Sleeping with the Enemy

Was Coco Chanel a Nazi agent? The now familiar story of the French waif who became the goddess of haute couture takes on new dimensions in Hal Vaughan's pointed research. One of Chanel's many lovers was a Nazi "master spy" who reported directly to Joseph Goebbels. Chanel herself was arrested and labeled a spy, although she avoided official punishment. Mark Deakins delivers the preface, providing a surprising overview of Chanel and her crowd--their excesses, their snobbery, their bed-hopping, and their politics. Susan Denaker narrates in a cultured, easy-to-listen-to voice. She portrays a Chanel who is homophobic, addicted to morphine, fiercely anti-Semitic, and able to beguile and confound the men she encounters. While some of Vaughan's allegations lack substantial support, the listening is fascinating. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine