Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War

by Matthew Avery Sutton

The untold story of the Christian missionaries who played a crucial role in the allied victory in World War II



What makes a good missionary makes a good spy. Or so thought "Wild" Bill Donovan when he secretly recruited a team of religious activists for the Office of Strategic Services. They entered into a world of lies, deception, and murder, confident that their nefarious deeds would eventually help them expand the kingdom of God.




In Double Crossed , historian Matthew Avery Sutton tells the extraordinary story of the entwined roles of spy-craft and faith in a world at war. Missionaries, priests, and rabbis, acutely aware of how their actions seemingly conflicted with their spiritual calling, carried out covert operations, bombings, and assassinations within the centers of global religious power, including Mecca, the Vatican, and Palestine. Working for eternal rewards rather than temporal spoils, these loyal secret soldiers proved willing to sacrifice and even to die for Franklin Roosevelt's crusade for global freedom of religion. Chosen for their intelligence, powers of persuasion, and ability to seamlessly blend into different environments, Donovan's recruits included people like John Birch, who led guerilla attacks against the Japanese, William Eddy, who laid the groundwork for the Allied invasion of North Africa, and Stewart Herman, who dropped lone-wolf agents into Nazi Germany. After securing victory, those who survived helped establish the CIA, ensuring that religion continued to influence American foreign policy.




Surprising and absorbing at every turn, Double Crossed is the untold story of World War II espionage and a profound account of the compromises and doubts that war forces on those who wage it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Biography, Christian, War, Military History

416 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Seth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Double Crossed Review

This book traces four different men, basically dedicating one chapter of each section to each man.

The Good: Well-researched, the part about John Birch was interesting, as was the small section on the king of Saudia Arabia, the famed archeologist/spy Nelson Gleuck, and the formation of the CIA at the end.

The Bad: The title itself is somewhat misleading. Really only Birch and possibly Herman were really missionaries. The other two were teachers, not missionaries. All but Birch were very liberal and were not really interested in spreading the gospel at all, in fact believed that it was much better to just give a good education and hope the people would see Christianity was better, even though ironically they also said that doctrine didn’t matter. Most of the book is boring details about very general operations and letters to their family. There is very little action, danger, or other material of interest. Even though he begins the book talking about how they had to reconcile lies, deceit, and assassinations with their faith he pretty much never talks about them doing any of those things. Birch was pretty much the only one working in dangerous territory, most of the others just coordinated in territory already occupied by the Allies. They were more ambassadors trying to recruit people to help the Allies rather than spies in enemy territory. For example here is a quote about Herman who worked mainly from London, “In the end, Herman’s schemes for OSS action in Germany came mostly to naught.” This is after spending 20 pages talking about all his ideas that were never implemented. Why write a book about someone who had a lot of ideas but according to the author all his ideas came to naught?

It is also annoyingly biased against fundamentalists. He spares no chance in talking about how strict, unloving, and crazy fundamentalists are. Some of his comments are just plain wrong others grossly misrepresent fundamentalism. He continually refers to Birch primarily as a fundamentalist and almost always with a negative attitude towards it. Ironically at the end he mentions that Birch would have probably done a better job at founding the CIA because of his view of human sin after maligning him for his view of sin the whole book. He finishes the book talking about how the missionaries probably caused the CIA to be so bad just like religion has damaged America in the past, citing the age-old biased opinions about Christianizing native Americans, burning witches, and prohibiting alcohol, after writing an entire book about how missionaries helped America.

Two of the men worked mainly in the middle east and were very much against Zionism and opposed helping Jews in pretty much any way.

A very disappointing read on several levels and I would not recommend this book. Boring and biased.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested the moment I heard about this book. The idea of missionaries turning into spies during WWII was intriguing. It was an aspect of the war that has, so far, been covered up and hidden.

This book focuses on the formation of OSS (Office of Strategic Services, which was an early version of what is now the CIA), and four main missionaries– William Eddy, John Birch, Stephen Penrose, and Steward Herman. While some of the book was a slower read and didn’t keep my interest quite as much, other parts were faster paced, and I didn’t notice turning pages or anything else. I learned a lot of things about the war, about goings on behind the scenes of different operations, and about OSS. There were times when reading that I wasn’t sure I fully agreed with the author, and other times I knew I didn’t fully agree with the missionaries, but I still enjoyed it.

The ending felt like it dragged on a little too long after summarizing the rest of the missionaries lives, I know it was showing how the CIA moved and grew, but it still felt long. I am still not sure what I think about the CIA, but I can understand both sides of the argument for using or not using missionaries as spies.

There were several references to men using women in the wrong way but no actual situations. There was no bad language that I recall, for which I praise the author!
One thing I wished the author had left out was a few lines William Eddy had written to his wife about what he wanted to do with her when they were back together. It was detailed and too intimate to share with the world. It also added nothing to the story except to point out very vividly that he was still in love with his wife. Thankfully it was short.

If you are a fan of WWII, or just love history, this might be a book for you.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing look into the work of missionaries for the US government. The Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the CIA, working during WW II, employed missionaries as spies. In the government's view this made sense. These missionaries were often very knowledgeable of the cultures and languages of the people among whom they ministered. Missionaries were able to move around in the midst of foreign countries involved in the war to observe movements of troops and dispositions of people and leaders toward the US. Their information sent back to the headquarters of the OSS was invaluable to the military and government activities. World War II was aimed at ridding the world of the Nazi's attempt at enslavement of non-Aryan peoples and the removal of Jews from the earth. In the missionary's view it was not difficult to combine one's interest in spreading the Christian message with the work of the Allied armies to rid the world of Nazism. God could be understood to be on the side of the Allies, allowing missionaries to assist the US in its war efforts. For many missionaries God and country were on a similar wavelength. Missionaries cooperating with the government also benefited from the government's assistance for them to travel and enter different societies and countries. At the time the beginnings of the World Council of Churches fostered a view of missionaries as integral to the building of a new society in peace time.
Such an arrangement between the sacred and the secular was highly classified. Only now have documents been made available to recount this chapter of the WWII effort. One cannot but help wonder if similar arrangements take place today in the missionary efforts of various churches.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was slow reading in the beginning and seemed like a non-fiction-like novel when you first began. However, as it progressed, it covers some of the little-know history of evangelical missionaries who were recruited to spy for the government during and after the WW II. It is a very well-researched and documented tale of a number of protestant missionaries who worked for the OSS soon after we entered the war.(OSS is forerunner of the CIA). Because many of them were familiar with various areas and knew the language and culture, they were perfect for this work. It covers the lives of five missionaries, but also touches on the work of a priest in Italy and of a rabbi, who worked with Muslims undercover in North Africa. As it progressed I found it interesting as I have read much about WW II, but had no knowledge of these men.

Many of the assignments were quite dangerous, and most of the men stayed in their chosen areas, Germany, China, Japan, Northern Africa for the duration with occasional trips home to reunite with family. One zealous Baptist missionary, John Birch, not only preached when possible to the Chinese, but carried out dangerous missions. He was young and became quite bold and, unfortunately, he was tortured and killed just after the war in China by the budding Chinese Communists. He was not the founder of the John Birch Society. It was founded 13 years later in his name carrying out some of his tenets and became a very conservative political organization.

[Emma Whear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curious to hear what my fellow classmates think of this.

I found it... underwhelming - especially considering I recently read "A Woman of No Account" and read a decent amount about the OSS and SOE. I'm a junky for secret agent stories.

This was *allegedly* organized around the theme of spies as missionaries, and the conflicts they experienced. I'd suggest here's how the book was actually organized:

1. A provocative, though non-aligning with the whole book, introduction

2. Background history on Germany leading up to WWII, that read more like a Bonhoeffer/Boys in the Boat history lesson. Though less good?

3. Meet some missionaries, who the OSS hires

4. Random, inappropriate love letters of one of the spies. Goodness. Shame on his grandkids for unearthing those

5. Short, short thoughts on each of them

6. Interesting problems between the Jewish Secret Agents and the OSS. Basically, a whole lot of American Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism (one more legitimate than the other)

7. A missionary turned attaché in the Middle East. This felt like the final sixth of the book.

Overall.. messy?

[Anita Deacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kudos for the insane amount of research and digging to archives required to write this book. Also some really interesting information. My main issue is with the way it was presented.

The interesting initial promise (missionaries who are also spies, and the conflict between those two callings) was never delivered successfully. The men he followed in the book (with the exception of one) were not actually missionaries - they were Christians with missionary backgrounds whose religious beliefs helped land them in the spy business.
Also too much repetition, and honestly a pretty dry writing style.

[Alex Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me far longer then I am happy about to finish this book, but I enjoyed it. Some of the information can be upsetting to patriots and religious readers who may not like all they see while reading but what they take away from it all may be worth the time and effort they put in.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

HPL - 940.54 SUT I believe I read a review of this book in the Washington Post. During WWII, some Christian missionaries/ministers decided to work with the USA government - the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the organization before there was a CIA) to fight against the enemy - Nazi Germany and Japan. The author highlights four men, John Birch, Stephen Penrose, Steward Herman and William Eddy. I had heard of John Birch, actually I "knew" about the John Birch Society, but not the person of John Birch. John Birch was killed in China by Communist forces in 1945. The society used his name because they believed John Birch was the first casualty of the Cold War - the fight against communism. John Birch was an evangelical/fundamentalist missionary (he actually joined the U.S. armed forces), who always felt that his first call was to be a missionary and to convert the Chinese to Christianity. The other men were aligned with the mainline denominations - Lutheran, etc. All of these men had a good understanding of the countries/cultures where they were living, so it was in some way natural or maybe fortuitous that the US government would seek them out. What wasn't so natural was the progression from being a person in a Christian profession and then becoming a spy for the government. It was not an easy decision and many felt tension/doubts/hesitations about being a Christian and a spy. The author also details the relationships of each of these men - I believe all of them were in their 20's and all had struggles/success with girlfriends/wives and those who married having children. One of the struggles was the time apart. I'm glad I had some knowledge of WWII, but as always, I learned more especially with the US interest in the Middle East/the creation of Israel, oil, etc. Because of the nature of the organization, there is a lot of politics within the government that are detailed. In some ways, it was a bit hard to get really interested in each of their lives; there are more people involved in the whole story. But still, it was an interesting read as I have some knowledge of missionaries. I'm wondering if any of my missionary friends are spies? The author is a Professor of History at Washington State University. He has written a book, American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism and Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America. I need to check out both books.

[Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Manages to make the fascinating topic of WW2 spycraft dull and tedious. I had difficulty slogging through the names, dates, and backstories until things sort of picked up about 3/4 of the way through. Obviously, spy work isn't like in movies and TV shows, but the build up in the first part of the book leads you to expect a little more than alleged missionary-spies requisitioning supplies and serving as translators. Granted, there are some very interesting characters and some curious behind-the-scenes arrangements that brought us to the modern day CIA.

That said, the involvement of missionaries in spying for the United States is, in most cases, hardly something to celebrate. Wartime ethics often view the ends as justifying the means, and this was certainly the philosophy of the OSS. To involve missionaries in this is to require compromise. Furthermore, this history has led to the suspicion of American missionaries in nearly every nation on earth, harming a great deal of legitimate work.

Finally, the audiobook reader needs to learn how Karl Barth's name and the word "synod" are pronounced!

On another note, the author seems badly to misunderstand fundamentalism. He makes such biased remarks as "fundamentalism is about control" or "fundamentalists have difficulty forgiving others," based more on caricature and straw men than actual familiarity with the motivations of the movement. Not that fundamentalism is without its faults or unintended consequences, but its aim was the preservation of orthodox Christianity.

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a former missionary who has been accused of being a spy for the CIA, I found this book intriguing, when I saw it in our library's collection. Though I didn't always agree with Matthew Sutton's assessment of missionaries or Christian denominations, I did find the book interesting in how America's OSS sought to use the obvious expertise of foreign missionaries in intelligence gathering and special operations leading up to and during WWII.

I was caught by the wide variety of reasons certain mission workers were drawn into espionage, and after having read the book on Bonhoeffer by Metaxas, understand both the struggles and reasons for doing so, when the cause is justified. Ultimately, I agree with Sutton that such work jeopardizes the work of Christians overseas as well as compromises American interests in the long run.

It's a good book for those who would want to better understand the struggles and roll of missionaries in complicated political and international situations.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable, misleading. The author portrays the OSS as a missionary-recruitment camp financed by the federal government, personally supported by FDR. Yes, many men during WWII had a missionary background (in large part because the majority of the male population participated in the war in some way). Many were ideal recruits for the OSS because of their language and foreign culture, but not BECAUSE they were missionaries, specifically. It is misleading to make this the lead premise of the narrative. Even worse, it was boring.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a history is all about ... shining some much needed light on the darker side of America's spy business and the use of missionaries and church agencies in the fight against the Axis Powers, when America realized it needed information on all the countries involved.

And no better source than missionaries who spoke the languages, knew the geography, understood the cultures, knew local customs, were accustomed to hardship, with plenty of contacts. For a fledgling spy enterprise, what better place to begin?

The author examines the lives of four such men, their families and associates, including one John Birch (d. 1945), after which the John Birch Society is named, though the author makes clear that it's likely the real John Birch would not have approved.

The author takes us through the early post-war years into the panicky Cold War days when Communists were under every bed and hiding in every closet, and how the OSS became the CIA, and the occasional efforts by some to curtail the CIA's use of missionaries (think Senator Hatfield).

But in spite of some effort to repair and maintain the "wall of separation," it would seem the CIA continues to work with missionaries.

Which is to say, in the large picture, state and church have always been uneasy partners.

The author highlights the distinctions between evangelical Protestantism and ecumenical Protestantism, yet in the war years, both groups understood that their own efforts for God required first of all the defeat of the Axis Powers.

Noting that evangelicals quickly became virulent anti-Communists (because it was godless), while ecumenical Protestants were often willing to work with Communists and others in order to build the bridges needed for peace. Evangelicals went directly for conversion, whereas the ecumenical Protestants engaged in conversation. Both, however, proved vital to the Allied victory in WW2 and the post-war efforts for an American dominated peace.

An important book detailing a part of the American story that has remained largely unacknowledged by both the OSS/CIA and the church agencies and persons involved, a story that needs to be told because it's the soil in which so much of America's current political and religious struggles took root.

[Darel Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting research on the beginnings of the CIA, originally the OSS during WW2. Roosevelt set it up with Bill Donovan as it’s head. I’m sure there are many interesting stories of that, the thrust of this book was the use of missionaries, pastors, priests, even one rabbi as operatives for CIA work.

John Birch was a stud, I liked his faith as well as his courage and toughness. He was a missionary to China when the war broke and was going to starve if he didn’t help the govt, he joined the Air Force and was very successful in supporting their operations but eventually drawn into OSS because of his abilities to move around and knowledge of China. Killed at the end of the war by Chinese communists that he confronted, the org set up in his name obviously not his brain child.

The others catalogued, Eddy, Penrose, etc were generally ecumenists with a different view of the church and that thing that is helpful to the world, namely the gospel of God. There’s seemed to be a faith of collaboration and good doing- all admirable.

One interesting item was the trip that Roosevelt made towards the end of the war to meet with Churchill and Stalin, afterward Roosevelt went to the Middle east to meet King Saud. Apparently He promised him no Israel in the Palastine, that Truman overturned.

As to the big dilemma regarding spying and preaching, I don’t see much problem depending. The bigger problem was the people you had to play with, think Jeffrey Epstein, which there were undoubtedly those types in the 40’s.

A better discussion is on whether CIA should be independent or not, probably ought to be under DOD.

Author belied his agnosticism a bit much, overall relatively interesting.

[Margaret Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book were interesting; other parts were dull. The author followed four missionaries in their careers -- first as missionaries, then as missionaries and operatives or administrators with the OSS during World War II. The problem with the book is one of the difficulty of organizing a book with four characters whose lives and work weren't very intertwined. The author chose to follow each for a period of time and then start over with the next period of time. I'm not sure if telling four separate stories from beginning to end would not have been a better method. By far the most interesting of the four missionaries was John Birch. If the work had just been about him, it would have been more interesting to me, especially since some of the four missionaries were basically just administrators. Although what is in the work is well documented, I'm sure that much is either still top secret or was never put into written records. The value of the work primarily to me was that it fostered interest in whether or not missionaries should have been working in conjunction with the OSS (later CIA) at all.

[Lou Florio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Avery Sutton does a good job covering a subject often overlooked - the intertwining of church and state when it comes to espionage. Focusing on WW2, he examines several spies who began as missionaries. Many did double duty even while serving the OSS. If there’s a weakness to his analysis, it might be his addressing theology. It tended to lack depth and nuance, but not enough so to become unbearable. Understanding the faith traditions more deeply might have helped one to better understand motivations and practice. Missionaries were utilized because of their prior experience, language skills, and deep knowledge of other cultures. The missionaries like many if not most spies can be peculiar in their ethics and worldview. I found the exposure to Herman most interesting, as he comes from my Lutheran tradition (and one of my seminary. I found it especially interesting how he and others used the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical groups to accomplish their ends. My least likable was John Birch (who the conservative group is named after. It was more his personality and worldview than anything else. Overall, I very solid and helpful book.

[Barbara (Bobby) Title · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be exceptionally interesting! I barely had opened it before my husband suggested I take him to the emergency room of our local hospital, as one of his many difficulties had flared up again. I grabbed the book (that I had just that day purchased) and tucked it under my arm. At 7 pm he went into the ER; I had to wait outside and that's when I started reading this book. He wasn't released until midnight; the book was so very interesting to me that the time just flew by.

But here is my opinion: What I remember about WW II is mainly names and places - and of course more major events as I got older. Secondly, I have had enough religion connections in my life to understand the role and life of missionaries. Without having a fair amount of personal understanding of these two items, I think this book probably would, just for the pleasure and interest of the story, not carry the same weight. A person older than I would have had a field day!

But the author is a super story-teller. It was midnight when the hospital released my husband, and I was frustrated that I had to stop reading this amazing story.

Regardless of where on the line of understanding of WWII you rest, you will find plenty to shake your head over -- stuff that you had no idea about. The book is a "keeper" in my categories.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Since I have read numerous books on the OSS in the past, I was intrigued to find out that missionaries had helped the war effort for the Allies. None of the previous works ever mentioned this nugget of information. Unfortunately, I struggled with this book. I found the writing to be very dry, and it just didn't keep my interest. Also, I only got through one or two chapters before I decided to call it quits. It's hard to stick with something if it doesn't resonate.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sutton provides insight to the use of missionaries in the OSS during WWII. By highlighting the stories of 5-6 men, he explores the moral and practical dilemma involved. Of particular interest is the experience of John Birch in China. He is later honored by the anti-communist organization, the John Birch Society. His anti-communist bias was well known. Interesting questions are raised for Christians and for churches regarding their role in helping their country fight enemies like the fascists.

[Debbie .skylark. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this difficult to read. It was more of an encyclopedia feel. And although I was very interested in the subject, I also felt a disconnect with the underlying philosophy of the author. He couldn't seem to understand how the missionaries could help fight Hitler. He seemed to have an internal struggle with the idea. It seems possible to me because I think Hitler perpetrated much evil. I don't sense that the author had a Christian worldview or Biblical faith - albeit my opinion. I didn't finish it. I renewed it as many times as I could.

[Bud · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Double Crossed" is an engrossing and multifaceted book, approaching an array of themes that would satisfy anyone looking for a good history read: war, politics, religion, intrigue, not to mention author Matthew Avery Sutton's keen ability to explore the motivations and nuances of the real-life characters, their strengths and flaws included.
The book is not an endorsement of Christianity, or of any religion, and it doesn't pretend to be. It's just an exciting and fascinating read, a great addition to the shelf of any World War II buff.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started at the beach three years ago and didn’t get back to it until this year at be beach. An enjoyable history, well researched and compelling narrative. Avery illuminates an often suspected aspect of missionary association with intelligence organizations but does so in a fair manner. It’s good popular history written by a talented professional historian, which is always appreciated.

[Gemutlichkeit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such an interesting topic. The book needed an editor (don't they all?) - largely because every chapter included some variation on the obvious "and here's how they resolved a perceived tension between serving their Lord and serving their country." We GET it - that's why the book seemed interesting to us! But still - an interesting topic.

[Carlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at American missionaries who worked in/for the Office of Strategic Services, the US's new intelligence service during World War 2, to gather intelligence and plan covert operations in the Middle East and China.

[cindy townley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Club read. A great book how missionaries were used as spies in WW2. Never knew this existed and tells how this became the current CIA through OSS. It follows 4 main true characters through their views of dealing with their religion and helping win the war.

[Joe Spoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading this. The first third of the book was setting up the rest, however I thought it was boring and there were too many details that were unnecessary. After that the book did get better.

[Daniel Silliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical work. Compelling narratives. Challenging questions.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

excellent research. I learned a lot. But telling the stories of several different people made the book a bit difficult to follow.

[Thomas Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyable, not just a history textbook, but a well written and engaging narrative of four different missionary spies.

[elise barber-wixtrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dry.