Case By Case: A U.S. Army Conterintelligence Agent in World War II - Softcover

Melchior, Ib

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0595003931 ISBN 13: 9780595003938

Publisher: iUniverse, 2000

Synopsis

"Melchior's masterful memoir of his days as an American Counterintelligence operative during World War II makes indelible an era that must never be lost to historical memory. With wit and compassion he deftly recalls those days when good and evil were clearly defined."—Warren Adler, author of The War of the Roses

"Every page crackles with suspense, suprise, and danger. Case By Case is must-read book for any historian, military buff or lover of adventure!"—Ralph B. White, President of the Adventurer's Club

About this title

About the Author

Danish-born Ib Melchior is an author and award-winning movie and TV writer/director, with 12 feature films and numerous documentaries to his credit. Melchior served int he U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps during World War II, for which he won recognition from three countries. Ten of his worksall of them best-sellers, and together published in 25 countriesare based on his personal exploits.

From Kirkus Reviews

An absorbing memoir of the Danish-born author's WW II experiences with the American military, which obviously provided a starting point for the many thrillers he later wrote as a civilian (Code Name: Grand Guignol, 1987, etc.). When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Melchior was working as a stage manager at Radio City Music Hall. Having already decided to become a US citizen, the multilingual author volunteered his services to the armed forces. Melchior, then 24, was rigorously trained by the OSS and subsequently assigned to the Army's Counterintelligence Corps. He eventually spent two years in the ETO, advancing with Allied troops from Normandy through France, Luxembourg (during the Battle of the Bulge), and Germany as far as the Czechoslovakian border. In the course of an eventful tour, the author proved cunning as well as effective in his pursuit of collaborators, high-ranking Nazis, saboteurs, spies, war criminals, etc. While much of his work as a field investigator was routine (e.g., screening displaced persons, discharged soldiers, undocumented travelers, or local pols whose backgrounds qualified them for office in the interim governments established by the American military), he was a party to a full ration of dramatic moments. Among other accomplishments, he and fellow operatives uncovered a band of so-called Werewolves (Wehrmacht fanatics left behind the lines to engage in terrorist acts against the populist and invasion forces). He also helped unearth stolen art treasures and caches of contraband weapons while unmasking any number of SS personnel (subject to mandatory arrest) who posed as refugees to evade capture. In 1990, Melchior and his wife retraced the route he took through Europe when it was being liberated. His brief account of this sentimental journey adds considerable resonance to a narrative already rich in anecdotal detail and high adventure. (Illustrations--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0595003931
• ISBN 13: 9780595003938
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 372