O'Donnell's writing has appeared in publications as varied as The Daily Beast,[1] Breitbart News, Military History Quarterly (MHQ), and World War II Magazine.

[3] In 2012, the OSS Society presented O'Donnell with the John Waller Award, which recognizes achievement in scholarship related to intelligence and special operations history.

[6] He received the Colby Circle Award for Outstanding Military History for Beyond Valour.

[8] O’Donnell served as a research fellow at Mount Vernon's Fred W. Smith National Library.

[9] He is native of Westlake, Ohio, and attended American University for his undergraduate studies and Johns Hopkins for his graduate work.