A Covert Affair: When Julia and Paul Child joined the OSS they had no way of knowing that their adventures with the spy service would lead them into a ... colleague, a terrifying FBI investigation.

The title might lead you to think this is a book about World War II spy Julia Child. Not exactly.Although Julia McWilliams (this was before she and Paul married) and Paul Child did work for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) during the war, they were probably not spies. Paul did administrative and some propaganda work for the agency (which became the Central Intelligence Agency after the War) and Julia was a clerk who kept records organized. They were privy to classified information, but it would be a stretch to call them spies.Jane Foster, one of Julia's and Paul's more colorful colleagues in the OSS, may have been a spy, possibly for the Soviet Union as well as the United States. During the McCarthy era, she was accused of being a Communist spy, and had she been put on trial, could well have suffered the same fate as the Rosenbergs, who were executed for treason. Much of A Covert Affair follows the fading trail of evidence to determine whether Foster was a double agent, a Soviet spy, or a falsely accused American caught up in the hysteria of McCarthyism.While the Jane Foster question is still vexingly unsolved, Conant manages to shine some new light on Julia Child. After numerous biographies and memoirs by those who knew her, it seems everything there is to know about Julia Child must have been revealed already. However, I was surprised to learn that Paul Child was condescending and patronizing about many people, including Julia McWilliams. In addition to being a snob, he seemed to be a bit of a hypochondriac and a fussy man overly concerned with his wardrobe. Despite that, he imagined himself an outdoorsman, a sophisticate, and a ladies' man. This information came mostly from Paul's own letters to his brother, as well as from interviews with some people who were in China or Ceylon with Paul and Julia.While these gossipy tidbits are very entertaining, Conant's real talent is in bringing to life the fear and paranoia of the post-war period. Many people who had served their country loyally during the war, including Paul Child, found themselves accused by the government of treason. For several years the US government lost its mind. Then it was over.Some readers may be disappointed that A Covert Affair is the story of more than the Childs. I found enough new information about Julia and Paul to be satisfied in that regard, and the other characters' accounts were so interesting that I felt I got my money's worth, even though I forked out more for the Kindle version than I have for any ebook yet.Other recommendations:  Julia Child's The French Chef  by Dana Polan. Hemingway on the China Front: His WWII Spy Mission with Martha Gellhorn  by Peter Moreira.

A Covert Affair is an education for those that know little about the history of the OSS, (precursor to the CIA), its WWII participants, and what happens to them after the war. This intelligent group worked hard and loyally during the war only to be met with the McCarthy wall of prejudice afterwards. This book is not a love story,(although it does cover the complicated getting to know you and love you of the Child's marriage), so the title is deceiving. Never the less, it is a good read. Much of the book is about other OSS workers, in particular one woman who may or may not have been handing info over to the enemy. Their comraderie and working conditions, their joie de vivre keep the book moving.

I don't like being misled. The title definitely catches your eye, and if you're a fan of Julia Child you are anticipating a book about her and some sort of covert activities she had in the OSS. I kept slogging through it, anticipating the story of Julia and Paul's relationship, and then became aware that it's more about their acquaintance, Jane. I thought the book was a big let down as it was written is such a choppy fashion that I had to keep going back and re-reading parts of it in order to remember some detail the author mentioned. I just finished reading "The Billion Dollar Spy" and that author was excellent in keeping the reader up to date on who is who in the story. Also, including a map of the area covered in the story would have been emensely helpful to readers not familiar with the locations she mentions. When writing about history, especially history that covers territorial areas, sketches and maps are critical so the reader can more easily follow along. For history buffs like myself, I have to say this isn't a comfortable book to read.

I was interested to read about OSS adventures during World War II in the Far East. Previously I had only read about Europeanaffairs during this period. I was surprised to see how much of the book was devoted to Jane Foster as I had expected it to be mainly about Julia and Paul Childs. Their story, too, was interesting. I had not realized that McCarthy's red-baiting reached Paul Childs, too. What a trying time that was. I recommend this more as a history of OSS and American diplomacy in the Far East than as a biography of the Childs.

Because I am a fan of the history of Julia Child...and old enough to know some of the history of the era of this book, I found it great reading.Most of the book is not about Julia; however, but about all the people in her world when she and Paul were meeting....thus forming the foundation for the pair. It sort of leaves you wondering about several issues....and curious as to how much did the "chef" know, and when did she know it? Would have been fodder for Sherlock.

The reference to the Childs in the subtitle is a marketing gimmick: their "courting story" is interesting, but a small part - only in the last half of the book! I didn't know the name Jane Foster before - but her life-long "interaction" with the FBI is a fascinating story. That the OSS was the predecessor of the CIA is barely mentioned. Still a good read (not quite up to Conant's first 2 books).

A very interesting book about Julia and Paul Child, their time in the OSS, and the circle of people around them. It highlights their work in China and other places during WWII, as well as Paul's work for the gov't after the war. A large, the majority of the book, concerns the people they worked with and knew during and after the war, the accusations of being spies for the Russians and Communist sympathizers. The fear of McCarthyism and its role in post war America is also on full display in this book and shows what politicians were capable of then, and in some ways today.

Extraordinary read of the life of Julia Childs.Better understanding of how individuals are recruited for foreign services as spies under disguise of professional endeavors.

Loved the intermingle of wartime hard work, camaraderie, exciting events; a look at history with different eyes and the real love story in the making. It was very enjoyable. Couldn't put it down.