THE DIRTY TRICKS DEPARTMENT
Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare
by John Lisle
An engaging study of a secretive government group created “to develop and deploy all of the dirty tricks that were needed to win the greatest war in history.”
Stories about spy agencies are always intriguing, and there is still much to be explored about the work of the Office of Strategic Services. Lisle, an academic historian of science and the intelligence community, delves into the work of the Research and Development Branch of the OSS, which was responsible for the invention of new weapons and techniques for the military as well as for the resistance movements fighting behind the enemy lines. The key figure is Stanley Lovell (1927-2010), who was recruited by OSS director William “Wild Bill” Donovan to head the branch. Lovell was an industrial chemist with a good eye for innovation, and he brought a number of colorful characters into the group. Even before the U.S. was formally at war, the R&D branch was developing weapons for sabotage, such as silenced guns, time-delay fuses for explosives, and magnetic mines. One of the most useful inventions was “Aunt Jemima,” an explosive compound that could be camouflaged as pancake flour. The branch also provided fake documents, disguises, and cover stories for spies. Some of the ideas that the branch explored were merely fanciful—e.g., the plan to use bats to deliver incendiary bombs. Studies on biological and chemical warfare were more serious but raised difficult moral questions. The war ended before research in these areas came to fruition. Lisle believes that the work of the R&D branch made a critical contribution to the war effort, but he acknowledges that there is still controversy about the overall effectiveness of the OSS. Regardless, it’s a fascinating story, and with the use of newly unearthed documents and interview material, the author tells it well. With careful research and a dry wit, Lisle finds much to say about the backroom war.
A page-turning account of the scientists, inventors, and eccentrics of the OSS in a critical period of conflict.