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Operatives, Spies, And Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of World War II's Oss By Patrick O'Donnell ( Citadel )
Release Date: 2006-08-01
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Product Description
The battles of World War II were won not only by the soldiers on the front lines, and not only by the generals and admirals, but also by the shadow warriors whose work is captured for the first time in "Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs." Thanks to the interviews and narrative skills of Patrick O'Donnell and to recent declassifications, an entire chapter of history can now be revealed. A hidden war -- a war of espionage, intrigue, and sabotage -- played out across the occupied territories of Europe, deep inside enemy lines. Supply lines were disrupted; crucial intelligence was obtained and relayed back to the Allies; resistance movements were organized. Sometimes, impromptu combat erupted; more often, the killing was silent and targeted. The full story of the Office of Strategic Services -- OSS, precursor to the CIA -- is a dramatic final chapter on one of history's most important conflicts. In a world made unrecognizable by the restrictions placed on the CIA today, OSS played fast and loose. Legendary chief "Wild Bill" Donovan created a formidable organization in short order, recruiting not only the best and brightest, but also the most fearless. His agents, both men and women, relied on guile, sex appeal, brains, and sheer guts to operate behind the lines, often in disguise, always in secret. Patrick O'Donnell, called "the next Studs Terkel" by bestselling author Hampton Sides, has made it his life's mission to capture untold stories of World War II before the last of its veterans passes away. He has succeeded in extracting stories from the toughest of men, the most elite of soldiers, and, now, the most secretive of all: the men and women of OSS. From former CIA director WilliamColby, who parachuted into Norway to sever rail lines, to Virginia Hall, who disguised herself as a milkmaid, joined the French Resistance, and became one of Germany's most wanted figures, the stories of OSS are worthy of great fiction. Yet the stories in this book are all true, carefully verified by O'Donnell's painstaking research. The agents of OSS did not earn public acclaim. There were no highly publicized medal ceremonies. But the full story of OSS reveals crucial work in espionage and sabotage, work that paved the way for the Allied invasions and disrupted the Axis defenses. "Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs" proves that the hidden war was among the most dramatic and important elements of World War II.
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 Weak conglomeration of narratives without much Big Picture ( matgerke )
More than anything, this is a collection of first-person interviews with former operatives in OSS during WW2, weakly cobbled together with some uncritical filler narrative. Although there are some brief sections that touch on the broader challenges and decisions of the American intelligence effort, most of it involves repetitive first-person accounts of people hiding in the woods from the Nazis. If that sounds interesting, it isn't. I came away from the book with a modest understanding of what the guys on the ground went through, but with almost no sense of the strategic challenges that sent them there. Having said that, it is an easy read, if only because it is largely devoid of interesting ideas.
I would not recommend this to someone who wants to understand the broad sweep of the American intelligence effort in WW2. I would recommend this to someone who has some interest in first-hand accounts of the operatives on the ground.
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 Satisfied Customer
I was very satisified with the condition of the book when I got it and how quickly I received it.
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 valuable but very dry ( qqi )
It is a very valuable piece of historic mosaic.
E.g. one of many fascinating parts is how blatant were Soviet spies in the State Department when they torpedoed any effort by OSS to obtain intelligence on the Soviet Union.
However, the presentation is too dry and too fragmented in my view.
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Captivating History
This book was not only entertaining it was also informative. The book discusses an area of WWII that has not been fully covered. The descriptive stories and tales almost make you feel you were there.
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Where are they now? ( lfurman8 )
Where are they now?
Where are people like 'Wild Bill' Donovan, Corporal Drake, Elizabeth Pack, Moe Berg today? We need them in the 'War on Terror.' Instead we have the 'Keystone Cops.' Today we spy on Americans, perhaps because don't have enough intelligence agents who speak Arabic.
In early August, 2001 - a month before Sept. 11, the Keystone Cops of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. were offered intelligence that Osama bin Laden and Al Queda were planning `something.' They turned a blind eye and deaf ear. After Sept 11 they said "Figure out how Saddam did this."
This book is criticized by other reviewers for offering the facts but little context and less analysis. However, you could also say that it provides the facts, as remembered by the men and women of the OSS, and invites us to draw our own conclusions.
There are between the lines criticisms.
"OSS's first African American operator, a Corporal Drake.... Drake's membership in the OSS was purely happenstance since OSS, like the rest of America's armed forces, had not been integrated."
"Only 143 Americans died in the line of duty.... However, hundreds of foreigners were killed while working for the OSS."
And a singularly subtle reminder of who we fought.
"German intelligence dismissed the group as `a perfect picture of the mixture of races and characters in that savage conglomeration called the United States.'"
O'Donnell's book is a good read for a plane, beach, or weekend. The anecdotal style makes it easy to put down. The pace and content make you pick it up again and again to read thru and review.
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