A Preview of WISE GALS: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage

Any good historian knows that often the best stories are the ones that haven’t been shared yet. When it comes to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, there are many fascinating stories of women that have been lost in history. Thanks to author Nathalia Holt, these stories will come to life on September 13th with her latest book — WISE GALS: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage.

In her conversation with host Fred Burton, Holt shares a preview of her research that uncovers how five female CIA officers took on the agency to fight for better equality, pay, and promotions — standing behind their belief that the diversity of officers builds a better intelligence program. She immerses herself in a part of history that hasn’t been explored before and shines a light on the unheralded role of women in the world’s premier intelligence agency.

Nathalia Holt is the New York Times-bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, The Queens of Animation, and Cured. In addition to spotlighting fascinating untold stories, she has delivered TED talks and published her work in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, and Time.