YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY CLOAK AND DAGGER

Irreverent in tone, paint-fresh in its backward look, the password here is nonchalance for the author's experiences in the Office of Strategic Services which he entered as a lieutenant, came out a captain -- and was almost thrown out by more than one apoplectic superior. A volunteer, hoping for rescue from the Louisiana swamps, he had his toughening up around Washington (where he talked back on the roughing up), as an instructor, in parachute training, and, assigned to Special Operations, while waiting for sailing time, went through the spy course. England and more parachuting in the British style, and, with a chance to give an assist to the maquisard and an operation needing another American, he was finally dropped in France -- behind the Allied lines! Next- 7 German officers to be trained for (the British-style parachuting again) infiltration within their own troops; then to SHEAF Forward; back to England and a Norwegian section which acquired 20 Greeks (that British-style parachuting once more), and the frustrating hold- backs when the first groups from the training base in Scotland half completed their missions. At last, a last chance on the real thing for the surrender of the Germans in Norway- and on to the unwinding of the O.S.S. back in Washington. Brash -- but a laugh-out at the ""glory boys"", military foul-ups, the cockeyed things that happen in the midst of VIP undertakings -- this, for all its Steig-like ""dreams of glory"", is fun -- funny -- and, latterly, serious about what went on -- from one man's place in the scheme of things -- in the O.S.S. OK on the out-of-step war accountings.