Just the Facts: Book Discussion Recap from February 27

Eighteen hardy souls braved Antarctic conditions to attend this book discussion. As always, their presence was greatly appreciated.

Our book last night was Wild Bill Donovan: the spymaster who created the O.S.S. and modern American espionage by Douglas Waller. It is the story of William Joseph Donovan, a poor Irish kid from Buffalo who planned to become a priest, instead became a wealthy lawyer, earned a Medal of Honor during the First World War and then created and operated an espionage organization during World War II, the Office of Strategic Services. He was flamboyant and iconoclastic and fiercely loyal to his country and his staff. He would fight with anyone if he felt the O.S.S. was being compromised and made a lifelong enemy of J. Edgar Hoover. The book reads like a spy novel and provides a history of World War II from an espionage viewpoint, covering the secret campaigns in Europe, North Africa, China and Southeast Asia. Our conversation was interesting and varied, covering the question of whether men or women make better spies, the value of espionage to mainstream armies, the Rosenbergs, Hoover, the intelligence failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, Joe McCarthy and much more. It was quite an evening.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 7:00 pm. The book to be discussed, The Rise of Rome: the making of the world’s greatest empire by Anthony Everitt, is available at the Circulation Desk. All are welcome.