Crows are Black Everywhere

Major Herbert O. Yardley led an exciting and amazing life. As the deviser of a new diplomatic cipher code for the Department of State; and as head of the U.S. Government's cryptographic departmentthe so-called Black Chamberfrom 1919-1929, he contributed enormously to the U.S. efficiency in war and in peace. During World War II, he served as a Major, becoming chief of military intelligence No. 8 in 1917. Later he served on General Pershing's staff as a military observer. He was in charge of military intelligence in C-17 at the peace conference, and on the basis of his record received the Distinguished Service medal.

From 1938 to 1940, Yardley acted as personal adviser to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese nationalist politician, revolutionary and military leader, who served as the leader of the Republic of China between 1928-1975, first in China until 1949, and then in Taiwan until his death.

Yardley's two years as Chiang Kai-shek's adviser form the background for the story told in the present volume, Crows Are Black Everywhere, which was first published in 1945. It tells "an intricate story of espionage and counterespionage in Chungking, in which are involved an American girl reporter, Peggy, who wants to be impartialand finds she cannot; Bill, instructor of Chinese fighter pilots, and Tina, his Eurasian mistress, whose half-brother is Wang, of doubtful patriotism; Fritz, a German-American who has designs on Peggy; and various other expatriates, spies and loyal Chinese."

A gripping read!

Dettagli