The Vinh Wiretap: A Pivotal CIA Operation of the Vietnam War
A later model OH-6 Cayuse, modified with black paint, similar to the helicopters used in the operation. Photo: James Dale / CC BY 2.0 DEED. The Vinh wiretap was an…
Operation Luna: Audacious Espionage During the Space Race
A 1:1 scale model of a Luna 3 satellite at the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow. In the early days of the Space Race, the United States Central Intelligence…
From Countess to Spy: The Story of Krystyna Skarbek
Maquisards (Resistance fighters) in the vicinity of Savournon, Hautes-Alpes in August 1944. SOE agents are second from right, Krystyna Skarbek, third John Roper, fourth, Robert Purvis. Source: Imperial War Museum.…
Peter J. Ortiz: A Hero in War and on Screen
Peter J. Ortiz. Peter Julien Ortiz, born on July 5, 1913, in New York City, was the son of a French-Spanish father and an American mother of Swiss descent. He…
The Lost Battalion movie review: A Gripping Tale of Courage and Sacrifice
Director: Russell Mulcahy Starring: Rick Schroder, Phil McKee, Jamie Harris, Adam James, Jay Rodan I recall watching The Lost Battalion with a few friends when the movie came out. We…
Book Review – Dutch, From Rising Sun to the Rise of Jihad
In 1989, I showed up at the CIA’s training facility colloquially known as The Farm, and was introduced to man only known to us as Dutch. As we went through…
Review – The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
An American imprisoned in the UK for spying for the KGB is released in an exchange to East Germany. Set in 1963, this well-done espionage novel exposes some unique practices…
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A story of getting ahead while staying alive – Once Upon a Time in France
Written by Fabien Nury; Drawn by Sylvain Vallee; Translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger; Once Upon a Time in France is a European graphic novel based on the true story of the…
War Machine: Alvin Callum York
One thing Alvin Callum York learned as a boy growing up in the wild woods of Tennessee was how to be a crack shoot and an excellent woodsman. York was…