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Title details for The Irregulars by Jennet Conant - Available

The Irregulars

Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington

by Jennet Conant
Simon Prebble
Audiobook
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1 of 1 copy available
Prior to the U.S. entering WWII, a small coterie of British spies in Washington, D.C., was formed. They called themselves the Baker Street Irregulars after the band of street urchins who were the eyes and ears of Sherlock Holmes in some Arthur Conan Doyle stories. This group constituted the very beginning of what would become MI6, the British version of the CIA, and they helped support the fledgling American intelligence service, known at the time as the OSS. Among them were writers Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, and the flamboyant Canadian industrialist turned professional saboteur William Stephenson, known by the code name "Intrepid," upon whom Fleming would later base his fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Richly detailed and carefully researched, Conant's narrative uses never-before-seen wartime letters, diaries, and interviews to create a fascinating, lively account of deceit, double dealing, and moral ambiguity-all in the name of victory.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 9, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781598877670
      • File size: 334698 KB
      • Duration: 11:37:17

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      As enjoyable as Conant's history of British spy jinks in wartime Washington is on the page, its pleasures are enhanced by Simon Prebble's vintage British inflections. This is the voice of BBC wartime newsreels, measured and stalwart and utterly composed, and its assured syllabification never concedes to an American pronunciation. Conant's story of classy espionage conducted in tuxedos is not only the prototype of the James Bond novels, it also includes among its many memorable characters Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, along with congressmen and socialites, columnists, and even Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Prebble's narration is point-counterpoint for the polished comedy of Conant's true-life tale, refining the farcical nature of much of the story, while giving a wink to the whole proceedings. Highly recommended. D.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 9, 2008
      What could be more intriguing than the young writer Roald Dahl—destined to create such classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
      —assigned by His Majesty’s Government to Washington, D.C., as a diplomat in the spring of 1942, charged with a secret mission? Dahl’s brief was to gather intelligence about America’s isolationist circles (indeed, he infiltrated the infatuated Claire Boothe Luce in more ways than one) and propagandize for prompt American entry into the European war. The United States had technically been at war with Germany since December 1941. However, the U.S.’s attention was focused mainly on the Pacific theater—and such pro-German political figures as Luce and Charles Lindbergh meant to keep it that way. Dahl’s most important job was to influence public opinion generally and the opinions of Washington’s powerful specifically. As bestselling author Conant (Tuxedo Park
      ) shows in her eloquent narrative, Dahl’s intriguing coconspirators included future advertising legend David Ogilvy and future spy novelist Ian Fleming. Most fascinating, though, is Dahl’s relationship with the great British spymaster William Stephenson, otherwise known as “Intrepid.” This all boils down to a thoroughly engrossing story, one Conant tells exceptionally well.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 27, 2008
      This carefully researched chronicle of Dahl’s WWII espionage ought to be more interesting than it is—the word “spy ring” suggests thrilling acts of derring-do, yet they never come. While occasionally intriguing, this is too frequently a dry collection of old gossip with too many tangents discussing minor characters, their real estate and their clothing. Simon Prebble reads creditably and distinctively, and his English accent is perfect for the subject. But even he can’t hold one’s attention in this excessively digressive, slowly paced academic work. It’s a pity, because this is a comprehensive look at a topic that most people probably know little about: England’s efforts to counter American isolationism. A Simon & Schuster hardcover (Reviews, June 9).

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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