Books & Writings

Drawing on a life lived across continents, conflicts, and cultures, Oldfield authored several books that blend memoir, history, and personal philosophy — a rich literary legacy of an extraordinary American life.

I
Memoir

Never a Shot in Anger

A memoir of his wartime public-information service — the story of the press corps, the correspondents he trained to jump into combat, and the machinery of information that ran alongside the guns of WWII.

II
Air Force History

Those Wonderful Men in the Cactus Starfighter Squadron

Stories drawn from his Air Force service — tales of the men who flew and fought in the Cold War era, told with the insider's eye of a public information officer who knew them all.

III
Novel

Operation Narcissus

A work of fiction that reflects Oldfield's lifelong engagement with intrigue, personality, and the theater of public life — a novel shaped by decades at the intersection of power and press.

IV
Autobiography

The Kid From Tecumseh

Written near the end of his life, this reflective autobiography returns to the Nebraska plains where it all began — a full-circle account of a century lived with curiosity, courage, and generosity.