The Foreign Service Journal, November 2010

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 37 Chas W. Freeman Jr. is chairman of Projects Inter- national, Inc., a Washington-based firm that helps American and foreign clients arrange business transac- tions internationally. A retired FSO and former am- bassador to Saudi Arabia, Freeman has had a distinguished three-decade-long career in government and foreign relations. A China expert and fluent Man- darin speaker, he was the principal American inter- preter during President Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to Beijing. FICTION Spies in the Garden Bob Bergin, Impact Publications, 2010, $14.95, paperback, 365 pages. This engaging work of histor- ical fiction centers on the Amer- ican espionage effort in Asia that became the Office of Strategic Services. The story begins in Burma just before the start of World War II and fol- lows the Japanese invasion and the disasters that befall the British Army. Young journalist Harry Ross has been sent to Rangoon by “Wild Bill” Donovan to es- tablish an espionage network and monitor the effec- tiveness of Claire Chennault’s American Volunteer Group, the “Flying Tigers,” who joined in the defense of Rangoon. When Rangoon falls, the action moves to China. An adventure novel, Spies in the Garden is packed with historical characters and data. “It is detailed and authentic when it comes to the OSS [Office of Strate- gic Services] in Burma, China (particularly Chunking and Kunming) and Thailand,” says Alice Booher in The OSS Society Journal . “A vivid picture of what the very beginning of America’s espionage effort in Asia must have been like, Spies is rich in detail of the era and the craft of spying,” says Charles Pinck, president of the OSS Society. Bob Bergin is a retired FSO who served in Viet- nam, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Kenya and Japan. He is the author of two other historical novels set in Asia, Stone Gods, Wooden Elephants (Impact AFSA Resource Marketplace Find the Most-Requested Resources from the Overseas Briefing Center Online at www.afsa.org/ads 1. FSI’s Transition Center 2. U.S. Department of State Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) 3. Security Overseas Seminars: PSOS, ASOS, SAA, SOS, SOS 4. Transition Center Training home page for eligible family members and members of household (MOH) 5. International Jobs - Working Overseas 6. Country Information (Bidding Resources) 7. Transition Center Courses 8. Preparing to Go Overseas 9. Pets and International Travel 10. Foreign Service Assignment Notebook: What Do I Do Now? 11. U.S. Department of State Career Transition Center (CTC) 12. Personal Post Insights 13. Elementary School Stuff 14. Arrange Medical Clearance and Immunizations 15. High Stress Assignment Outbrief Program