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The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
 
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The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington (Hardcover)

by Jennet Conant (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Simon & Schuster Hardcover Ed edition (20 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0743294580
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743294584
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 3.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 58,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #2 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Propaganda
    #8 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Countries > North America
    #15 in  Books > History > Military History > Military Intelligence & Espionage

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Product Description

Review
"With grace and insight and an unerring eye for the telling human detail, Jennet Conant has given us an entertaining and enlightening account of a long-forgotten but essential chapter of the Second World War: the British espionage operations based in Washington during those epic days. By recovering Roald Dahl, the man at the center of seemingly everything, and placing him and his shadowy work in historical context, Conant has shed fresh light on the complexities and contradictions of the 'special relationship' between Roosevelt and Churchill and their nations. This is a terrific tale -- and it's all true, proving anew that history trumps even the most vivid fiction."-- Jon Meacham, author of "Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship"

Product Description
During the desperate winter of 1940, as the threat of German invasion hung over England, the British government mounted a massive, secret campaign of propaganda to weaken the isolationist sentiment in America and manipulate the country into entering the war on England's behalf. Under the command of the now legendary INTREPID, the British planted propaganda in American newspapers, covertly influenced radio stations and wire services, and plotted against American corporations doing business with the Third Reich. They also pushed President Roosevelt to create a similar covert intelligence agency in the US, and played a role in the selection of William Donovan as its head. Now for the first time, with great research and reporting, Jennet Conant reveals that the beloved author Roald Dahl was a member of Churchill's infamous dirty tricks squad, and tells the full story of how he was recruited to spy on the Americans during World War II.

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The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
95% buy the item featured on this page:
The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
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The Spy Who Came in from the Co-op: Melita Norwood and the Ending of Cold War Espionage (History of British Intelligence)
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The Spy Who Came in from the Co-op: Melita Norwood and the Ending of Cold War Espionage (History of British Intelligence) 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£14.49

 

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Trading Rumors, Secrets, Access, Influence, and Loyalties, 11 Oct 2008
By Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)      

During World War II, Britain dispatched many presentable young men to argue its case to America, to pick up insights, to grab secrets that could be used, and to influence American decisions. Where several books have emphasized the spymaster behind these efforts, Canadian William Stephenson, this book looks at the young men exercising their influence in Washington, D.C. Roald Dahl (author of James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) was one of the most effective, but his peers also included Ian Fleming (author of the James Bond books) and David Ogilvy (of advertising fame . . . thinking Hathaway shirts).

Ms. Conant writes about these young men and those they seduced (men into sharing secrets and women often into their boudoirs) in a way that seems like today's gossip, foibles and all. What makes those details interesting is that they often involve prominent Americans like President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Vice President Henry Wallace, up-and-comer Lyndon Johnson, and influential reporters and columnists. You will probably be especially interested to learn about Charles Edward Marsh, newspaper magnate, trophy wife hunter, and sponsor for promising young men (including Dahl and Johnson).

The book's main weakness is that it seems puffed up a bit to include more gossipy tidbits than are necessary for the story, but which might titillate readers. On the other hand, Ms. Conant resists falling in love with her subjects and writes candidly about their weaknesses, pains, failings, and disappointments.

To me the most interesting parts of the book came where it became transparent that President Roosevelt was using the British spies to help achieve his goals while keeping his own counsel.

The reality is that the British were acting more like today's lobbyists than they were spies . . . except that they didn't make large campaign contributions.

If you don't like books about who seduced who and how it all happened, you should avoid this book. It tells you more than you want to know in those areas.
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