The Irregulars
Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
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Narrated by:
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Simon Prebble
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By:
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Jennet Conant
About this listen
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 M16 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.
©2008 Jennet Conant (P)2008 HighBridge Company.Listeners also enjoyed...
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"Reads like a classic spy novel....With this excellent history of personalities and politics during World War II, Conant adds successfully to her previous books that have made vivid the war's background players. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)
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The fascinating, improbable true story of Maxwell Knight - the great MI5 spymaster and inspiration for the James Bond character M. Maxwell Knight was perhaps the greatest spymaster in history. He did more than anyone in his era to combat the rising threat of fascism in Britain during World War II, in spite of his own history inside this movement. He was also truly eccentric - a thrice-married jazz aficionado who kept a menagerie of exotic pets - and almost totally unqualified for espionage. Yet he had a gift for turning practically anyone into a fearless secret agent.
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Outstanding in every way!
- By Grace O'Malley on 07-18-22
By: Henry Hemming
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A Spy Among Friends
- Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal
- By: Ben Macintyre
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
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Who was Kim Philby? Those closest to him—like his fellow MI6 officer and best friend since childhood, Nicholas Elliot, and the CIA’s head of counterintelligence, James Jesus Angleton—knew him as a loyal confidant and an unshakeable patriot. Philby was a brilliant and charming man who rose to head Britain’s counterintelligence against the Soviet Union. Together with Elliott and Angleton he stood on the front lines of the Cold War, holding Communism at bay. But he was secretly betraying them both: He was working for the Russians the entire time.
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The narrator is incorrectly identified.
- By Greenlake DD on 07-30-14
By: Ben Macintyre
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The Hawk and the Dove
- Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War
- By: Nicholas Thompson
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Only two Americans held positions of great influence throughout the Cold War; ironically, they were the chief advocates for the opposing strategies for winning---and surviving---that harrowing conflict. Both men came to power during World War II, reached their professional peaks during the Cold War's most frightening moments, and fought epic political battles that spanned decades.
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Two outstanding people in the US Government
- By Nina Donnard on 11-05-09
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Kissinger
- A Biography
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 34 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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By the time Henry Kissinger was made secretary of state in 1973, he had become, according to a Gallup poll, the most admired person in America and one of the most unlikely celebrities ever to capture the world’s imagination. Yet Kissinger was also reviled by large segments of the American public, ranging from liberal intellectuals to conservative activists. Kissinger explores the relationship between this complex man's personality and the foreign policy he pursued.
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A dissapointment
- By Mike From Mesa on 12-16-13
By: Walter Isaacson
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The Accidental President
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- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Tony Messano
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- Unabridged
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The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman's first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
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Exceptional
- By Jean on 11-14-17
By: A. J. Baime
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Inga
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- By: Scott Farris
- Narrated by: Scott Farris
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In addition to her romance with Kennedy, Arvad married four times - including to an Egyptian prince, the brilliant filmmaker Paul Fejos, and the famed cowboy movie star Tim McCoy. She had affairs with Wall Street financier Bernard Baruch, the noted surgeon Dr. William Cahan, and Winston Churchill's right hand man, Baron Robert Boothby. But by all accounts her admirers among the European and American elite loved Inga not for her physical beauty, but for her joie de vivre.
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Excellent Kennedy Read
- By James P. Barraza on 04-14-17
By: Scott Farris
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Going Home to Glory
- A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969
- By: David Eisenhower, Julie Nixon Eisenhower
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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After President Dwight D. Eisenhower left office in 1961, he retired to a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Living next door was his teenage grandson, David; they would be neighbors for the rest of the decade. Based on personal stories, letters, diaries, and the reminiscences of Eisenhower’s closest friends, Going Home to Glory is both an intimate chronicle of the elder statesman’s final years and a coming of age story.
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Wow - Living History - Right Before Our Eyes
- By Amazon Customer on 12-16-11
By: David Eisenhower, and others
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Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy
- Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961
- By: Nicholas Reynolds
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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While he was the curator of the CIA Museum, Nicholas Reynolds, a longtime military intelligence expert, began to discover tantalizing clues that suggested Ernest Hemingway's involvement in the Second World War was much more complex and dangerous than has been previously understood. Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy brings to light for the first time this riveting secret side of Hemingway's life - when he worked closely with both the American OSS and the Soviet NKVD to defeat Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
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So entertaining you'd think it was fiction
- By Austin on 03-16-17
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Truman
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
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Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
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That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
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Ike and Dick
- Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage
- By: Jeffrey Frank
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Richard Nixon was a young Navy officer when he first saw Dwight D. Eisenhower through a storm of tickertape as Manhattan celebrated the end of the war in Europe. Seven years later, Nixon was Eisenhower's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket-the beginning of a political and personal relationship that lasted for nearly twenty years. Despite a gulf that separated them by age and temperament, their association evolved into a collaboration that helped to shape the nation's political ideology.
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He's against NIxon
- By James A. Bretney on 01-20-14
By: Jeffrey Frank
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Julia and Paul?? Not in this book
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What listeners say about The Irregulars
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Sandra
- 01-05-09
Unique Aspect of the War at Home
This is a concise telling of a rather unknown entity that operated in the US beginning in the early years of the war. Many little interesting tidbits of history. A little too much focus on Wallace, FDR's vice president and not enough on the daily workings of the unit. The author covers a lot of territory and you are left wanting more depth in some areas. Fun and easy listen and a new perspective on Britin, our "friend"
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4 people found this helpful
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- William
- 02-09-12
Not exactly a spy story
From the description I expected this to be a spy story, and while there was a good bit of cloak and dagger stuff, it's really more about American politics and high society shenanigans from about 1940 to 1945. Though I have little interest in political history I stuck with this book and was glad I did.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Linda
- 06-16-09
interesting
I learned a lot about about activities connected with WWII -- British spys in the Americas, Vice President Wallace, and Washington DC society. I had no idea that children's book writer Dahl had been a British spy in the US! It was definitely worth reading. But, the book was not linear and would jump back and forth. I prefer my non-fiction to be chronological.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 05-03-09
Interesting account
I wanted to be fascinated and looked forward to learning about an experience I'd never explored before. In some sections of the book I was captivated, but other sections dragged on and I found myself wishing the editor had been more heavy handed.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Brian Rentch
- 10-26-08
Pretty good
Very interesting story especially how these individuals became who they are where. Lagged for a bit but is recommended.
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3 people found this helpful
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Story
- Bryden
- 09-03-13
Fascinating insight into wartime politics
Roald Dahl's intriguing career is reviewed in this excellent book. I was fascinated by how this 'childrens author' was connected to the political elite during the most tumultuous period of modern history and how famous many of his then colleagues became.
Including 007 author Ian Fleming and ad-man David Ogilvy.
Simon Prebble's voice and style are perfect match to this novel making it a joy to listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Dale
- 02-28-11
Surprising
I downloaded this book on a whim. It was on sale and I've been listening to lots of WWII history and wanted something a bit different. In addition, I've read a lot of Dahl and own most of his children's books. The material is engrossing and the narrator is quite good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there is a middle section of the book where the story necessarily goes away from Dahl only to come back to him later that is somewhat confusing in audiobook format. The names and dates can come fast and furious and be a little overwhelming at times. In the end, however, it was a fascinating story and is told well by both author and reader.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Story
- O.B. Shame
- 04-17-14
Worth Your Time
Any additional comments?
I was torn between giving the story 3 and 4, only because it dragged in places and went off in several tangents. In the end, I decided on 4 because for history buffs, the story is an important chapter in U.S.-British relations. There are times when you feel like Dahl is "the most interesting man in the world" as the commercial says, and there are other times when you believe he stumbled and charmed his way along for much of his life. He, not to mention the others, was certainly an interesting character. There is no doubt about that. The reader, Simon Prebble, is excellent. Good enough that, when Audible recommended "The Irregulars" after I finished "The Day of the Jackal," I gave it a try when I saw that Prebble read this one too. This is a worthwhile piece of history and I recommend it.
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- S. Oltman
- 04-25-22
WW2 History on the Home Front That You Never Knew
Terrific story with terrific characters, British and American, and history that I never knew.
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- Phyllis
- 12-23-12
Needed a players card to keep track...
Would you try another book from Jennet Conant and/or Simon Prebble?
No
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
Wrapped up Dahl's life rather quickly in the end.
Did Simon Prebble do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Yes, fairly good given the large number of characters with minimal parts.
Did The Irregulars inspire you to do anything?
I did have to google several people mentioned just to see what they looked like given the descriptions in the book.
Any additional comments?
I would have enjoyed the story more if there actually had been a story. I felt I was listening to a long list of people who showed up at places and hoped something would happen. I was rather disappointed that it read more like a thesis than popular press.
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