| Readers
with a penchant for real-life cloak-and-dagger stories won’t
be disappointed with this memoir. Dan Pinck’s adventures
behind the lines in war-torn China resulted in some vital
information being passed along to the Allies, and his up-close-and-personal
look at the world of covert military operations in that country
will fascinate many. But the author’s engaging writing
style and self-deprecating wit do not focus on the heroics
typically encountered in spy stories. Pinck ignores the glamour
to give a totally candid view of events. Just nineteen years
old when he volunteered for the Office of Strategic Services
(OSS) in World War II, he was quickly assigned to a remote
area near Hong Kong where he worked with some sixty local
agents. The sole American agent in the area, Pinck coordinated
the gathering of information about troop movements and shipping
along the Japanese-held coast, efforts that resulted in the
sinking of several enemy ships. Prior to Japan’s surrender
he was mapping Japanese coastal emplacements in the area where
an American invasion was scheduled.
Pinck credits his
survival more to the knowledge of his Chinese colleagues than
to his own skills in intelligence operations, and his book
keenly illustrates that point when he explains that in serving
behind enemy lines, close relationships with the natives often
make the difference between success and failure, even life
and death. In Peking after the war, he continued to benefit
from the friendships he developed with the Chinese, and the
last pages of his memoir are filled with insights about U.S.-China
relations. Such a vivid, honest, and often humorous account
of his exploits as a spy will appeal to a broad audience both
as entertainment and as a historical document.
Dan Pinck, a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts,
serves as head of the New England Chapter of the OSS Society.
His articles have appeared in many of the nation’s leading
magazines and newspapers.
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