The Master of Disguise

by Mendez, Antonio J.; McConnell, Malcolm

• ISBN13: 9780688163020
• ISBN10: 0688163025
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-10-04
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

On the 50th anniversary of the CIA, Antonio J. Mendez was named one of the 50 all-time stars of the spy trade and he was granted exclusive permission -- a CIA first -- to tell his fascinating story. An undisputed genius who could create an entirely new identity for anybody, anywhere, anytime, he combined the cunning tricks of a magician with the analytical insight of a psychologist to help hundreds of people escape potentially fatal situations. From "Wild West" adventures in East Asia to Cold War intrigue in Moscow and helping six Americans escape revolutionary Tehran in 1980, Mendez was on the scene. Here, he gives us a privileged look at what really happens in the field and behind closed doors at the highest levels of international espionage: some of it shocking, frightening, and wildly inventive -- all of it unforgettable.

Author Biography

Antonio J. Mendez was born in Eureka, Nevada, and worked as a plumber and illustrator before joining the CIA's technical services staff and ultimately becoming its Chief of Disguise. He has now retired with his wife to rural Maryland, where he pursues his lifelong passion, painting.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Preface	xiii
A Letter Slipped in the Door	1	(22)
Border Crossings	23	(28)
Onto the Shadowy Battlefield	51	(27)
Murky Waters, Southeast Asia	78	(44)
Kipling's Beat	122	(36)
Honor and Gambit	158	(18)
Pinball	176	(20)
Moscow Rules	196	(60)
Raptor in the Dark	256	(52)
Endgame	308	(33)
Epilogue	341	(3)
Glossary	344