What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Bill Donovan
“Entertaining history…Donovan was a combination of bold innovator and imprudent rule bender, which made him not only a remarkable wartime leader but also an extraordinary figure in American history” (The New York Times Book Review).He was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals—the man Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. A mythic figure whose legacy is still intensely debated, “Wild Bill” Donovan was director of the Office of Strategic Services (the country’s first national intelligence agency) and the father of today’s CIA. Donovan introduced the nation to the dark arts of covert warfare on a scale it had never seen before. Now, veteran journalist Douglas Waller has mined government and private archives throughout the United States and England, drawn on thousands of pages of recently declassified documents, and interviewed scores of Donovan’s relatives, friends, and associates to produce a riveting biography of one of the most powerful men in modern espionage. Wild Bill Donovan reads like an action-packed spy thriller, with stories of daring young men and women in the OSS sneaking behind enemy lines for sabotage, breaking into Washington embassies to steal secrets, plotting to topple Adolf Hitler, and suffering brutal torture or death when they were captured by the Gestapo. It is also a tale of political intrigue, of infighting at the highest levels of government, of powerful men pitted against one another. Separating fact from fiction, Waller investigates the successes and the occasional spectacular failures of Donovan’s intelligence career. It makes for a gripping and revealing portrait of this most controversial spymaster.
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
301 people are currently reading
1644 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
July 5, 2024
Really well written history of this interesting character. Good flow to the text, reads almost like a fiction novel. Very recommended
July 23, 2015
This was the guy who essentially started the forerunner of the CIA and most of Special Ops also owes a debt to him. It's interesting to look back at an era when school connections and class played a large role in covert ops. Also, when there was an overt connection between Wall Street and the secret world-- now it's more obscure.
Will Bill was the only person to receive the highest awards our country can give as a civilian and in the military. That alone makes it a worthwhile read.
Will Bill was the only person to receive the highest awards our country can give as a civilian and in the military. That alone makes it a worthwhile read.
March 17, 2013
While this is a biography of William Donovan, it is also a look at the creation of the OSS and its record in World War II. At just shy of four hundred pages, more than 250 of them tell the story of the OSS.
The portrait Mr. Waller paints of “Wild Bill” is not entirely favorable. He brings out his flaws as a father and husband. Mr. Waller portrays Gen Donovan as a week administrator/manager, but a charismatic and dynamic leader. While he had problems with the senior leadership of the OSS, the rank and file of the OSS adored and worshiped him. He spent most of WW II on an airplane visiting his far flung stations and battlefields. It seems he loved to go ashore during invasions. He waded ashore at Salerno, Hollandia in the South Pacific and Utah Beach the day after D-Day. In addition to Donovan’s adventures, Mr. Waller also includes stories of various OSS ops, both successful and not. He tells the growing pains the OSS suffered both as an intelligence gathering agency and guerilla operations.
The author also tells the story of the bureaucratic infighting that happened during the creation of the OSS and its entire life. J. Edgar Hoover, who wanted to have the intelligence mission under the FBI,is portrayed in a particularly bad light.
The author tells the story of OSS successes and failures, both in intelligence gathering and Donovan’s efforts to get the various Theater Commanders to allow the OSS to operate. He was never successful in getting MacArthur or Nimitz to allow the OSS to operate in their AOs. The OSS efforts in Europe were more successful and Eisenhower later gave a glowing testimonial to the OSS and the intel it provided.
The last 100 pages or so tell the story of Donovan’s post war career - His service as Ike’s ambassador to Thailand in the early 50’s, his attempts to regain fiscal solvency and his declining health.
Overall this is a good look at the man who basically created the blue print for the American Intellegence gathering apperatus
The portrait Mr. Waller paints of “Wild Bill” is not entirely favorable. He brings out his flaws as a father and husband. Mr. Waller portrays Gen Donovan as a week administrator/manager, but a charismatic and dynamic leader. While he had problems with the senior leadership of the OSS, the rank and file of the OSS adored and worshiped him. He spent most of WW II on an airplane visiting his far flung stations and battlefields. It seems he loved to go ashore during invasions. He waded ashore at Salerno, Hollandia in the South Pacific and Utah Beach the day after D-Day. In addition to Donovan’s adventures, Mr. Waller also includes stories of various OSS ops, both successful and not. He tells the growing pains the OSS suffered both as an intelligence gathering agency and guerilla operations.
The author also tells the story of the bureaucratic infighting that happened during the creation of the OSS and its entire life. J. Edgar Hoover, who wanted to have the intelligence mission under the FBI,is portrayed in a particularly bad light.
The author tells the story of OSS successes and failures, both in intelligence gathering and Donovan’s efforts to get the various Theater Commanders to allow the OSS to operate. He was never successful in getting MacArthur or Nimitz to allow the OSS to operate in their AOs. The OSS efforts in Europe were more successful and Eisenhower later gave a glowing testimonial to the OSS and the intel it provided.
The last 100 pages or so tell the story of Donovan’s post war career - His service as Ike’s ambassador to Thailand in the early 50’s, his attempts to regain fiscal solvency and his declining health.
Overall this is a good look at the man who basically created the blue print for the American Intellegence gathering apperatus
November 30, 2022
This is a bullseye for espionage history buffs
April 11, 2022
This book is a highly charged in depth expose at someone I considered a personal hero in name.
Founder of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the modern CIA, I ordered this after the Bastards Brigade, which discussed Donovan. This book charted " Wild Bill" as he was known from birth upto his death.
For an informative book, this was jam packed with details. I didn't know he was a Medal of Honor winner or how he obtained the name "Wild Bill". This book covers it.
The only qualms I have is the jumping around in the narrative, going from operation to operation, the highs and lows with little consideration for what year it is, just that Donovan had his hands in it. Additionally, his birth and death are remarkably sparse- probably due to lack of accounting but still.
The inter-department rivalries that permeated the OSS were described in pasable detail but the sheer amount of hatred this man must have accumulated and how it colored ALL OF WASHINGTON was intriguing.
Well researched book, very intriguing just a bit long in the tooth.
And screw you, J. Edgar Hoover.
Founder of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the modern CIA, I ordered this after the Bastards Brigade, which discussed Donovan. This book charted " Wild Bill" as he was known from birth upto his death.
For an informative book, this was jam packed with details. I didn't know he was a Medal of Honor winner or how he obtained the name "Wild Bill". This book covers it.
The only qualms I have is the jumping around in the narrative, going from operation to operation, the highs and lows with little consideration for what year it is, just that Donovan had his hands in it. Additionally, his birth and death are remarkably sparse- probably due to lack of accounting but still.
The inter-department rivalries that permeated the OSS were described in pasable detail but the sheer amount of hatred this man must have accumulated and how it colored ALL OF WASHINGTON was intriguing.
Well researched book, very intriguing just a bit long in the tooth.
And screw you, J. Edgar Hoover.
March 19, 2011
A good functional biography of the man who came to head the OSS during World War II (the precursor to the CIA). His early years in Buffalo formed his background. He rose from childhood in an Irish Family in the First Ward in Buffalo to becoming a leading attorney, a part of the elite of Buffalo, with a lovely wife. Life seemed assured for him. He had been heroic in World War I, being injured badly--and later receiving a Medal of Honor some time after the fact.
He attempted (not too successfully) a political career. As involvement by the United States in World War II loomed, Franklin Roosevelt began to use him. Rather ironic given Donovan's involvement in Republican politics and earlier distaste for FDR!
Then, his introduction to the world of intelligence. He built his operation from scratch, learning by trial and error. He made mistakes but learned and improved. The story of OSS during World War II is interesting.
The book is more functionally written than literate, but it reads well nonetheless. Overall, a nice book.
He attempted (not too successfully) a political career. As involvement by the United States in World War II loomed, Franklin Roosevelt began to use him. Rather ironic given Donovan's involvement in Republican politics and earlier distaste for FDR!
Then, his introduction to the world of intelligence. He built his operation from scratch, learning by trial and error. He made mistakes but learned and improved. The story of OSS during World War II is interesting.
The book is more functionally written than literate, but it reads well nonetheless. Overall, a nice book.
February 27, 2024
Donovan’s statute is out in front of CIA HQ in McLean, VA. I’m not for tearing down statues, but his ought to come down. Then the CIA ought to be shut down, along with their 12 secret bases in Ukraine and hundreds of others globally.
Read the Wikipedia bio and you won’t see that Donovan is a serial philanderer and has almost nothing to do with it his kids. You can thank the Deep State for the Wikipedia censorship.
Add to that his legacy that is almost a total disgrace—one adorned with medals of honor etc.
Donovan headed up the OSS in WW2 which was the precursor to the CIA. A “good” follow-up to this book is “the History of the CIA — A Legacy of Ashes” by Tim Weiner.
The USA Deep State is a disgrace, truly a Legacy of Ashes.
Read the Wikipedia bio and you won’t see that Donovan is a serial philanderer and has almost nothing to do with it his kids. You can thank the Deep State for the Wikipedia censorship.
Add to that his legacy that is almost a total disgrace—one adorned with medals of honor etc.
Donovan headed up the OSS in WW2 which was the precursor to the CIA. A “good” follow-up to this book is “the History of the CIA — A Legacy of Ashes” by Tim Weiner.
The USA Deep State is a disgrace, truly a Legacy of Ashes.
February 8, 2017
An extensive and objective biography of Bill Donavan that gives an honest portrayal of his career, warts and all. Mr. Waller provides the facts and context without his personal opinions thus allowing the reader to form their own judgments. Now my opinion. It is clear that General Donavan was brave, dedicated to the country, and sacrificial. He was also an egotistical, self serving man that sacrificed his family and liked to play at war. The strength of this book is that the author allows the reader the freedom to arrive at their own conclusions.
May 26, 2020
Super awesome book! Took me longer to read than even most historical books of it's kind, as it such a sheer block of intensive information. Really amazing.
March 6, 2011
The United States proudly cherishes our pantheon of national heroes, men and women who have given everything – even their lives – to defend our Nation as well as the freedoms of others around the world when threatened by tyranny. Among them, there are few who stand out in what they have contributed and what they have suffered as William “Wild Bill” Donovan.
In his gripping new biography, Douglas Waller portrays this extraordinary man in all his glory – and foibles. In essence, Waller makes clear what we often forget about our heroes: they are human beings who suffer the same frailties the rest of us do and in some cases, more so, than the rest of us. But they rise beyond them to achieve great things.
First to Donovan’s heroic life. Born in the poor Irish Catholic section of Buffalo, New York, Donovan - through hard work, a brilliant mind and bountiful charm - was able to cross the tracks to a life as successful Columbia Law School trained lawyer who was a protégé of the great jurist Harlan Stone. He went on to found a highly successful firm (Donovan, Leisure) and made vast sums of money. When World War I came along, Donovan was eager to fight and became a Colonel in the famed Fighting 69th Irish Brigade. Leading them into battle in France, he fought with amazing bravery (alongside Father Duffy), was wounded and was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Returning from the War to his law practice and some years later, ran for governor of New York (and lost as Republicans were slaughtered in the election as they were tied to Herbert Hoover). Donovan also became engaged in various foreign policy issues and what was to prove the nascent US intelligence organism. When World War II broke out and Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into action, President Franklin Roosevelt turned to his former Columbia Law School classmate (and at times rival) William Donovan to official begin a national intelligence program to support the war effort – and thus the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was born.
There has been a great deal written about the OSS and the many adventures (and occasional misadventures) of its thousands of agents and operatives in Europe, North Africa and Asia (with a few in South America, too boot). Some of the most colorful and talented Americans of that generation became members of the OSS: William O. Casey, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., to name just a few.
Clearly, having created an effective global intelligence service out of whole cloth virtually overnight was a jaw-dropping achievement in and of itself. But it was the many successful operations – many of which saved thousands of lives and gave both Roosevelt and Eisenhower a deeper and much richer understanding of both the battlefield as well as the politics behind the scenes in Berlin and Rome.
Strangely, President Harry Truman decided to shut down the OSS following the war – perhaps as a result of vigorous lobbying from Donovan’s arch-nemesis, J. Edgar Hoover, along with senior US military brass who wanted the key portions of the OSS transferred to the Pentagon’s control. Almost overnight, the OSS was gone and Truman had given Donovan a perfunctory handshake and simple “thank you for your service” note. Despite his bitterness at being kicked to the curb by Truman, Donovan pressed on, travelling the world, engaging in critical issues and events, making his influence and leadership felt and seen. But his days as a spy were for all intents and purposes, over.
But it seems for all of his world-altering successes, Donovan’s family suffered near catastrophic events. Always on the go meant he was never home – for months and months. Despite clearly having deep affection for his wife, Ruth, he left her at home at the family’s enormous farm estate in Virginia for months at a time, punctuated by a day here or a day there at home. Ruth basically gave up realizing her marriage was effectively over – especially with Donovan’s numerous dalliances and affairs with other women became known to Ruth.
Supporting Donovan at social events increasing fell to his daughter, Catherin. Bright, beautiful and vivacious, she was adored by her father. However, all the travel supporting her father took its ultimate toll on her – she was killed in a car accident at the age of 23 on Virginia.
Her death then strangely opened the door for Donovan’s daughter-in-law Mary (married to Donovan’s only other child, his son David) to step up and serve as Wild Bill’s social hostess. Mary loved the glitz, glamour and intrigue – which led to her, too, staying away for extended periods from her suffering husband and children. Ultimately, years later she paid the price, too, losing a child to accidental poisoning, legal separation from her husband and finally, dying from an overdose of painkillers mixed with too much alcohol.
In some ways, perhaps Wild Bill Donovan was a godlike figure when you stop to think of it. Almost a modern figure of mythology who lived a life of great triumph and awful tragedy, some of it self-imposed, some beyond his control.
In any event, this is a marvelous book, rich in history and sparkling in its portrait of one of America’s greatest heroes. May we be blessed to have more Wild Bill’s in our country now in our time of domestic and foreign crisis!
In his gripping new biography, Douglas Waller portrays this extraordinary man in all his glory – and foibles. In essence, Waller makes clear what we often forget about our heroes: they are human beings who suffer the same frailties the rest of us do and in some cases, more so, than the rest of us. But they rise beyond them to achieve great things.
First to Donovan’s heroic life. Born in the poor Irish Catholic section of Buffalo, New York, Donovan - through hard work, a brilliant mind and bountiful charm - was able to cross the tracks to a life as successful Columbia Law School trained lawyer who was a protégé of the great jurist Harlan Stone. He went on to found a highly successful firm (Donovan, Leisure) and made vast sums of money. When World War I came along, Donovan was eager to fight and became a Colonel in the famed Fighting 69th Irish Brigade. Leading them into battle in France, he fought with amazing bravery (alongside Father Duffy), was wounded and was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Returning from the War to his law practice and some years later, ran for governor of New York (and lost as Republicans were slaughtered in the election as they were tied to Herbert Hoover). Donovan also became engaged in various foreign policy issues and what was to prove the nascent US intelligence organism. When World War II broke out and Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into action, President Franklin Roosevelt turned to his former Columbia Law School classmate (and at times rival) William Donovan to official begin a national intelligence program to support the war effort – and thus the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was born.
There has been a great deal written about the OSS and the many adventures (and occasional misadventures) of its thousands of agents and operatives in Europe, North Africa and Asia (with a few in South America, too boot). Some of the most colorful and talented Americans of that generation became members of the OSS: William O. Casey, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., to name just a few.
Clearly, having created an effective global intelligence service out of whole cloth virtually overnight was a jaw-dropping achievement in and of itself. But it was the many successful operations – many of which saved thousands of lives and gave both Roosevelt and Eisenhower a deeper and much richer understanding of both the battlefield as well as the politics behind the scenes in Berlin and Rome.
Strangely, President Harry Truman decided to shut down the OSS following the war – perhaps as a result of vigorous lobbying from Donovan’s arch-nemesis, J. Edgar Hoover, along with senior US military brass who wanted the key portions of the OSS transferred to the Pentagon’s control. Almost overnight, the OSS was gone and Truman had given Donovan a perfunctory handshake and simple “thank you for your service” note. Despite his bitterness at being kicked to the curb by Truman, Donovan pressed on, travelling the world, engaging in critical issues and events, making his influence and leadership felt and seen. But his days as a spy were for all intents and purposes, over.
But it seems for all of his world-altering successes, Donovan’s family suffered near catastrophic events. Always on the go meant he was never home – for months and months. Despite clearly having deep affection for his wife, Ruth, he left her at home at the family’s enormous farm estate in Virginia for months at a time, punctuated by a day here or a day there at home. Ruth basically gave up realizing her marriage was effectively over – especially with Donovan’s numerous dalliances and affairs with other women became known to Ruth.
Supporting Donovan at social events increasing fell to his daughter, Catherin. Bright, beautiful and vivacious, she was adored by her father. However, all the travel supporting her father took its ultimate toll on her – she was killed in a car accident at the age of 23 on Virginia.
Her death then strangely opened the door for Donovan’s daughter-in-law Mary (married to Donovan’s only other child, his son David) to step up and serve as Wild Bill’s social hostess. Mary loved the glitz, glamour and intrigue – which led to her, too, staying away for extended periods from her suffering husband and children. Ultimately, years later she paid the price, too, losing a child to accidental poisoning, legal separation from her husband and finally, dying from an overdose of painkillers mixed with too much alcohol.
In some ways, perhaps Wild Bill Donovan was a godlike figure when you stop to think of it. Almost a modern figure of mythology who lived a life of great triumph and awful tragedy, some of it self-imposed, some beyond his control.
In any event, this is a marvelous book, rich in history and sparkling in its portrait of one of America’s greatest heroes. May we be blessed to have more Wild Bill’s in our country now in our time of domestic and foreign crisis!
November 15, 2022
Good book
Interesting reading. It's amazing how the OSS came to be and how it paved the way for the creation of the CIA.
Interesting reading. It's amazing how the OSS came to be and how it paved the way for the creation of the CIA.
January 23, 2016
Wild Bill Donovan by Douglas Waller is a biography of Bill Donovan, the found of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which was the World War II forerunner of today's CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). In addition to a biography of Donovan, it also serves a secondary purpose as a history of the OSS. In both, I find Waller's accounts objective and fair. This isn't a work of hero worship, nor is it an attempt to tear Donovan down, instead it's an unbiased account of both Donovan's life and the OSS.
Waller traces Donovan's life from childhood to death, but the majority of the book focuses on the OSS and World War II. He relates Donovan's childhood in Buffalo, NY and shows it shaped him as an adult. He then details Donovan's business, military, and political career showing he connections he made and networking he developed that would be important later on. Throughout it all, Waller continues to tell the tale of Donovan's family life, one of almost constant separation, absent parenthood, and tragedy. This is one of the main areas where it's obvious he's giving a balanced portrayal of Donavan; he doesn't gloss over Donovan's shortcomings as a husband and parent. The portrayal of the OSS and World War II years are also balanced. Waller details Donovan's skills and shortcomings as a leader and how both pushed the OSS ahead and held it back, leading to mistakes. At the same time, the book also shows just how fragmented and chaotic US intelligence efforts during World War II were; it also details the political and personal conflicts that kept intelligence efforts divided. Throughout the latter part of the book, you see the seeds of the CIA being planted. Personalities like Dulles, Colby, Casey, Helms, Angleton - you see them all pop up in the OSS.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Waller's Wild Bill Donovan; it was informative and engaging. It's also well researched and well documented, this is not a book based on rumor and myth. Published in 2011, it is a book published in an era where "black ops" can be worshiped, intelligence services belittled, and personalities like Donovan put on a pedestal (or trashed based on one's perspective) but Waller doesn't fall into those traps. He treats both Donovan and the OSS with objectivity and presents both their successes and their shortcomings. If you're interested in World War II, Intelligence/Espionage, a good biography, or just a good story Wild Bill Donovan would be a great selection.
Waller traces Donovan's life from childhood to death, but the majority of the book focuses on the OSS and World War II. He relates Donovan's childhood in Buffalo, NY and shows it shaped him as an adult. He then details Donovan's business, military, and political career showing he connections he made and networking he developed that would be important later on. Throughout it all, Waller continues to tell the tale of Donovan's family life, one of almost constant separation, absent parenthood, and tragedy. This is one of the main areas where it's obvious he's giving a balanced portrayal of Donavan; he doesn't gloss over Donovan's shortcomings as a husband and parent. The portrayal of the OSS and World War II years are also balanced. Waller details Donovan's skills and shortcomings as a leader and how both pushed the OSS ahead and held it back, leading to mistakes. At the same time, the book also shows just how fragmented and chaotic US intelligence efforts during World War II were; it also details the political and personal conflicts that kept intelligence efforts divided. Throughout the latter part of the book, you see the seeds of the CIA being planted. Personalities like Dulles, Colby, Casey, Helms, Angleton - you see them all pop up in the OSS.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Waller's Wild Bill Donovan; it was informative and engaging. It's also well researched and well documented, this is not a book based on rumor and myth. Published in 2011, it is a book published in an era where "black ops" can be worshiped, intelligence services belittled, and personalities like Donovan put on a pedestal (or trashed based on one's perspective) but Waller doesn't fall into those traps. He treats both Donovan and the OSS with objectivity and presents both their successes and their shortcomings. If you're interested in World War II, Intelligence/Espionage, a good biography, or just a good story Wild Bill Donovan would be a great selection.
November 10, 2019
A comprehensive, fast-paced and balanced if somewhat poorly organized biography.
The book is not organized chronologically, but Waller does a good job covering Donovan’s rivalries with Hoover’s FBI (to the point of Hoover arresting OSS personnel) and his conflicts with the military. Waller seems more interested in Donovan the man than in OSS operations, which are usually given rushed sketches. He also describes Donovan’s courage, ambition, charisma, intellect, explosive temper, and lack of administrative skill. Waller covers how he often butted heads with the likes of Roosevelt, Churchill, Hoover, Chiang Kai-Shek; how much energy enemy propagandists devoted to maligning him; and how he often made an effort to be in the first wave of Allied landings in Europe and North Africa (usually against explicit orders)
The narrative is readable but stiff. It can be a bit dry, pedestrian, or slow at times, with a few run-on sentences here and there, and there is not always as much insight as you might like. Donovan was a man of action (and desired the titles, rank and recognition as one), but his motives are still a bit of a puzzle after finishing the book. The narrative sometimes just reads like a collection of vignettes about Donovan’s foreign trips and turf wars. The subtitle credits Donovan with creating “modern American espionage,” but this might have just been the publisher’s idea since the theme is never fleshed out. The context could also have been developed more. The mentions of Donovan’s womanizing are annoying and repetitive. And Waller often mentions events without making the date clear.
Also, at one point Waller writes that SIS believed Fritz Kolbe to be a double agent. The service's real concern was that, if the Germans caught Kolbe, they would take the precaution of changing their cipher systems. SIS's Claude Dansey thought contact with Kolbe was unnecessary and wouldn’t turn up anything they weren’t getting from ULTRA. However, Dulles misinterpreted SIS’s position because he wasn’t in on the ULTRA secret.
Still, a thorough and well-researched work.
The book is not organized chronologically, but Waller does a good job covering Donovan’s rivalries with Hoover’s FBI (to the point of Hoover arresting OSS personnel) and his conflicts with the military. Waller seems more interested in Donovan the man than in OSS operations, which are usually given rushed sketches. He also describes Donovan’s courage, ambition, charisma, intellect, explosive temper, and lack of administrative skill. Waller covers how he often butted heads with the likes of Roosevelt, Churchill, Hoover, Chiang Kai-Shek; how much energy enemy propagandists devoted to maligning him; and how he often made an effort to be in the first wave of Allied landings in Europe and North Africa (usually against explicit orders)
The narrative is readable but stiff. It can be a bit dry, pedestrian, or slow at times, with a few run-on sentences here and there, and there is not always as much insight as you might like. Donovan was a man of action (and desired the titles, rank and recognition as one), but his motives are still a bit of a puzzle after finishing the book. The narrative sometimes just reads like a collection of vignettes about Donovan’s foreign trips and turf wars. The subtitle credits Donovan with creating “modern American espionage,” but this might have just been the publisher’s idea since the theme is never fleshed out. The context could also have been developed more. The mentions of Donovan’s womanizing are annoying and repetitive. And Waller often mentions events without making the date clear.
Also, at one point Waller writes that SIS believed Fritz Kolbe to be a double agent. The service's real concern was that, if the Germans caught Kolbe, they would take the precaution of changing their cipher systems. SIS's Claude Dansey thought contact with Kolbe was unnecessary and wouldn’t turn up anything they weren’t getting from ULTRA. However, Dulles misinterpreted SIS’s position because he wasn’t in on the ULTRA secret.
Still, a thorough and well-researched work.
October 1, 2016
The impetuous (Wild Bill) Donovan misses his target in political campaigning, not achieving the same successes he parlays in international affairs. His career as a lawyer was impressive but not the reputation he later garnered as an intelligence gatherer overseas. Apparently, Bill was a darn good spy. He married well into wealth, but was an absentee husband by most accounts.
This portrait reveals a man of strategic planning abilities, hired by Roosevelt as an information specialist to create the OSS, an international espionage agency established to pre-empt Hitler’s invasions abroad. The more proficient Donovan becomes in international espionage, the more strained his relationships are with the FBI office and others in Congress. Donovan sniffs Adolph Hitler, Mussolini and finally the Japanese--realizing their intentions of attacking the USA—only being left to wonder when …where. The invasion of Pearl Harbor is revealed as the catalyst that defines the real need for OSS. This fledgling agency is originally staffed with average Americans, thought to have special skills or past engagements that will enhance their abilities as spies. Among the staff one will also find inventors, ex-cons and playwrights. Surprisingly enough the inventors are quite handy with creating miniature cameras, explosive dough and truth serum. (You can take Gold Finger much more seriously after digesting the facts about the OSS administration). And don’t forget those burglars, the felons that become much more useful to spies that really needed to get inside… Eventually this brain child of Donovan’s will lead to the creation of the CIA.
Douglas McArthur, Charles DE Gaulle, Ike Eisenhower and Prime Minister Churchill all come to life as historical war strategists that plan to win. This is a detailed account of international espionage, WWII history and beyond. Take your time in reading this one, try it on.
This portrait reveals a man of strategic planning abilities, hired by Roosevelt as an information specialist to create the OSS, an international espionage agency established to pre-empt Hitler’s invasions abroad. The more proficient Donovan becomes in international espionage, the more strained his relationships are with the FBI office and others in Congress. Donovan sniffs Adolph Hitler, Mussolini and finally the Japanese--realizing their intentions of attacking the USA—only being left to wonder when …where. The invasion of Pearl Harbor is revealed as the catalyst that defines the real need for OSS. This fledgling agency is originally staffed with average Americans, thought to have special skills or past engagements that will enhance their abilities as spies. Among the staff one will also find inventors, ex-cons and playwrights. Surprisingly enough the inventors are quite handy with creating miniature cameras, explosive dough and truth serum. (You can take Gold Finger much more seriously after digesting the facts about the OSS administration). And don’t forget those burglars, the felons that become much more useful to spies that really needed to get inside… Eventually this brain child of Donovan’s will lead to the creation of the CIA.
Douglas McArthur, Charles DE Gaulle, Ike Eisenhower and Prime Minister Churchill all come to life as historical war strategists that plan to win. This is a detailed account of international espionage, WWII history and beyond. Take your time in reading this one, try it on.
October 2, 2017
An extensively researched and written book about the head of the OSS, which was created during WWII. The author gives full credit to everything that Wild Bill Donovan accomplished, but also was not afraid to point out his significant flaws as an individual. The almost-obsessive involvement that Donovan had in the OSS’s activities in the field clearly had some inhibitive effects, and ruined any chance of a family life and marriage, but his involvement also ended up helping to create the template for the CIA to be formed after the war’s end. Donovan also went through some tragedies involving his family which softens the criticism to some extent.
What is clearly discussed in the book is the infighting between the different service branches that wanted their own intelligence services along with J. Edgar Hoover’s attempts to stop Donovan so Hoover could himself have the power, control and glory of the intelligence world. True to form, Hoover created false stories, spied on the OSS and tried to build his own empire to disrupt Donovan’s efforts. I was aware that Hoover created problems for many people in the US, but his involvement in trying to stop Donovan was a new storyline to me. Just gives more reason to despise what Hoover did.
What is clearly discussed in the book is the infighting between the different service branches that wanted their own intelligence services along with J. Edgar Hoover’s attempts to stop Donovan so Hoover could himself have the power, control and glory of the intelligence world. True to form, Hoover created false stories, spied on the OSS and tried to build his own empire to disrupt Donovan’s efforts. I was aware that Hoover created problems for many people in the US, but his involvement in trying to stop Donovan was a new storyline to me. Just gives more reason to despise what Hoover did.
April 7, 2011
Readers were generally satisfied by Waller’s take on “Wild Bill,” especially since (according to most critics) no adequate biography of the man was previously available. But the positive reviews often came with caveats. For example, several reviewers noted that the book should be read not as a complete history of the Office of Strategic Services but as a biography of a fascinating, even great, man. Other reviewers asked what Donovan’s life means in the context of contemporary struggles over espionage and intelligence. Like Donovan, then, the book offers plenty of heroism and excitement, but it also leaves many unanswered questions. This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
February 2, 2023
Workmanlike book. Confirmed both church of spies book, and the pope at war book, briefly and as an aside. Brave, won top three military awards in WWI, with a similar start to the book 5 lieutenants.
I have no doubt that Donovan was a smart and able man. But the book — tho by its details, it added some definition and dimensionality to the wars — was surprisingly dull. Almost as if compiled from massive amounts of bureaucratic paperwork.
Perhaps that is the better balance of a long career than the raconteur tack. But I would have liked a better sense of the daring and successful operations. And the cost of failure (like in that great French resistance book I read years ago — the cost of freedom? Will have to check. But at least I am now to Bill Casey in the last third of the book. Have also gotten to Dulles some time ago.
Also there is no answer to my long running question—Hitler allegedly survived over 36 known assasination attempts. This book says he was a broken man after one of them. Probably as much from his idiocy — thinking his early blitzkrieg victories against small countries — meant anything agains that GDP of Detroit alone (Victor Davis Hanson, The Second World WarS). But little of this makes sense. Surely Donovan was part of at least a few of these. Why the incredible failure rate? I’ve heard some were just too amateurish. This is just one of many questions the depths of which could have been better plummed. Oh well, on this and so much else we apparently cannot know—even when reading a specialized biography like this.
Majoring in minors. We are at arms length in history, and instead of focusing on major effects / outcomes — for good and bad — in the war and after, one enormous stretch focuses on just who leaked what memo concerning the future intelligence system. It’s defensible in the sense it turns out to be the President. And if you realllllllly care about the bureaucratic / office politics history of a dead agency. But is that what we care about in the history of the OSS? Another example of what is dull and annoying about this book—about what could have been a greater overview of great and terrible deeds, and the agency that facilitated these. Including its failures.
In the last conclusion, the author Waller says that Donovan’s agency did not have the kind of victories that could shorten the war. And perhaps that was the wrong bar to set. Donovan was brave, bright, creative, open minded. And created the forerunner of the intelligence agencies that — tho they fail — also succeed. I am also reminded of his fair treatment to standing up for minorities, including Jews (refused a medal in WWI until Jewish sergeant got one too), Blacks, and Women. His work at Nuremberg trials. His foreseeing the need for a CIA.
And yet there were times where even he asked what his life had gone to. Especially as the OSS was dismantled. Ecclesiastes rang true for him.
A side note: honesty. He was often separated from his wife and kids, had affairs, but still nurtured some kind of catholic faith, and tho he could certainly have become rich from black op funds and all he learned covertly, he instead aged out in IRS debt and had perhaps 145 or so k, plus his wife had something like 85k, of the million or more she started with. He set up money management tools to avoid theft at OSS that so many critics complained of — and that we still have today — tho certainly there were slush funds, and graft was a way of life in buying information from foreign officials, traitors and thieves in wartime. But compare that to our elected leaders now, who enter politics perhaps middle class and leave rich (see Peter Schweizer’s books). There is much to appreciate here. Much to be concerned about. And still I don’t think we have the full mass of the iceberg, if we have an outline in this book.
I have no doubt that Donovan was a smart and able man. But the book — tho by its details, it added some definition and dimensionality to the wars — was surprisingly dull. Almost as if compiled from massive amounts of bureaucratic paperwork.
Perhaps that is the better balance of a long career than the raconteur tack. But I would have liked a better sense of the daring and successful operations. And the cost of failure (like in that great French resistance book I read years ago — the cost of freedom? Will have to check. But at least I am now to Bill Casey in the last third of the book. Have also gotten to Dulles some time ago.
Also there is no answer to my long running question—Hitler allegedly survived over 36 known assasination attempts. This book says he was a broken man after one of them. Probably as much from his idiocy — thinking his early blitzkrieg victories against small countries — meant anything agains that GDP of Detroit alone (Victor Davis Hanson, The Second World WarS). But little of this makes sense. Surely Donovan was part of at least a few of these. Why the incredible failure rate? I’ve heard some were just too amateurish. This is just one of many questions the depths of which could have been better plummed. Oh well, on this and so much else we apparently cannot know—even when reading a specialized biography like this.
Majoring in minors. We are at arms length in history, and instead of focusing on major effects / outcomes — for good and bad — in the war and after, one enormous stretch focuses on just who leaked what memo concerning the future intelligence system. It’s defensible in the sense it turns out to be the President. And if you realllllllly care about the bureaucratic / office politics history of a dead agency. But is that what we care about in the history of the OSS? Another example of what is dull and annoying about this book—about what could have been a greater overview of great and terrible deeds, and the agency that facilitated these. Including its failures.
In the last conclusion, the author Waller says that Donovan’s agency did not have the kind of victories that could shorten the war. And perhaps that was the wrong bar to set. Donovan was brave, bright, creative, open minded. And created the forerunner of the intelligence agencies that — tho they fail — also succeed. I am also reminded of his fair treatment to standing up for minorities, including Jews (refused a medal in WWI until Jewish sergeant got one too), Blacks, and Women. His work at Nuremberg trials. His foreseeing the need for a CIA.
And yet there were times where even he asked what his life had gone to. Especially as the OSS was dismantled. Ecclesiastes rang true for him.
A side note: honesty. He was often separated from his wife and kids, had affairs, but still nurtured some kind of catholic faith, and tho he could certainly have become rich from black op funds and all he learned covertly, he instead aged out in IRS debt and had perhaps 145 or so k, plus his wife had something like 85k, of the million or more she started with. He set up money management tools to avoid theft at OSS that so many critics complained of — and that we still have today — tho certainly there were slush funds, and graft was a way of life in buying information from foreign officials, traitors and thieves in wartime. But compare that to our elected leaders now, who enter politics perhaps middle class and leave rich (see Peter Schweizer’s books). There is much to appreciate here. Much to be concerned about. And still I don’t think we have the full mass of the iceberg, if we have an outline in this book.
December 10, 2018
One of the most fascinating characters of WW II Bill Donovan was the head of the OSS which was the forerunner of CIA.
He was a flamboyant man with considerable talents and flaws which are both illustrated well in this long and fairly detailed bio.
Despite its length the book does have some gaps. Notably we don't get much information as to the actual operations conducted by his agents in the field. We are just told that he was assigned to set up intelligence agents and operations in a specific country - like Spain or Italy and we don't get any real information as to how this was done. Except in certain situations when things went wrong and agents were compromised, then we do get a glimpse. If you want a really good book on that subject I recommend "Behind Japanese Lines" which is the story of the OSS in Burma.
Also we are constantly told that Donovan was a womanizer and rumours of his affairs were legend around DC. But we are never once given one specific fact that corroborates these rumours. Certainly many of them were instigated by his rival J. Edgar Hoover (who, surprise, comes off as a real dick). The author could have done well to merely state that there were always rumours but never any proof and left it at that.
What is clear from the book is just how much time was spent on political infighting in DC as opposed to actually running the OSS. From the onset the OSS was hated by every branch of the service and also the FBI and several other govt. departments who did everything they could to shut it down, including planting stories in the press (fake news anyone???).
The fact that Donovan was able to pull together such a wide ranging and disparate operation spanning Europe and Asia and still fight the numerous battles on the homefront his a testament to the man. But it is obvious as well that he had a "bull in a china shop" approach which hindered him greatly.
Recommended for WWII buffs, and espionage aficionados or for those who love larger than historical life figures (and Donovan was certainly that)
He was a flamboyant man with considerable talents and flaws which are both illustrated well in this long and fairly detailed bio.
Despite its length the book does have some gaps. Notably we don't get much information as to the actual operations conducted by his agents in the field. We are just told that he was assigned to set up intelligence agents and operations in a specific country - like Spain or Italy and we don't get any real information as to how this was done. Except in certain situations when things went wrong and agents were compromised, then we do get a glimpse. If you want a really good book on that subject I recommend "Behind Japanese Lines" which is the story of the OSS in Burma.
Also we are constantly told that Donovan was a womanizer and rumours of his affairs were legend around DC. But we are never once given one specific fact that corroborates these rumours. Certainly many of them were instigated by his rival J. Edgar Hoover (who, surprise, comes off as a real dick). The author could have done well to merely state that there were always rumours but never any proof and left it at that.
What is clear from the book is just how much time was spent on political infighting in DC as opposed to actually running the OSS. From the onset the OSS was hated by every branch of the service and also the FBI and several other govt. departments who did everything they could to shut it down, including planting stories in the press (fake news anyone???).
The fact that Donovan was able to pull together such a wide ranging and disparate operation spanning Europe and Asia and still fight the numerous battles on the homefront his a testament to the man. But it is obvious as well that he had a "bull in a china shop" approach which hindered him greatly.
Recommended for WWII buffs, and espionage aficionados or for those who love larger than historical life figures (and Donovan was certainly that)
April 18, 2020
Waller's book is good and an interesting story. His assessment of Donovan seems very fair. Wild Bill Donovan had to start a foreign intelligence service from nothing and made a lot of mistakes along the way. Donovan's hands on approach could be disruptive and his management skills had a lot to be desired. As a man of action he was more suited to being in the field than heading the service. Yet the same time one wonders if the service could have become anything without someone like Donovan leading it.
The difficulty and amateurism displayed made it a miracle that his service worked at all. Much of the credit may be due to the Nazis being really despised. Waller brings out Donovan having success in Europe but in Asia his success was minimal despite great efforts.
Donovan comes across as a cowboy and adventurer. Which is a problem late in the war when he is looking to build a permanent intelligence service. But his relationship with FDR allowed him to get away with a lot. His ways bothered many and made him too many enemies as Donovan looked to put his service into all that he could. His need for adventure hindered his hopes of leading the agency further into the future.
William Donovan is a patriot and a part of the great war machine for the United States during World War II. His service could not be said to having won the war, but it helped in the effort. That is Waller's conclusion and mine to. The service he believed we needed would come to fruition after he was out of the way of the bureaucratic battles that he had engaged in during the war.
The difficulty and amateurism displayed made it a miracle that his service worked at all. Much of the credit may be due to the Nazis being really despised. Waller brings out Donovan having success in Europe but in Asia his success was minimal despite great efforts.
Donovan comes across as a cowboy and adventurer. Which is a problem late in the war when he is looking to build a permanent intelligence service. But his relationship with FDR allowed him to get away with a lot. His ways bothered many and made him too many enemies as Donovan looked to put his service into all that he could. His need for adventure hindered his hopes of leading the agency further into the future.
William Donovan is a patriot and a part of the great war machine for the United States during World War II. His service could not be said to having won the war, but it helped in the effort. That is Waller's conclusion and mine to. The service he believed we needed would come to fruition after he was out of the way of the bureaucratic battles that he had engaged in during the war.
June 5, 2023
Superficial pop history. Average writing. The use of the phrases "rabid anti-Roosevelt "(to refer to Cissy Patterson!) or "rabid Anti-communist" is always a tell you're getting a biography that will skip over or whitewash certain subjects. For example, the communist infiltration of the OSS, including Duncan Lee, is summarized in one-half page, and dismissed with the hand-wave that "no harm was done, since the Russians were our allies" (!)
Most interesting tidbits:
1) Isadore Lubin was Donovan's main Ally in the Roosevelt White House. Lubin was not only sifting through OSS and other intelligence reports sent to the White House for FDR's attention, Lubin was persuading FDR to approve various OSS projects. Hopkins for some reason was more sympathetic to the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover.
2) Felix Frankfurter's sister was one of Donovan's main assistants. One of her tasks was to make sense of all the various intelligence reports sent to OSS from the FBI, War Department and Navy Department. The implication is that Donovan wasn't big on paperwork or details.
Sidenote: Anyone who wants a more objective, better written, and deeper look at Wild Bill, should read Anthony Cave Brown's Wild Bill Donovan: The Last Hero . Its almost twice as long as this book. And covers the USSR penetration of the OSS in greater detail. Brown also discusses Donovan's harebrained scheme to let the NKVD embed 8 "Liaison agents" in OSS Headquarter's to "exchange information". Fortunately, J. Edgar Hoover put a stop to that.
Most interesting tidbits:
1) Isadore Lubin was Donovan's main Ally in the Roosevelt White House. Lubin was not only sifting through OSS and other intelligence reports sent to the White House for FDR's attention, Lubin was persuading FDR to approve various OSS projects. Hopkins for some reason was more sympathetic to the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover.
2) Felix Frankfurter's sister was one of Donovan's main assistants. One of her tasks was to make sense of all the various intelligence reports sent to OSS from the FBI, War Department and Navy Department. The implication is that Donovan wasn't big on paperwork or details.
Sidenote: Anyone who wants a more objective, better written, and deeper look at Wild Bill, should read Anthony Cave Brown's Wild Bill Donovan: The Last Hero . Its almost twice as long as this book. And covers the USSR penetration of the OSS in greater detail. Brown also discusses Donovan's harebrained scheme to let the NKVD embed 8 "Liaison agents" in OSS Headquarter's to "exchange information". Fortunately, J. Edgar Hoover put a stop to that.
November 4, 2012
"Wild Bill Donovan" (1883-1959) by Douglas Waller denies vindictive rumors but mainly criticizes. Builds slowly, parents, family, trawls geographically through regions assigned to OSS Office of Strategic Services. Dull, not thrilling. Judgemental, negative.
If he cried after half his men died in the Great WW1, men were loyal, women swooned, then why are most quotes criticisms? If "October 1917 was the last time they would be truly man and wife" p20, why take "a three-month Mediterranean excursion with Ruth in early 1923", other long times together, and stay married forever? If he was so handsome, why only 8 pg photos p181, 373, many of others, that do not agree with "beautiful" and "handsome" in text?
The sub-title of the cover claims "The Spymaster who created the OSS and modern American espionage", yet eight chapters in, claims of rampant infidelity, one outright 1939 affair with Becky Astor (wife of J.P. Morgan's nephew), from snide, obviously bitter, supposed "arrange her trysts" female friend Mary Bancroft. Then how could the lovers drift apart "by the end of the 1930s" p48 - impossible contradiction to be and not be faithful. At lavish banquet in China, the non-drinker rejected "free-flowing wine and pretty young Chinese women" p212. In 1953 in Thailand "the happiest they had been together in a long time" p368. He was not loose.
Starting prologue slanted against short "pudgy" ex-ladykiller p2 (5'9" 200 pounds @ 60 p173), yet he won Medal of Honor, public acclaim, and set up an international organization exceeding ten thousand in ony four years. Attributes nickname to a back-of-the-crowd soldier of troops out-of-breath after exercise when their commander was not "we aren't as wild as you are" p23. Outrageous denigration of hero.
A minor episode at the French embassy where Cynthia strips to scare away night watchman before successfully burgling Paris code books stood out as one exciting spy story p120. The rest is distressing WW1 and other loss of lives while Bill tours the globe to confront useless local tin-gods and constant harassment at home, FBI Hoover the worst. Herbert finally leaked confidential plans for a Security Service after the war and causing Bill's downfall p312. President Roosevelt encouraged "rivalries among his top people" p320. Short-sighted selfish icks. In-fighting and out. Faster and faster skipping.
Effects of brain damaging injury led to Bill flown by and firing Carl Eifler in Burma (no assassination plot after) p215. Obit better. Letter more like a book.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitu...
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-fo...
Just because an agent survived, doesn't mean all went well. Parachuted into Germany 19 March 1945 on operation Martini, Polish-born Leon Adrian swallowed map of a nearby airport, but Nazis drugged and pounded him to vomit. Tortured for five days, he never talked. When nearby bombing blew open his cell door, now wounded and crippled, he escaped. "Picked up on April 15", Adrian helped round up Gestapo, and shot the two thugs so "they won't beat anyone else" p273. Ouch. Now more the kind of incident I sought.
Gertrude Legendre 42, fluent French-speaking S. Carolina heiress, claimed to be just a Red Cross worker when accidentally caught joy-riding with other officers 26 Sep 1944. Treated well, "she chirped .. Probably Office of Social Club or something" p294 when interrogated about meaning of OSS. Finally convinced a German surrender was imminent, a Nazi guard was ordered to dump her near the Swiss border at the end of March 1945. Lucky girl. Once home, her diary was confiscated till after the war. Survivor Jennings, who kept mum on secrets, was drummed out by angry Bill. That "Gestapo interrogators did not even know what the letters OSS stood for" p337 indicates substantial success, no?
One of few successes, given few paragraphs, surrender negotiated with Karl Wolff, Italy SS chief, "saved hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives" p318, doesn't even count saved lives. After Roosevelt died, Democrat President Truman refused to trust Republican Bill p322. When Bill, horrified by rapes and torture of his agents, tried to help prosecute Nazi war criminals in Europe, Truman put Democrat Supreme Court judge Robert Jackson in charge, who wanted to read out (OSS) documents, rather than interview witnesses and Holocaust survivors in public; blame attributed generally rather than specifically would endanger both Bill and his sympathetic Germans for their war-time actions.
Former OSS lawyer Lawrence Houston consulted with Bill to draft CIA that "closely resembled the first proposal" p352. Still Truman abolished OSS 20 Sep 1945 p338, leaving Bill deep in debt for taxes. Despite Hoover's critical reports, Eisenhower appointed Bill ambassador to Thailand 1953 to draw the line against Communism. Bill went into the field, exporting 5500 mercenaries, but those left behind sent heroin to America. Despite apparent distance from family, he did suffer at loss of beloved girls: daughter 22, grand-daughter 4, daughter-in-law 37. Not sure how adequate the index is ( p449-66) that omits "daughter" "Patricia". Perhaps a time-line would have helped?
Aged 70, he resigned, this time only "nearly broke" p372, died 1959, two years after friends such as Admiral Jack Bergen , rather than months-absent wife or son, took him to Mayo Clinic who diagnosed severe dementia, and after severe stroke. Even then, Hoover "spread a false rumor that Donovan had died of syphilis" p384. The same year, the CIA main offices were built. In 1981, new chief Bill Casey, "who led the OSS penetrations into Germany" p386 commissioned a bronze statue for the foyer, which the sculptor modelled on Bill's grandson David 30s. "His operatives earned more than two thousand medals for bravery and suffered relatively few casualties" p388. A hagiography this is not.
Definitions:
p444 hagiography = saint biography Corey Ford's 1970 Donovan of OSS
If he cried after half his men died in the Great WW1, men were loyal, women swooned, then why are most quotes criticisms? If "October 1917 was the last time they would be truly man and wife" p20, why take "a three-month Mediterranean excursion with Ruth in early 1923", other long times together, and stay married forever? If he was so handsome, why only 8 pg photos p181, 373, many of others, that do not agree with "beautiful" and "handsome" in text?
The sub-title of the cover claims "The Spymaster who created the OSS and modern American espionage", yet eight chapters in, claims of rampant infidelity, one outright 1939 affair with Becky Astor (wife of J.P. Morgan's nephew), from snide, obviously bitter, supposed "arrange her trysts" female friend Mary Bancroft. Then how could the lovers drift apart "by the end of the 1930s" p48 - impossible contradiction to be and not be faithful. At lavish banquet in China, the non-drinker rejected "free-flowing wine and pretty young Chinese women" p212. In 1953 in Thailand "the happiest they had been together in a long time" p368. He was not loose.
Starting prologue slanted against short "pudgy" ex-ladykiller p2 (5'9" 200 pounds @ 60 p173), yet he won Medal of Honor, public acclaim, and set up an international organization exceeding ten thousand in ony four years. Attributes nickname to a back-of-the-crowd soldier of troops out-of-breath after exercise when their commander was not "we aren't as wild as you are" p23. Outrageous denigration of hero.
A minor episode at the French embassy where Cynthia strips to scare away night watchman before successfully burgling Paris code books stood out as one exciting spy story p120. The rest is distressing WW1 and other loss of lives while Bill tours the globe to confront useless local tin-gods and constant harassment at home, FBI Hoover the worst. Herbert finally leaked confidential plans for a Security Service after the war and causing Bill's downfall p312. President Roosevelt encouraged "rivalries among his top people" p320. Short-sighted selfish icks. In-fighting and out. Faster and faster skipping.
Effects of brain damaging injury led to Bill flown by and firing Carl Eifler in Burma (no assassination plot after) p215. Obit better. Letter more like a book.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitu...
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-fo...
Just because an agent survived, doesn't mean all went well. Parachuted into Germany 19 March 1945 on operation Martini, Polish-born Leon Adrian swallowed map of a nearby airport, but Nazis drugged and pounded him to vomit. Tortured for five days, he never talked. When nearby bombing blew open his cell door, now wounded and crippled, he escaped. "Picked up on April 15", Adrian helped round up Gestapo, and shot the two thugs so "they won't beat anyone else" p273. Ouch. Now more the kind of incident I sought.
Gertrude Legendre 42, fluent French-speaking S. Carolina heiress, claimed to be just a Red Cross worker when accidentally caught joy-riding with other officers 26 Sep 1944. Treated well, "she chirped .. Probably Office of Social Club or something" p294 when interrogated about meaning of OSS. Finally convinced a German surrender was imminent, a Nazi guard was ordered to dump her near the Swiss border at the end of March 1945. Lucky girl. Once home, her diary was confiscated till after the war. Survivor Jennings, who kept mum on secrets, was drummed out by angry Bill. That "Gestapo interrogators did not even know what the letters OSS stood for" p337 indicates substantial success, no?
One of few successes, given few paragraphs, surrender negotiated with Karl Wolff, Italy SS chief, "saved hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives" p318, doesn't even count saved lives. After Roosevelt died, Democrat President Truman refused to trust Republican Bill p322. When Bill, horrified by rapes and torture of his agents, tried to help prosecute Nazi war criminals in Europe, Truman put Democrat Supreme Court judge Robert Jackson in charge, who wanted to read out (OSS) documents, rather than interview witnesses and Holocaust survivors in public; blame attributed generally rather than specifically would endanger both Bill and his sympathetic Germans for their war-time actions.
Former OSS lawyer Lawrence Houston consulted with Bill to draft CIA that "closely resembled the first proposal" p352. Still Truman abolished OSS 20 Sep 1945 p338, leaving Bill deep in debt for taxes. Despite Hoover's critical reports, Eisenhower appointed Bill ambassador to Thailand 1953 to draw the line against Communism. Bill went into the field, exporting 5500 mercenaries, but those left behind sent heroin to America. Despite apparent distance from family, he did suffer at loss of beloved girls: daughter 22, grand-daughter 4, daughter-in-law 37. Not sure how adequate the index is ( p449-66) that omits "daughter" "Patricia". Perhaps a time-line would have helped?
Aged 70, he resigned, this time only "nearly broke" p372, died 1959, two years after friends such as Admiral Jack Bergen , rather than months-absent wife or son, took him to Mayo Clinic who diagnosed severe dementia, and after severe stroke. Even then, Hoover "spread a false rumor that Donovan had died of syphilis" p384. The same year, the CIA main offices were built. In 1981, new chief Bill Casey, "who led the OSS penetrations into Germany" p386 commissioned a bronze statue for the foyer, which the sculptor modelled on Bill's grandson David 30s. "His operatives earned more than two thousand medals for bravery and suffered relatively few casualties" p388. A hagiography this is not.
Definitions:
p444 hagiography = saint biography Corey Ford's 1970 Donovan of OSS
October 4, 2019
This was an interesting and thorough look into the life of General Bill Donovan. The biography covers his entire life, including his childhood, marriage and family, as well as his military, legal, and political careers; but the main focus is on the WW2 years, when Donovan served as the Coordinator of Information (COI), running the organization that soon evolved into the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). I've read other works on the OSS and its operations, but the focus here was on Donovan's leadership and vision, which provides an interesting context for the histories of the OSS.
There are many interesting anecdotes that help add color to the personality of Bill Donovan, but I wish it were written in a more readable fashion. The author seems allergic to commas, which made for many instances of run-on sentences that are tiring to read. He also too often lists dates without the year--and given that the narration is not *strictly* chronological, that could be aggravating; sometime I had to flip back several pages to find a reference to what year it was.
Overall a very thorough and informative look at Bill Donovan's life and work.
There are many interesting anecdotes that help add color to the personality of Bill Donovan, but I wish it were written in a more readable fashion. The author seems allergic to commas, which made for many instances of run-on sentences that are tiring to read. He also too often lists dates without the year--and given that the narration is not *strictly* chronological, that could be aggravating; sometime I had to flip back several pages to find a reference to what year it was.
Overall a very thorough and informative look at Bill Donovan's life and work.
April 13, 2018
I had never read anything about Bill Donovan before and this was a good book by which to get to know him. I am of the opinion that the greatest "battle" he fought was just trying to overcome the adversity he encountered in trying to get his intelligence agency off the ground. His accomplishments are even more fascinating when you think that he had to start from scratch, the U.S. always being at the hind end of the intelligence game.
An interesting personality to say the least who in the end, despite his best efforts to create "a national intelligence agency" after World War II, was vindicated in 1947 when the CIA was established using recommendations that "Wild Bill" had originally suggested to both FDR and Truman. Unfortunately it was to go on without his guiding hand.
One other thing that is glaring here is the squabbling that took place not only amongst American agencies, military hierarchy, and politicians but among so-called "Allies." How did they ever win World War II?
An interesting personality to say the least who in the end, despite his best efforts to create "a national intelligence agency" after World War II, was vindicated in 1947 when the CIA was established using recommendations that "Wild Bill" had originally suggested to both FDR and Truman. Unfortunately it was to go on without his guiding hand.
One other thing that is glaring here is the squabbling that took place not only amongst American agencies, military hierarchy, and politicians but among so-called "Allies." How did they ever win World War II?
August 10, 2020
I liked the fast and informative pace of writing style that Douglas C. Waller implemented within "Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage".
I personally did not like reading how Donovan treated his wife. He was infatuated with her (at first sight) and then his egotism of rising the ranks led him to develop the confidence to be unfaithful. This confidence was so strong within him that he was even considering divorcing his wealthy wife to be with his other eye-catching interest whom earnestly swore she could get him into the White House.
Donovan was undeniably the right man for the job. Without him the OSS would not have been conceptualized in a time frame that required a new intelligence agency to handle an enemy that was crossing borders at dangerous intervals.
Donovan was also the first to implement the use of mafia men for the strategic use of the "dark arts" (lock-picking, safe cracking, etc.) This was smart thinking on his behalf, as he could have corrupted the minds and motives of innocent, well intentioned, serviceable, felony-free, applicants.
I personally did not like reading how Donovan treated his wife. He was infatuated with her (at first sight) and then his egotism of rising the ranks led him to develop the confidence to be unfaithful. This confidence was so strong within him that he was even considering divorcing his wealthy wife to be with his other eye-catching interest whom earnestly swore she could get him into the White House.
Donovan was undeniably the right man for the job. Without him the OSS would not have been conceptualized in a time frame that required a new intelligence agency to handle an enemy that was crossing borders at dangerous intervals.
Donovan was also the first to implement the use of mafia men for the strategic use of the "dark arts" (lock-picking, safe cracking, etc.) This was smart thinking on his behalf, as he could have corrupted the minds and motives of innocent, well intentioned, serviceable, felony-free, applicants.
January 2, 2021
Who knew? Douglas Waller's biography on Bill Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and inspirational influence for today's CIA shares insight into how it all came to be. William Donovan was a swashbuckling, thin-skinned, ego driven, gut motivated, charismatic leader that was only right for creating and driving the OSS. It's no surprise that he was Franklin Roosevelt's pick for the role. Waller's book does an amazing job in reporting the good and the bad, with the exception of glossing over the distorted microscope Donovan and many of his team were placed under during the communist witch hunt of the late 40s-early 50s. Otherwise, this is a very good read shedding light on the role spying and espionage came to be in World War II through today.
January 26, 2024
William Donovan was a complicated man - soldier, Metal of Honor winner, lawyer and, in fact, creator of a spy network that echoes in today’s CIA. Husband, father, dirty-trickster, “Wild Bill,” as he was known, served his country where expediency trumped righteousness, things necessary for progress in war were deemed moral and there was a lot of gray area. There always is with espionage. And Donovan arguably went to his grave with his feet in clay.
But we did win a two-front war in 1945, and a cold one to follow. Despite a messy world and still-dangerous times, I believe we’d be worse off had Donovan not been in the shadows.
This book fairly details the life of a complicated man and for history buffs or those who don’t want to repeat mistakes of the past, this is a worthy read.
But we did win a two-front war in 1945, and a cold one to follow. Despite a messy world and still-dangerous times, I believe we’d be worse off had Donovan not been in the shadows.
This book fairly details the life of a complicated man and for history buffs or those who don’t want to repeat mistakes of the past, this is a worthy read.
January 24, 2024
This is a well-researched, well-written biography of William Donovan, lawyer, founder and director of the O.S.S. and, later, ambassador to Thailand. It is generally positive, attributing energy, creativity and charisma to Donovan while admitting a deficit in administrative skills. The only strong critique is of his handling of the Polk murder in post-war Greece. Personal deficits--poor family relations, womanizing--are treated cursorily. Bureaucratic infighting is detailed. While described as 'conservative', Donovan's actual political beliefs, with the exception of his anti-communist prejudices, are never described.
February 14, 2018
I picked up Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created The OSS And Modern American Espionage a while ago, and it was a fascinating read!
This was such a great book, and definitely something I’ll want to read again a few years down the road. Bill Donovan was a flawed but fascinating character and seemed so much larger than life, it almost seemed like a work of fiction. Incredible that this stuff actually happened. It was also so neat to look back and learn the origins of American espionage as the subtitle says, and how it shaped into the CIA and more of today.
Really great book.
This was such a great book, and definitely something I’ll want to read again a few years down the road. Bill Donovan was a flawed but fascinating character and seemed so much larger than life, it almost seemed like a work of fiction. Incredible that this stuff actually happened. It was also so neat to look back and learn the origins of American espionage as the subtitle says, and how it shaped into the CIA and more of today.
Really great book.
February 5, 2021
A great book of one of America's unsung heroes. Donovan was controversial at least. Being Irish-Catholic was a cross he had to bear in the early 1920's. Irish was enough of a cross to bear, but join that with being Catholic was enough to squash any chance politically he had. I learned a lot about the in-fighting of our leaders in WWII that I often wondered how the Allies won the War! I guess the Axis was even more messed up. The family tragedies were very tough to bear for Donovan. I have no end of admiration for Ruth, his wife with all she had to endure. An engrossing story.
July 14, 2020
Dougler C. Waller's "Wild Bill Donovan" is an interesting popular history of America's World War II spymaster. Head of the Office of Strategic Services, Donovan's wartime exploits resulted in mixed success. However, he was a central figure in the foundation of modern espionage and the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency. The chapters relating to OSS involvement in Yugoslavia were of particular interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews