06/17/2026 Forum Plus - The Archaeologists Who Became Spies

Published June 17, 2026 at 4:05 PM MDT

It is one of the most remarkable, and least known, stories of World War II. Under the leadership of William “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a group of American archaeologists set aside their scholarly pursuits to become intelligence operatives. After limited training at “The Farm,” they recruited Greeks and Greek Americans to carry out secret missions across Greece and the Middle East.

During our conversation, Stephan Talty describes the extraordinary efforts undertaken to protect Greece’s ancient treasures from Nazi looters. He also explains how Hitler’s interest in Greece extended beyond military strategy. Hitler believed there was a racial and cultural connection between ancient Greece and the Aryan race, making Greece’s antiquities a matter of ideological as well as strategic importance.

Host: Jim Falk

Guests: Stephan Talty, Author, The American School of Spies: The archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece