. . . well, not really.
I am Dr. Gary Kidney, master of historical espionage fiction and the author of the Shadow and Subterfuge series of books.
Dr. Gary Kidney is the award-winning author of The Eagle Scout Picture, the debut novel in the Shadow and Subterfuge Series. His debut has earned the 2025 Gold Medal from Reader's Favorite in Fiction/ Thriller/Espionage, a Second Place and Third Place finish at the 2025 Book Fest, and praise from readers worldwide who have called it cinematic, soul-stirring, and one of the most emotionally powerful works of WWII historical fiction they have encountered.
The Eagle Scout Picture is the product of years of meticulous research across ten countries, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, France, Belgium, and the United States. Gary traveled to the locations his characters walked, studied the archives, and brought the same rigorous scholarly discipline to his fiction that defined his distinguished career in higher education.
Gary holds five degrees, including a Doctor of Education from the University of Houston and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. His academic career took him to some of America's most respected institutions, where he served as Associate Chief Information Officer at Yale University, Associate Provost and Professor at the University of Maryland University College, and Director of Academic and Research Computing at Rice University.
His expertise in WWII history extends beyond fiction. His articles have appeared in WWII History magazine, including "One Against War" in the Late Fall 2012 issue and "The Movie That Fueled the Holocaust" in April 2016. He brings to his novels the same commitment to historical accuracy that earned him recognition as a scholar and researcher.
The Cold War sequel to The Eagle Scout Picture, titled Iron Curtain Spies and Lies puts you in the thick of the tensions that escalated into decades of animosity between the US and the USSR. Readers who want to stay connected to Gary's work can follow him on Goodreads
Gary's desire to include a meticuolos sense of place in his setting had taken him to 151 countries on 6 continents in preparation for future books in the series.