Eugene Fodor

Eugene Fodor, hardly a travel industry mainstay when his book, "On the Continent," launched his namesake brand 75 years ago. Back then, the Hungarian-born Fodor was a young anti-fascist who had worked as an interpreter for a French shipping line, studied at the Sorbonne and spoke six languages. His trajectory as head of a fledgling guidebook company took a shadowy turn once war broke out. In 1942, he added spy to his resume — specializing in psychological warfare for the Americans and later providing cover for CIA operatives masquerading as travel writers for his guides.