Reviews
"...Doundoulakis is able to evoke the suspense and thrilling detail of his many narrow escapes and also convey his youthful sense of excitement and adventure. His intimate rendering of the adversity Greek civilians faced during the war is particularly moving....
"...no matter how exceptional his post-war experience, it shrinks in comparison to tales of avoiding the Gestapo behind enemy lines and practicing the arts of intelligence..."
"...Exciting, first-hand account of a World War II spy."
- Kirkus Discoveries, A review service from Kirkus Reviews
Not every hero of World War II was forcing their way forward on the front lines. "I Was Trained To Be a Spy" is the true life story of Helias Doundoulakis, who served as a spy during the thick of World War II. Witnessing the early days as a citizen... was trained as a spy, then found himself blending among the Greek people, whom he lived with during much of his life. Telling his full story from his early life to his life after, "I Was Trained To Be a Spy" is the exciting story of a real spy.
- The Midwest Book Review, by Michael Dunford
Fast-paced true story, October 15, 2008
By Book Siren "book siren" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
The author, Helias Doundoulakis, never minces words, and is to-the-point, taking you on a fast ride through his WWII experience. It's easy reading. I read it in one night: once I started I couldn't put it down. Gives a fairly decent account of his escape, his OSS training, his threat of capture and close calls with the Gestapo. Kirkus concurs with me, and gave it two thumbs up. I wish it were a little longer, though. Also, the author's website is pretty cool: [...]. Check it out, good photos. His post-war attributes are also very interesting, designing the radio telescope in Arecibo PR, which was in the James Bond flick Goldeneye. This book is comparable to and better than Assignment Algiers by Erasmus Kloman Assignment Algiers: With the OSS In The Mediterranean Theater and OSS: Stories That Can Now Be Told by Dorothy Ringlesbach
Source: Click Here »
Readers Rating:
" Spy thriller"
- By Anonymous
November 02, 2008: Good overall account of one man's spy mission as an OSS spy. Could have been longer, but easy reading, and personal.
Source: Click Here »