Guide to the Robin Moore papers, 1916-2009

(bulk 1960-2009)

John Hay Library , University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2022

Collection Overview

Title:	Robin Moore papers
Date range:	1916-2009, (1960-2009)
Creator:	Moore, Margo
Extent:	23 Linear Feet 21 record center boxes, 2 document boxes
Abstract:	These are the personal papers and manuscripts of American writer Robert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. best known for his books The Green Berets , The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy , and The Happy Hooker: My Own Story . He also kept a detailed diary of his trip to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during April 1979 and about which he later wrote articles and essays. The papers include correspondence, diaries, manuscripts for published and unpublished works, photographs, audio recordings, films, and documents relating to his lawsuit against Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	MS.2011.046

Scope & content

Series 1. Correspondence and personal files. This series contains correspondence with his family, friends and associates. It also includes a wide variety of personal information including financial information, his passport, address books, condolences received by his family upon his death in 2008, and materials related to the life of his wife Mary Olga.

Series 2. Diaries. Moore kept a daily diary consistently during June 1974 until July 1983. He also kept a diary during his trip to Vietnam during 1964 when he was attached to the Special Forces and doing research for his book The Green Berets . He also kept a detailed diary of his trip to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in April 1979.

Series 3. Articles about Moore and topics of interest. Moore actively collected newspaper and magazine articles about himself and his wife Mary Olga. The majority of the articles relate to his literary career and the books he published. In 1981, he campaigned as a Republican to become a Senator from Connecticut and there are many articles relating to his political campaign. He also collected articles on topics of interest primarily related to military and political topics.

Series 4. Manuscripts and Research. This series represents the bulk of the collection. These files contain the research he conducted for books, screenplays, and articles along with drafts and final versions for most of his literary works. He was working on a book called KARMA and his Memoirs at the time of his death.

Series 5. Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema Lawsuit. This series contains documents and correspondence relating to the lawsuit Moore brought against Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema. Moore travelled to Uzbekistan in December 2001 to research the CIA-Northern Alliance war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, publishing the account in the bestseller The Hunt for Bin Laden: Task Force Dagger . Shortly after the publication of The Hunt for Bin Laden , controversy arose over the veracity of the book, particularly regarding the involvement of J. Keith Idema. Idema, who was one of Moore's major sources, provided what later proved to be fabricated accounts of his exploits. In order to portray himself as having a greater role in the operation, Idema apparently went as far as to rewrite much of Moore's and Chris Thompson's text prior to publication under the direct authorization of Random House editor Bob Loomis. Special Forces soldiers who were on the mission (including those whom Moore interviewed) disputed Idema's claims. Moore eventually disavowed The Hunt for Bin Laden and the book remains out of print.

Series 6. Photographs. The photographs are primarily personal family photographs of his wife, family and friends. It also includes slides that he took in Vietnam during 1964 and photographs of his trips to Dubai, Oman, Israel, and Lebanon during the 1970s.

Series 7. Audio and Film. The majority of this series are micro magnetic audio cassettes like the kind used in small audio recorders and telephone answering machines during the 1970s to the 1990s. Most are untitled so no information is currently available for their contents. The ones that do have identification appear to be recordings of telephone conversations, recordings of Moore used as notes on particular topics or interviews. Of note are reel-to-reel magnetic audio recordings of Mary Olga singing. This series also contains 4 reels of super 8mm motion picture film and a 1 inch magnetic video tape of Robin Moore on a program called Fast Talk discussing Rhodesia.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Moore, Margo
• Moore, Mary Olga
• Hollander, Xaviera
• Idema, Jonathan Keith

Subject Organizations

• United States. Army. Special Forces

Subject Topics

• Spy stories
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Fiction
• Authors, American -- 20th century

Geographical Names

• Dubayy (United Arab Emirates : Emirate) -- Description and travel
• Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe -- Description and travel
• Dubayy (United Arab Emirates : Emirate)

Document Types

• Diaries -- 20th century
• Manuscripts for publication
• Screenplays
• Memoirs
• Microcassettes
• Audiocassettes

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following 7 series:

• Series 1. Correspondence and personal files
• Series 2. Diaries
• Series 3. Articles about Moore and topics of interest
• Series 4. Manuscripts and Research
• Series 5. Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema Lawsuit
• Series 6. Photographs
• Series 7. Audio and Film

Biographical / Historical

Robert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. was born October 31, 1925 in Boston to Eleanor Turner Moore and Robert Lowell Moore. Moore was raised in Concord, Massachusetts. During World War II he served as a nose gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying combat missions in the European Theater. For his service, he was awarded the Air Medal. Moore graduated from Harvard College in 1949, and one of his first jobs was working in television production and then at the Sheraton Hotel Company co-founded by his father, Robert Lowell Moore. While working in the hotel business in the Caribbean, he recorded the early days of Fidel Castro in the non-fiction book The Devil To Pay.

Thanks to connections with Harvard classmate Robert F. Kennedy, Moore was allowed access to the U.S. Army Special Forces to write about this elite unit of the United States Army. General William P. Yarborough insisted that Moore go through special forces training in order to better understand "what makes Special Forces soldiers 'special'." Moore trained for nearly a year, first at "jump school" for airborne training before completing the Special Forces Qualification Course or "Q Course", becoming the first civilian to participate in such an intensive program. Afterward, Moore was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group on deployment to Vietnam. His experiences in-country formed the basis for The Green Berets, a bestseller that helped secure him international acclaim (see United States Army Special Forces in popular culture).

During the 1970s and 1980s Moore travelled widely spending time in such places as Dubai, Iran, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Russia. Having gathered the information needed he wrote The Crippled Eagles (later published as The White Tribe ) and The Moscow Connection . Due to political controversy, The Crippled Eagles was rejected by publishers and did not appear until the early 1990s. He also wrote the non-fiction books Rhodesia and Major Mike (with U.S. Army Major Mike Williams) and many screenplays for television and movies.

Moore travelled to Uzbekistan in December 2001 to research the CIA-Northern Alliance war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, publishing the account in the bestseller The Hunt for Bin Laden: Task Force Dagger . Shortly after the publication of The Hunt for Bin Laden , controversy arose over the veracity of the book, particularly regarding the involvement of J. Keith Idema. Idema, who was one of Moore's major sources, provided what later proved to be fabricated accounts of his exploits. In order to portray himself as having a greater role in the operation, Idema apparently went as far as to rewrite much of Moore's and Chris Thompson's text prior to publication under the direct authorization of Random House editor Bob Loomis. Special Forces soldiers who were on the mission (including those whom Moore interviewed) disputed Idema's claims. Moore eventually disavowed The Hunt for Bin Laden and the book remains out of print.

In 2003, continuing his interest in writing about the war on terror, Moore traveled to Iraq to research Operation Iraqi Freedom and the downfall of the Saddam Hussein regime for his book, Hunting Down Saddam . He recently completed The Singleton: Target Cuba with Ret. USASF Major General Geoffrey Lambert, a novel about Fidel Castro and biological warfare.

He was married five times, but for 32 years to his fourth wife, Russian-born singer Mary Olga Troshkin, who died of cancer on April 9, 2005. The next year, he married British-born Helen Kirkman, whom he had met in Jamaica in 1958, at a Special Forces convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He is survived by her and two daughters.

At the time of his death on February 21, 2008, Moore was residing in Hopkinsville, Kentucky (home to Fort Campbell and the 5th Special Forces Group) where he was working on his memoirs as well as three other books.

Citation: "Robin Moore." Wikipedia 31 May 2014. Accessed 05 June 2014.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access for non-digital materials, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Advance notice is required to view born-digital records. Born-digital materials in this collection have not been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. Access to original physical digital media is restricted.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Robin Moore papers, Ms.2011.046, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of Margo Moore, daughter of Robin Moore, in 2011.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Brown University Library Staff.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-10-31 .
Descriptive rules:	Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Additional Information

Inventory

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