The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare
John LisleAfter a disconcerting amount of time, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, the head of the OSS, walked in the door. “You know your Sherlock Holmes, of course,” Donovan said as an introduction. “Professor Moriarty is the man I want for my staff...I think you’re it.”
Following this life-changing encounter, Lovell became the head of a secret group of scientists who developed dirty tricks for the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. Their inventions included bat bombs, suicide pills, fighting knives, silent pistols, & camouflaged explosives. Moreover, they forged documents for undercover agents, plotted the assassination of foreign leaders, & performed truth drug experiments on unsuspecting subjects.
Based on extensive archival research & personal interviews, The Dirty Tricks Department tells the story of these scheming scientists, explores the moral dilemmas that they faced, & reveals their dark legacy of directly inspiring the most infamous program in CIA history: MKULTRA.