THE DIRTY TRICKS DEPARTMENT

The true story of the covert WWII espionage unit

Author: John Lisle Publisher: The History Press Price: £22.99 Released: Out now

During World War II, chemist Stanley Lovell was approached by “Wild Bill” Donovan of the Office of Strategic Services. The OSS was something of a precursor to the CIA, and Donovan needed someone who could invent all kinds of dastardly inventions for espionage work, from silent pistols to suicide pills. In his own words, Donvan needed a “Professor Moriarty”. John Lisle’s new book, The Dirty Tricks

Department, tells the story of Lovell’s group and their role in World War II espionage. Lisle has picked a fascinating subject, full of country clubs turned into secret training facilities and even bat and cat bombs. Lisle’s prose is engaging and witty, reflecting some of the outlandishness of the narrative he has chosen to tell. Lovell, Donovan and the other figures associated with the OSS certainly seemed to be colourful characters and Lisle doesn’t hold back in portraying them as such. His writing is vibrant and punchy, keeping his readers hooked.

However, Lisle is not afraid to tackle the serious and sometimes disturbing side of his subject matter. For example, the final section of the book shows Lovell’s department’s connection to the infamous MKULTRA ‘mind-control’ programme. The history of this programme is deeply concerning and Lisle treats it as such, but doesn’t lose any of his engrossing style in the process.

The Dirty Tricks Department is an engaging piece of espionage history, sure to grab the attention of any reader. Highly recommended.