Operation OSS provides a fascinating glimpse into the famed Office of Strategic Services, better known as the OSS, the predecessor to today's CIA. It combines three declassified manuals that together document the field activities of the clandestine community during World War II, involving both citizen saboteurs and professional teams of trained operatives. This Simple Sabotage Field Manual is the basic OSS doctrine for training civilians as saboteurs, outlining the tools, targets, and timing schedules necessary to achieve maximum efficiency in support of conventional military offensives. The Maritime Unit Field Manual describes OSS clandestine waterborne operations, including ferrying operatives and supplies to and from enemy-held shores, conducting maritime sabotage against enemy shipping and shipping installations, and providing tactical assistance to conventional forces. Finally, the Provisional Basic Field Manual puts the sabotage and maritime manuals in proper context, showing how the objectives of physical and morale subversion fit into the overall mission statement and structure of the organisation. These rare manual reprints are essential study for anyone interested in the activities of the clandestine community during World War II. ILLUSTRATIONS: photographs hillustrations
