Good WW II OSS Book

T

Texas Star

US Veteran
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
20,360
Reaction score
16,164
Location
Texas
The topic about actor Sterling Haydon's .357 reminded me of his OSS service.

In HS, I read, You're Stepping On My Cloak and Dagger. I think the author was Roger Hall. If you locate a copy, I think you'll like it.

Before being dropped into France to lead Resistance fighters, he was asked if he wanted a Colt .32 auto or a .45. He chose the latter for its greater power and added a .30 carbine. A good, often witty book.

Hall described a scientist he met as having the face of an intelligent squirrel...
 
Register to hide this ad
Thanks for the recommendation. I've had a passing interest in WWII espionage, particularly with regards to OSS and SOE, and have been wanting to get some books on the subject.

FYI, this book is available on Kindle for $9.99. I just got it.

I've also been looking for some good material on the Jedburgh teams, Virginia Hall, as well as the Ritchie Boys, if anyone has suggestions.

The Catcher Was a Spy, about Moe Berg, professional baseball player/OSS operative, starring Paul Rudd, was a decent film.

I don't know if they're still there, but there have been some interesting documentaries on Netflix, including one I particularly liked on Camp X, the OSS training facility in Canada. Can't remember the name, though.

There are also some interesting OSS training films on YouTube.
 
I checked my (personal) library and have some recommendations for you all, if interested:
Operation Jedburgh by Colin Beavan
Covers the Formation and history of the Jedburgh operation.
OSS by R. Harris Smith
The “unofficial” history of the OSS.
Piercing the Reich by Joseph E. Persico
The last year of the war and the OSS effort to get agents into Germany.
Operation Mincemeat byBen Macintyre
The real story behind the movie “The Man Who Never Was”
As I find some others, I’ll post them.
 
A Woman Of No Importance. It's a good read about about an American woman that joins the SOE at the outbreak of WW2
 
bummer said:
A Woman Of No Importance. It's a good read about about an American woman that joins the SOE at the outbreak of WW2
Click to expand...

SOE = British Special Operations Executive, sort of their OSS, which I think the US copied.

I never liked the name, which reminded me of the sound an American hog caller makes. Am I alone in this? I do have an active imagination...
 
Texas Star said:
SOE = British Special Operations Executive, sort of their OSS, which I think the US copied.

I never liked the name, which reminded me of the sound an American hog caller makes. Am I alone in this? I do have an active imagination...
Click to expand...

Yes they were. She does end up working for the OSS then the CIA.
 
When I briefly worked for a Govt Agency located in Northern VA
they had a 40th Anniversary Ceremony
Dedicating a Statue of Bill Donovan & a Single Memorial Star on the wall
It was Attended my many living Veterans of the OSS
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    111.7 KB · Views: 16
Last edited:
Another OSS, then CIA officer was an American woman stationed in Madrid who married into Spanish nobility.I believe her name was Aline, Countess of Romanones.

She wrote several books about her adventures. One is, The Spy Wore Red. I read the series.

She shot a gypsy knifeman dead with her issued Beretta .25.

Her husband was aware of her CIA service. I think Spain is a NATO ally.
 
Regarding Donovan, there is biography called "Wild Bill Donovan: The Last Hero" by Anthony Cave Brown which delves rather deeply into the creation of the OSS. My wife's grandfather, who was a fairly prominent attorney and politician in Buffalo NY, was in a law practice with Donovan there in the years before WWI. Beyond that we know nothing about their relationship.
 
Texas Star said:
The topic about actor Sterling Haydon's .357 reminded me of his OSS service.

In HS, I read, You're Stepping On My Cloak and Dagger. I think the author was Roger Hall. If you locate a copy, I think you'll like it.

Before being dropped into France to lead Resistance fighters, he was asked if he wanted a Colt .32 auto or a .45. He chose the latter for its greater power and added a .30 carbine. A good, often witty book.

Hall described a scientist he met as having the face of an intelligent squirrel...
Click to expand...

I just ordered a copy on Kindle. Thanks.
 
FWIW, I've often seen OSS cited as one of the inspirations for the development of the US Army Special Forces, as well as the CIA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Feel Good story - 300 peerson Book Brigade
Replies
2
Views
268
lihpster
lihpster
H
WW One Museum
Replies
7
Views
543
bummer
B
oldbrownhat
Rare WW II Lancaster bomber makes emotional return to Winnipeg
Replies
14
Views
574
Krogen
Krogen
K
Really good book
Replies
2
Views
298
Greyman50
G
V
Great WWII Navy Memoir Book.
Replies
12
Views
579
Rudi
R

Latest posts

Back
Top