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Hal Vaughan
Hal W. Vaughan (1928-2013) was an American author based in Paris, France. He held several posts as a U.S. Foreign Service officer before becoming a journalist on assignments in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He served in the US Military in both World War II and Korea, and was... show more

Hal W. Vaughan (1928-2013) was an American author based in Paris, France. He held several posts as a U.S. Foreign Service officer before becoming a journalist on assignments in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He served in the US Military in both World War II and Korea, and was involved in a number of covert intelligence activities as a US Foreign Service Officer at Karachi and Geneva during the Cold War. Vaughan had intimate knowledge of clandestine, international operations.As a journalist, Vaughan worked for the New York Daily News and the International Press Service (IPS). He covered Mehmet Ali Agha's attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II for ABC-News in Rome, and later worked for ABC News Radio in New York.During his tenure with the United States Information Service (USIS), Vaughan developed documentary films in Pakistan. At the U.S. Embassy in Karachi and at the U.S. Consulate General in Dacca, East Pakistan, he covered events for the Voice of America (VOA). Later, he temporarily carried out duties in Saigon during the Vietnam War. As a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Geneva, Vaughan served as Public Affairs Officer to Vice President Hubert Humphrey (during the Kennedy Round of Tariff Negotiations). He also held diplomatic posts under Ambassadors W. Michael Blumenthal and W. Averill Harriman.In Cairo, Vaughan was a consultant to Prince Mohammed al-Faisal al-Saud. This stint resulted in a screenplay titled Bedouin that was optioned by Orion Films.Vaughan was a disabled (non-combatant) World War II veteran. Near the end of the Korean War, Vaughan, a National Guard Battalion Sergeant-Major (S-2) dealing with tactical intelligence, was mobilized at Fort Drum, Watertown, NY. His unit never made it overseas.In 2004, his first book, Doctor to the Resistance: The Heroic True Story of an American Surgeon and His Family in Occupied Paris, was published by Brassey's Inc. He followed up with FDR's 12 Apostles: The Spies Who Paved the Way for the Invasion of North Africa, which was brought out in 2006 by The Lyons Press. And in 2011, Knopf/Random House released Vaughan's heavily researched book, "Sleeping With the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War." The work garnered much critical acclaim and some degree of controversy.Vaughan was a member of DACOR: Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired, Wash., DC; Association of Former Intelligence Officers; the Paris Cercle de l'Union Interalliée; and the National Press Club, Wash., DC. He was fluent in French, had a good command of Italian, and enjoyed some knowledge of German, Urdu, and Arabic.
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Chris' Fish Place
Chris' Fish Place rated it 12 years ago
Walking fashion faux pas that I am, even I know what extactly Chanel means in the terms of fashion and scent. Which is why I read this book.I want a little more meat. I have no doubt that Vaughan's thesis is correct; I just want more meat. Part of this is because Chanel, like her famous perfume, ...
Minor Characters
Minor Characters rated it 13 years ago
For those expecting a fully fleshed biography of Coco Chanel, make no mistake: as the title implies, the focus of this book is on Chanel's experience during WWII and the Nazi occupation of France. Vaughan does not (and, to my mind, never intended to) present an all-inclusive look at her life; coun...
KOMET
KOMET rated it 14 years ago
In this book, Vaughan sets out to prove that Coco Chanel --- the famous Paris couturier who revolutionized 20th century women's fashions and created a perfume that remains a popular icon today (Chanel No. 5) --- collaborated with the Germans during their occupation of France (1940-1944). Chanel, li...
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