Book cover of Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage

Book description

“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…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Wild Bill Donovan as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Bill Donovan, recognized as a hero for rescuing his fellow soldiers at the front in World War I, was a rising star in the Republican Party, becoming assistant attorney general under Republican President Calvin Coolidge.

But in mid-1941, when many Republicans were condemning President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a warmonger, Donovan broke with them and supported FDR, urging him to create an intelligence agency to prepare the United States for a war against fascism.

In his insightful Wild Bill Donovan, Douglas Waller recounts Donovan’s bold decision to ally himself with FDR, rejecting partisan politics and instead prioritizing the defense…

No matter how much of a junkie you think you are about Special Operations and our history, you don’t know anything about where modern American spycraft and Special Ops came from unless you’ve studied Wild Bill Donovan and his creation, The Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

To truly understand the present, you must first understand the past. If you consider yourself a student or fan of Special Operations, read this book to learn more about the man, and his baby that eventually led to both the US Army Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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