Many a man has been impressed by the ingenuity of secret agent operations, and intrigued by the subterfuge, gadgets, and disguises required to pull them off. Much of what we think about when we think about spies got its start as part of the Office of Strategic Services, the American intelligence agency during World War II.
Here to unpack some of the history of the world of cloak and dagger operations is John Lisle, author of The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare. Today on the show, Lisle explains why the OSS was created and the innovations its research and development section came up with to fight the Axis powers. We talk about the most successful weapons and devices this so-called “Dirty Tricks Department” developed, as well as its more off-the-wall ideas, which included releasing bat bombs and radioactive foxes in Japan. We discuss the department’s attempt to create a truth serum, its implementation of a disinformation campaign involving “The League of Lonely War Women,” and its promotion of a no-holds-barred hand-to-hand combat fighting system. We also talk about the influence of the OSS on the establishment of the CIA and controversial projects like MKUltra.
Resources Related to the PodcastHow to Survive Any Worst Case Scenario
Magician's Secrets for Becoming More Commanding, Convincing, And Charismatic
The Myths and Truths Around Suicide
The Essential Guide to Getting Promoted
The Heroic Exploits of WWII’s Pacific Paratroopers
Answers to the FAQ of Modern Etiquette
The Art and Science of Getting Unstuck
The Essential Guide to Visiting and Camping in the National Parks
Thoreau on Making a Living
Optimize Your Testosterone
Leadership Lessons From Military Mentors
Become a Focused Monotasker
Generations — The Surprising Truths and Persistent Myths
Toastmasters, Aristotle, and the Essential Art of Rhetoric
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
The Science of a Better Daily Routine
The Golden Rules of Success
What the World of Psychology Gets Wrong About Men
The Essential Habits for Becoming an Agile, Vital, and Durable Human Being
How to Deal With the Worry of Waiting
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Renewing Your Mind with R.C. Sproul
Today, Explained
Freakonomics Radio
Morning Wire