I’ve long had a curiosity for history and world affairs. So as to better understand the inner workings of current events, for many years I’ve been a member and am now on the Board of Directors of the San Diego World Affairs Council, which is a local chapter the World Affairs Councils of America. Through this fine international affairs educational organization, I’ve attended many fascinating presentations and met ambassadors, consul generals, and other political, economic, academic, and military representatives from around the globe.
My passion for reading has included historical sagas by James Michener and James Clavell, and war and espionage novels by John LeCarre, W.E.B. Griffin, and Ian Fleming, as well as biographies and autobiographies of individuals who shaped our world.
This love of books went further, guiding me to become the proprietor of antiquarian bookstores. It was through these establishments way back in 1999, that I surprisingly acquired the personal papers and official documents of a master spy, Colonel Sidney Mashbir, who took a major role in two World Wars.
NEVER had I seen anything like the Mashbir collection: Those one-of-a-kind, primary source historical documents made me feel like an investigative reporter, as I researched the secrets hidden within.
This research would lead to the writing of a historical novel The Emperor and the Spy, which highlights the coordinated efforts of Colonel Mashbir and many Japanese leaders during the 1920s and 1930s to maintain goodwill between their nations. Many readers of this novel wished to know more about these impressive individuals, so a nonfictional sequel to the novel was written, an illustrated biography titled: THE ART OF PEACE. This biography presents hundreds of illustrations which highlight the life and accomplishments of one of Colonel Mashbir's closest Japanese allies, Prince Tokugawa Iesato. It unveils the untold story of a Japanese international peace and democracy movement prior to WWII, which almost prevent war between the US and Japan.
One of Prince Tokugawa Iesato's closest allies in the promotion of international goodwill was Baron Shibusawa Eiichi, who is known as the Father of the Modern Japanese Economy. Besides these fine statesmen being presented in the above mentioned historical novel and biography, they are also highlighted thru many illustrated Blog posts on the website TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com
The Art of Peace is soon to be republished in a Print and Ebook Edition with the new title: The Art of Diplomacy.