Thanks for visiting – This website includes Archives with rare photos and fascinating history linked to US international relations and espionage, with an emphasis on U.S. and Japan engagement during the first half of the Twentieth Century. A time of friendship and of conflict.
I’ve long had a curiosity for history and world affairs – In order to better understand the inner workings of current events, for many years I’ve been a member or Board Member of the San Diego World Affairs Council, a local chapter of the World Affairs Councils of America, our nation’s largest non-profit, non-partisan, political affairs/educational organization. Through this fine educational forum, I’ve attended many fascinating presentations and met ambassadors, consul generals, and other political, economic, academic, and military representatives from around the globe.
My interest in world affairs might well be linked to my being the first born American son of European immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island, after having survived World War II. My family settled in the lower East Side of New York City, where I enjoyed living in this melting pot of diverse cultures.
An alumni from Brooklyn College with a Bachelors of Science Degree, with minors in Sociology and Greek Classical Literature. Followed by a DDS Degree from Georgetown University School of Dentistry. And then a California Teaching Degree from Alliant International University.
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 assorted biographies and autobiographies of individuals who have shaped our world.
This love of books went further, guiding me to become the proprietor of antiquarian and out-of-print bookstores. It was through these establishments that I serendipitously acquired the fascinating personal papers and official documents of a master spy, Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir. NEVER had I seen anything like the Mashbir collection: Those one-of-a-kind, primary source historical documents made me feel like an investigative reporter, as I researched the secrets hidden within.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 led to the historical novel The Emperor and the Spy, followed by illustrated biographies on Prince Tokugawa Iesato, a leading Japanese international statesman and humanitarian who allied with Colonel Mashbir in the cause of peace. The Tokugawa biography comes in two versions: The Art of Diplomacy (Print and Kindle EBook) and with the expanded version titled: The Art of Peace (a digital EBook). The above books reveal a new unknown perspective on US / Japan relations during the first half of the twentieth century, history that continues to strongly influence international relations today. These books highlight outstanding individuals who supported peace, democracy, and fought racism,
In 2023, based largely on the historical research and writing that I’ve done, I was nominated for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award by the City of Oceanside, California and the North San Diego County NAACP.
This website and the books mentioned above offer an exciting journey to an often exotic colorfully engaging, and sometimes dramatic tumultuous period of history.
I hope you enjoy!
Best regards,
Stan