Cloak and Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939-1961

A history of the American intelligence effort from the creation of the OSS through 1961. These names of university professors and scholars are known throughout America, but their backgrounds are not. Winks reveals the shadowy game that is played on the campus as well as in the back streets of Milan and Vienna. The CIA and its World War II predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), were for many years largely populated by members of Ivy League colleges, particularly Yale. In this highly acclaimed book, Robin Winks explores the underlying bonds between the university and the intelligence communities, introducing a fascinating cast of characters that include safe-crackers and experts in Azerbaijani as well as such social luminaries as Paul Mellon, David Bruce, John P. Marquand, Jr., and William Vanderbilt. This edition of the book includes a new preface by Winks.

A look into the shadowy world of OSS intlligence, from the campus to the streets of Berlin and Milan.