world, european, jewish, couture, nazis, icons

I was excited to read this biography of Coco Chanel because I heard it was filled with juicy history and fashion. However, I found it a little too dense on the history side, and lacking on the personal side. At many times throughout the book, I felt like I was reading a book about WWII, not Coco Chanel. I do realize that the World War was hugely influential on Chanel, but I still felt Vaughan could have spent more time on her. There were a number of interesting facts, but I got bored and it was...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Selene Mortimore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you don't know much background on Chanel, or much of what she did for fashion then this book is not somewhere to start.

If however you do know a substantial amount on the woman I think this book is quite enjoyable. It gives a non-judgmental insight to her politics, neither praising nor bashing them and stays neutral, and for the content of the book I feel is important.

The book is well researched, and it doesn't read like a trashy 'celeb gossip' magazine, it's factual without being too dense, a...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Ashley Dunlop rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Borrowed it from the library and actually didn't make it to the end before it was due back (fell asleep every night after about 10 pages!). It was interesting, but the author assumes the reader has a firm knowledge of the events of the second World War and the politics of the Nazi Party. The portrait of Chanel is disturbing - allegations of Nazi collaboration aside, her anti-semitic and homophobic comments are more than enough to cast a dark shadow.

The book is best for someone who wants to delv...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Coco Chanel collaborated with Nazis, was a visceral anti-Semite, attempted to use Nazi Aryanization laws to regain control of her perfume business after legally selling it to a Jewish family and had a lifetime drug habit. This book is a fascinating read about a talented, creative and successful woman whose fear of solitude drove her into the arms of many men (and women), one of whom was a German officer that facilitated her Nazi collaboration. After the war, she worked hard to conceal her Nazi i...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Izzie Driftwood rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: interest-piqued

Having read books on Chanel's history in fashion & that of her perfumes specifically, it felt the book took a little too long to get to the actual subject matter: her collaboration. Other reviewers felt there wasn't enough back story, so either way the book falls a bit short. It did pick up when it got to the actual history, but like much of Chanel's history the facts are a bit blurred. There are also so
E holes as to motivation, beyond self-preservation & a healthy dose of anti-Semitism,...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hal Vaughan really did his research on this book, but I found his writing style to be a bit dry. Every time I started reading this book I fell asleep! I wanted to read about this story and didn't want a sensationalized version, but a more human element would have really brought this story to life.

Still, I learned a lot of things that I didn't know. I was saddened and shocked to read about Coco's anti-Semitism and efforts to help the Nazi's, but I hope that her actions were to help her friends a...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So much more than the "little black dress", Chanel #5 perfume, and Jackie Kennedy's "pink" suit, Coco's driven personality kept her very much alive and out of harm's way via her many friendships with Churchill, the Duke of Westminster, the Prince of Wales (Edward VII), various Nazi officers, and placed French officials. Through WWII and her Nazi spy adventures, ups and down in the fashion industry, a long-term argument with her perfume partner, the Wertheimer brothers, etc, she was capable of us...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Maria marked it as to-read · review of another edition

A quick interesting read. However it is not really a biography of Gabrielle Chanel, it takes you through her life very superficially. However if you have read good in-depth biographies of her, this still remains an interesting book because it focuses on her role during World War II, addressing the rumors of Chanel being a collaborator of the nazi regime.

I appreciated the photographs and you can tell the author did extensive research through the notes and biography listed at the end, however tha...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Linda Barry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An enlightening book, very well researched and written. I learned more about the social politics in France pre WWII than I had ever known before and how that affected the France in WWII.

Ms Chanel was a genius and self made woman, and nothing here distracts from that, but it does show a portrait of a woman whose own choices were not allways the best. Found that to be genuine, as opposed to Coco's one fictions that she put out. (Who doesn't love our fictions more than our truths?)

I was shocked at...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Liane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a bit difficult for the reader who is not familiar with all the 1930s and 1940s characters who appear. I mean, who has heard of Boy Capel? It could have be much better written and it shows. I found it annoying that photos weren't placed where they should be in the text [they were scanned in, so it ought not be a problem] and then the author makes a big deal about how Chanel looked at a certain time and doesn't include a photo of her.

Not sure if I will finish, she was a cold sort - l...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Barbara Barna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish the writing was better - read almost like a long term paper - because the historical implications are fascinating. Although long known that Coco Chanel lived through WWII in luxury with her German lover at the Paris Ritz and that Winston Churchill interceded on her behalf at the end of the war to protect her from prosecution as a collaborator, Vaughan's book researches recently de-classified documents that show Chanel was in fact an Abwehr agent recruited by the Nazis through her spymaste...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Sondra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I did not realize the extent of Chanel's collaboration with the Nazis in Occupied Paris, until reading this book. Little was know about Chanel's life during this time, and she did her very best to pay people off and to conceal it. Chanel was definitely an ambitious, opportunistic woman, and it appears she used Occupied Paris to her benefit as well. From what I know of Chanel, I was not entirely surprised by her blatant antisemitism or her caring little that most of the French were starving, look...more

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Oct 08, 2011 KOMET rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: europe-1900-to-1989, zz-out-of-residence

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In this book, Vaughan sets out to prove that Coco Chanel --- the famous Paris couturier who revolutionized 20th century women's fashions and created a perfume that remains a popular icon today (Chanel No. 5) --- collaborated with the Germans during their occupation of France (1940-1944).

Chanel, like many other Parisians, had fled Paris as the Germans approached its environs the second week of June 1940 for the South of France (where she maintained a residence). Several months later, once the si...more In this book, Vaughan sets out to prove that Coco Chanel --- the famous Paris couturier who revolutionized 20th century women's fashions and created a perfume that remains a popular icon today (Chanel No. 5) --- collaborated with the Germans during their occupation of France (1940-1944).

Chanel, like many other Parisians, had fled Paris as the Germans approached its environs the second week of June 1940 for the South of France (where she maintained a residence). Several months later, once the situation in France had stabilized, Chanel returned to Paris. Thanks to her lover, Hans-Gunther von Dincklage, who was a German military intelligence officer, Chanel was able to maintain her private suite at the Ritz Hotel, one of the hotels that the Germans had set aside only for "special guests" (e.g. top, influential government and Nazi Party officials like Hermann Goering, Paul Joseph Goebbels [Hitler's Propaganda Minister], and several other authorities who formed part of the "New Order" in Europe at that time.

What became clear as I read deeply into this book is that Chanel, who had long harbored an anti-Jewish bias (an affliction that was not unusual among many of the friends in high society that Chanel had made throughout her life --- e.g. the Duke of Westminster, a relation of the royal family, close friend of Winston Churchill, and Chanel's one-time lover) and held pro-German views before the war.

Coco Chanel was a single-minded woman known for speaking her mind on a variety of subjects. After she was able to obtain the release of one of her nephews from a POW camp in Germany, Chanel sought to gain full control of her perfume and cosmetic company, from which she had maintained a 10% holding interest with the Wertheimers, French Jews who held the majority interest, per an agreement both parties had made in 1924. (It was this agreement which helped to solidify Chanel's position in the fashion world and enhance her wealth exponentially.) Despite the Aryanization of all businesses in France which had been under partial or full Jewish ownership, Chanel was not successful in her bid to achieve full control of her business network.

Notwithstanding this setback, Chanel did enter into a relationship with the Germans which seems to indicate that she acted as an agent in the Abwehr (military intelligence), making trips to Portugal, Berlin, and Spain between 1941 and 1944. Apparently, on one of her trips to Madrid (ostensibly to bolster the appeal of Chanel products in Spain - in actuality, the SS underwrote her travelling expenses), she entered into contact with British Embassy officials and left them with a letter to be given to Winston Churchill (an old friend from prewar days), offering her services as an intermediary to help broker a peace between Germany and the Allies. Up to this time, very few people knew that Chanel had an extensive relationship with the Germans. That changed when a old friend of Chanel's --- (Vera, a member of the British aristocracy who had married an Italian cavalry officer and had lived in Italy; Chanel had helped get Vera free from German custody, hoping that she would assist her on her mission in Madrid) --- who had accompanied her to Spain, managed to get away from Chanel and find sanctuary with the British ambassador.

The book was informative, if at times, sloppily written. (The author's command of facts sometimes left a lot to be desired.) And what was perhaps more interesting was how Coco Chanel, despite being twice called before a court of justice in France shortly after the war to account for her wartime activities, got off scot-free! Evidently, it was in the interest of a number of parties (e.g. the British, a number of key people in DeGaulle's first government, and ironically, the Wertheimers) not to have Coco Chanel's name and reputation sullied. That would have made for a much more compelling and engaging story. (less)

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Oct 19, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apparently it has always been understood that Chanel had "something" to do with collaboration with the Nazi's during the 4 years of Paris' occupation during WWII, but there was never any 'proof'. Her secretivness,her ability for self reinvention and her money kept these facts undercover for many years. Recent release of classified documents from German, French, American & Russian sources
now reveal a rather unpleasant story of what CoCo was REALLY up to and how she survived and thrived during...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Lindsey rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had no idea what Coco Chanel was apart of during World War II and it was very intriguing. However, I did not like that Chanel did not really come alive in this biography. I felt that I really could not understand why she did what she did during the war. I wished the author would have gotten more into her mind and made the book more of a narrative; it would have made me have more feelings toward Chanel. As it is I really did not have any connection to Coco Chanel, just because sentence after se...more

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May 28, 2012 Shannon rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, book-list-2012, non-fiction

Reads like a boring textbook, too dense on dates, titles , names and nicknames - this was one of the most uninteresting non-fiction books I've read. Considering the subject matter, this should have been a compelling story of occupied WWII France. I'm not sure why the author had to jump around within the historic timeline, attempting to foreshadow characters and events. His style of storytelling only served to confuse and bore this reader. I also found that the title of this book was far more sen...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-ww-ii, history-france, spies-real-and-fiction, paris

Walking fashion faux pas that I am, even I know what extactly Chanel means in the terms of fashion and scent. Which is why I read this book.

I want a little more meat. I have no doubt that Vaughan's thesis is correct; I just want more meat. Part of this is because Chanel, like her famous perfume, is elusive. She is spoken about rather than speaking too.

The book does raise a question though, unintentional though it seems, how much of Chanel's betrayal was based on a real desire to save her nephew,...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Sherry Leffert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very interesting look at Coco Chanel’s involvement with Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage who spied for the Nazi’s. It reveals how Chanel was able to maintain her life style during the Nazi occupation, and help her nephew through her Nazi connections. After the war she was able to wile her way out of the post war prosecutions. her life was very complicated in that she rose from a very poor family situation and through her own ingenuity attained prominence and wealth. Alongside this suc...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Jpp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nem sempre muito exato na descriçao do quadro geral da França ocupado, Hal VAughan conseguiu ter acesso a documentos excepcionais sobre a vida, as ligaçoes e - tem que dizer- as traiçoes de Coco Chanel durante a guerra. Ao contrario do que diga o titulo do livro, ele mostra que ela nao so dormiu com o inimigo. Ela foi uma colaboradora ativa e convicta, por ideologia e tambem por interesses. Agente ocasional do Abwehr, teria sem duvida sido condenada a pessadas penas na justicia se nao fosse as s...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Cari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, biography, art, history, paris, war

For those expecting a fully fleshed biography of Coco Chanel, make no mistake: as the title implies, the focus of this book is on Chanel's experience during WWII and the Nazi occupation of France. Vaughan does not (and, to my mind, never intended to) present an all-inclusive look at her life; countless writers before him have already done that. Only cursory, basic biographical information is given as to her life before and after the war, just enough to ground the reader in Chanel's life, while t...more For those expecting a fully fleshed biography of Coco Chanel, make no mistake: as the title implies, the focus of this book is on Chanel's experience during WWII and the Nazi occupation of France. Vaughan does not (and, to my mind, never intended to) present an all-inclusive look at her life; countless writers before him have already done that. Only cursory, basic biographical information is given as to her life before and after the war, just enough to ground the reader in Chanel's life, while the bulk of Sleeping with the Enemy has a narrow focus on the narrow time period of interwar and wartime France. Neither the title or the synopsis on the inside cover give any other impression.

Vaughan's biography sucks you in, a quick read that captures one's attention with a manner that appeals to the voyeur. Information is presented clearly without unnecessary repetition, although the stage has so many players that it's easy to forget who's who and what name goes with which personality. This is definitely heavy on the history side, but I feel that background is a necessary addition in order to understand the actions and motivations behind Chanel's wartime behavior.

One complaint is that as I read, it seemed the author viewed his subject in a negative light. Granted, she was not a particularly pleasant woman or even, it could be argued, a particularly good woman. Creativity and artistic genius are not indicative of empathetic humanity, and especially when one analyzes her involvement in the Nazi occupation, it's quite easy to see her as villainous. However, I'm a firm believer that any good biographer should maintain a neutral tone in the writing itself; personal biases are impossible to prevent, but the author should keep them to himself and allow the audience to make up their own minds.

Vaughan offers up juicy details as promised, so there's no lack of delicious moments. However, the feeling is often akin to the gossip columns as opposed to the history section, and at time I had some doubts about the authenticity of his information, or at least the thoroughness with which it was presented. Whether that's your thing or not may be enough reason to pick up or discard this book.

Decent read, as much a look at occupied France as it is a biography of Chanel during wartime. Good fluff to read on a sunny, lazy day but not so much a serious addition to bookshelves.(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unimpressed. Only the last 40 pages were about her being a Nazi agent. The rest was a confusing scorecard of her various lovers, drug use, and fight for control over the profits of her perfume, Chanel No. 5. Had the book been marketed as a general biography, this would have made some sense. But a book about her time as a Nazi agent? Not so much.

There were some interesting photos but their placement was beyond my understanding (this is in the paperback version; perhaps the original hardcover was...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Virginia Brace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-non-fiction

I listened to this book and thought the reader used convincing accents for the French and the Germans. Very good! What an interesting story that complements In the Garden of the Beast and other books of the period leading up to WW II. How Chanel was able to survive the war relatively unscathed is amazing. Her business did not fail, her health despite her destructive habits did not fail! This book also gives good answers to the question many ask as to how people of that time in Germany and in Fra...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: france-paris, world-war-ii, biography-memoir

Within the first 50 pages, I loathed Chanel. I didn't even need to get to her missions on behalf of the Nazis. Her anti-semitism, homophobia, drug addiction, and just general hypocrisy . . . so talented, but so despicable.

If this book could have been written in the late 1950s or early 1960s, it would have been "explosive," as the jacket copy promises. Chanel collaborated, no doubt. Maybe the first time, she did it to save a nephew from a German POW camp. But later, she did it because she loved a...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Janis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

If you want to read a chronology of Chanel's life this is it...I found it disjointed and erratic, but it might be because I read it on line...not my favourite way...I also missed seeing the photos which might have enlivened the prose...they did not show up at all....interesting from the point of view that here was an important facet of her life which was previously hidden from the world at large.....because I rarely read contemporary writing, if it wasn't that it was my book club's choice this m...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Morgan R. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: irp-bookshelf

Morgan Reed
Honors Western Humanities
Sleeping With the Enemy- Hal Vaughan

In the biography 'Sleeping With the Enemy' by Hal Vaughan portrays Coco Chanel as a woman of ambition and determination. Before this biography, Chanel’s history was almost a complete blur. As known, Chanel left a bold and lasting impression on woman’s fashion. But is that the only thing she left behind? The true story opens up. Hal Vaughan tells the story of Chanel’s utterly dark childhood, to her many relationships with...more

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Oct 11, 2012 michaelben rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, the woman did more than sleep with the enemy. She WAS the enemy.

But the facts detailed in the book document how money, class and pedigree, and personal connections trump loyalty to cause, belief, or nation.

Lots of fascinating information in this book. But as so other reviewers have pointed out, the author fails to turn them into a compelling story. This should be a riveting and glittering tale of ambition, manipulation, sex, love, and betrayal. It is dry and repetitious instead.

Read it for t...more

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May 06, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wwii, biography, france-bio-hist, fashion-biography

This book covers an important period, often breezed over, in the life of Coco Chanel. When her biographers speak of her romance with the German "officer" they usually cite the age difference, and maybe the self-absolving quote attributed to Chanel "At my age, when a handsome young man pays attention, one does not ask for his passport". This book has the most material I have seen assembled on not just this part of her life, but also on this "officer".

While the first part of the book re-tells the...more This book covers an important period, often breezed over, in the life of Coco Chanel. When her biographers speak of her romance with the German "officer" they usually cite the age difference, and maybe the self-absolving quote attributed to Chanel "At my age, when a handsome young man pays attention, one does not ask for his passport". This book has the most material I have seen assembled on not just this part of her life, but also on this "officer".

While the first part of the book re-tells the story of Chanel, its real contribution is documenting the pre-war activities of Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage ("Spatz"). Hal Vaughan shows that he is no ordinary "officer" but a spy, deeply plugged into the Nazi intelligence service. His charm, fluency in French and social status made him ideal for the job of gathering information and making contacts among France's elite before and during the war. He is an ideal escort for a lonely, idle, glamorous and wealthy retiree.

Other biographers have cited Chanel's war time residence at Ritz Hotel. Some describe her room, the dining facility and/or the general ambiance. Vaughan shows it to be primarily a residence for the elite among the German occupiers.

Not much evidence is given to show Chanel as a spy, nor Nazi-style anti-Semite. The sponsorship of Iribe's right wing publication is given as an example of Chanel's political leanings and some of her quoted comments show a disparaging attitude towards Jews. In her trip to Spain to plea with the Nazis to free her nephew, she gave no relevant information. Many would have spoken for friends and family in this way if they could. The second trip to Spain for a "peace" initiative seems bizarre, perhaps there is some motive that is lost to history; regardless, nothing substantive was given at this time either. It seems that it was her Jewish partners that made the ownership arrangements to keep Chanel alive under Christian ownership during the war and Chanel isn't shown to use her connections to wrest control. (After the war, she deepens her association with her Jewish partners.) The treatment of French Jews and of Jewish refugees was of no apparent concern to her, but neither was the plight of anyone else.

What Chanel did was make life comfortable and easy for a very well placed Nazi. She most likely helped him navigate France in ways for which there is no record. She obviously slept with him, acts for which other women paraded through the streets of France, nude with their heads shorn. Chanel clearly got off easy. Winston Churchill is noted as her savior, but it could have been Pierre Reverdy who may have had influence with the Resistance leaders who came to power after the war.

The book has very good photos, placed with the text to which they relate. There are photos of all the principle people, Chanel's striking workers, her trial, Dincklage's mother's residence and more.

While not the most exciting read, this book is important for its well footnoted documentation of this period, and in particular, the activities of the Baron von Dincklage. (less)

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Jun 05, 2012 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, first, this is a really badly edited book. There's a billion names, and sometimes the author refers to someone by their full name, sometimes by their last name, sometimes by a nickname, sometimes by an alias - you need a chart. Second, it jumps around in place and time enough that you can't keep track. WWI - WWII is an era full of big things happening and complicated intrigue, of course, but sheesh.

Now: Ok, Chanel was a jerk. She was a rabid anti-Semite even by those day's standards. She...more

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About Hal Vaughan

Hal Vaughan has been a newsman, foreign correspondent, and documentary film producer working in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia since 1957. He served in the U.S. military in World War II and Korea and has held various posts as a U.S. Foreign Service officer. Vaughan is the author of "Doctor to the Resistance: The Heroic True Story of an American Surgeon and His Family in Occupied Paris...more

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Doctor to the Resistance: The Heroic True Story of an American Surgeon and His Family in Occupied Paris

FDR's 12 Apostles: The Spies Who Paved the Way for the Invasion of North Africa

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12124413-sleeping-with-the-enemy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320528153l/12124413.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12124413-sleeping-with-the-enemy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War by Hal Vaughan[/url]

Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War

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