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Russian Roulette
- How British Spies Thwarted Lenin's Plot for Global Revolution
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
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Publisher's summary
In 1917, a band of communist revolutionaries stormed the Winter Palace of Tsar Nicholas II - a dramatic and explosive act marking that Vladimir Lenin’s communist revolution was now underway. But Lenin would not be satisfied with overthrowing the Tsar. His goal was a global revolt that would topple all Western capitalist regimes - starting with the British Empire. Russian Roulette tells the spectacular and harrowing story of the British spies in revolutionary Russia and their mission to stop Lenin’s red tide from washing across the free world. They were an eccentric cast of characters, led by Mansfield Cumming, a one-legged, monocle-wearing former sea captain, and included novelist W. Somerset Maugham, beloved children’s author Arthur Ransome, and the dashing, ice-cool Sidney Reilly, the legendary Ace of Spies and a model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
Cumming’s network would pioneer the field of covert action and would one day become MI6. Living in disguise, constantly switching identities, they infiltrated Soviet commissariats, the Red Army, and Cheka (the feared secret police), and would come within a whisker of assassinating Lenin. In a sequence of bold exploits that stretched from Moscow to the central Asian city of Tashkent, this unlikely band of agents succeeded in foiling Lenin’s plot for global revolution.
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Performance
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In this brilliant synthesis of social, political, and cultural history, Antony Beevor and Artemis Cooper present a vivid and compelling portrayal of the City of Lights after its liberation. Paris became the diplomatic battleground in the opening stages of the Cold War.
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Worthwhile listen
- By DanBudda on 07-27-16
By: Antony Beevor, and others
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Spymistress
- The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II
- By: William Stevenson
- Narrated by: Nicholas Camm
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A rousing tale of espionage and unsung valor, this is the captivating true story of Vera Atkins, Great Britain's spymistress from the age of 25. With her fierce intelligence, blunt manner, personal courage, and exceptional informants, Vera ran countless missions throughout the 1930s. After rising to the leadership echelon in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert intelligence agency formed by Winston Churchill, she became head of a clandestine army in World War II.
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Great Story - Unfortunately Monotone Performance
- By Glenn on 03-29-14
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Defying Hitler
- The Germans Who Resisted Nazi Rule
- By: Gordon Thomas, Greg Lewis
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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An enthralling story that vividly resurrects the web of everyday Germans who resisted Nazi rule.
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The Righteous Few
- By Linda on 05-19-19
By: Gordon Thomas, and others
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The Art of Betrayal
- The Secret History of MI6 - Life and Death in the British Secret Service
- By: Gordon Corera
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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From Berlin to the Congo, from Moscow to the back streets of London, these are the stories of the agents on the front lines of British intelligence. And the truth is often more remarkable than fiction.
MI6 has been cloaked in secrecy and shrouded in myth since it was created a hundred years ago. Our understanding of what it is to be a spy has been largely defined by the fictional worlds of Ian Fleming and John le Carré. Gordon Corera provides a unique and unprecedented insight into this secret world and the reality that lies behind the fiction.
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Good details but lacks thorough research
- By Unapologetic on 09-06-17
By: Gordon Corera
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A Man Called Intrepid
- The Incredible WWII Narrative of the Hero Whose Spy Network and Secret Diplomacy Changed the Course of History
- By: William Stevenson
- Narrated by: David McAlister
- Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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A Man Called Intrepid is the account of the world’s first integrated intelligence operation and of its master, William Stephenson. Codenamed INTREPID by Winston Churchill, Stephenson was charged with establishing and running a vast, worldwide intelligence network to challenge the terrifying force of Nazi Germany. Nothing less than the fate of Britain and the free world hung in the balance as INTREPID covertly set about stalling the Nazis by any means necessary.
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You have to wonder ...
- By Mike From Mesa on 04-15-14
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Adolf Hitler
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 44 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on previously unpublished documents, diaries, notes, photographs, and dramatic interviews with Hitler's colleagues and associates, this is the definitive biography of one of the most despised yet fascinating figures of the 20th century. Painstakingly documented, it is a work that will not soon be forgotten.
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Strange Person
- By Mark on 11-25-14
By: John Toland
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Madame Fourcade's Secret War
- The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler
- By: Lynne Olson
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1941 a 31-year-old Frenchwoman, a young mother born to privilege and known for her beauty and glamour, became the leader of a vast intelligence organization - the only woman to serve as a chef de résistance during the war. Strong-willed, independent, and a lifelong rebel against her country’s conservative, patriarchal society, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was temperamentally made for the job. No other French spy network lasted as long or supplied as much crucial intelligence. Fourcade was captured twice by the Nazis - and both times she managed to escape.
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Marvelous book, inappropriate narrator
- By Phoebs on 03-07-19
By: Lynne Olson
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A Savage War of Peace
- Algeria 1954-1962
- By: Alistair Horne
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 29 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The Algerian War lasted from 1954 to 1962. It caused the fall of six French governments, led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic, and came close to provoking a civil war on French soil. More than a million Muslim Algerians died in the conflict, and as many European settlers were driven into exile. From the perspective of half a century, it looks less like the last colonial war than the first postmodern one.
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Excellent history of France's Viet Nam
- By David on 04-10-16
By: Alistair Horne
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Church of Spies
- The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler
- By: Mark Riebling
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The Vatican's silence in the face of Nazi atrocities remains one of the great controversies of our time. History has accused wartime pontiff Pius the Twelfth of complicity in the Holocaust and dubbed him "Hitler's Pope". But a key part of the story has remained untold. Pius ran the world's largest church, smallest state, and oldest spy service. Saintly but secretive, he skimmed from church charities to pay covert couriers, and surreptitiously tape-recorded his meetings with top Nazis.
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Pius XII Vindicated
- By James Clark on 04-17-16
By: Mark Riebling
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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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Six Months in 1945
- FDR, Stalin, Churchill, and Truman--from World War to Cold War
- By: Michael Dobbs
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 16 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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When Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill met in Yalta in February 1945, Hitler's armies were on the run and victory was imminent. The Big Three wanted to draft a blueprint for a lasting peace - but instead set the stage for a 44-year division of Europe into Soviet and western spheres of influence. After fighting side by side for nearly four years, their political alliance was rapidly fracturing. By the time the leaders met again in Potsdam in July 1945, Russians and Americans were squabbling over the future of Germany and Churchill was warning about an "iron curtain" being drawn down over the Continent.
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Totally Outstanding. Bravo !
- By Alan on 10-25-12
By: Michael Dobbs
What listeners say about Russian Roulette
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- William E. Hendry
- 02-15-17
Nerves Of Steel British Spies Vs Russia: WW1 Era
What made the experience of listening to Russian Roulette the most enjoyable?
This detailed biographical history of the beginning of MI 6 during and after WW-1 and the subsequent infiltration of the Bolsheviks, Lenin's Cominterm - with world revolution especially in India and the current middle east which sheds light on current events and spies with nerves of steel, a flair for unimaginable danger, and quick intellect. Wow!
Who was your favorite character and why?
Cummins, AKA "C"........he invented the whole affair....
Have you listened to any of Napoleon Ryan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but his performance was brilliant and he sounds like a spy!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Tea And Vodka On The Eastern Front
Any additional comments?
If you have read "Farewell" this book is made for you, brother!
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1 person found this helpful
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- ar
- 05-12-14
What a tragedy
Would you try another book from Giles Milton and/or Napoleon Ryan?
Giles Milton, yes... The narrator no. Literally an awesome read, horrible listen.
What did you like best about this story?
The writing. Anytime a history is written as a suspenseful novel, it's a win
Would you be willing to try another one of Napoleon Ryan’s performances?
Absolutely not. Nothing against this guy, but for him to narratate nonfiction is ridiculous. He sounds like he's doing a murder mystery at a mansion. I had to try really hard to take the book seriously, which thank heavens it was well writte so I could.
Did Russian Roulette inspire you to do anything?
Um..... Like be a spy or something? No. But I got another book when it was over.
Any additional comments?
If I were the author I would wonder if there is a petition to have audible re record the book with someone else that doesn't sound like Sherlock Holmes
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2 people found this helpful
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- Brooke
- 10-14-17
Riveting story and very well written
This is a riveting spy story that is hard to stop listening to! The reader's voice is perfect for the material, and the writer unfolds the details of the story in an engaging manner. Highly recommended for another perspective on the Russian Revolution and the "insiders' view" of events as they unfolded!
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- jerome m.
- 04-13-18
Would Make A Good Movie
A really interesting story regarding the evolution of spy craft and international intrigue. Good thing the Brits were able and willing to engage the Soviets. Otherwise the world might be considerable different today.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Katherine
- 08-07-14
Much better than expected
I wrote a review already and it disappeared, so forgive me not working too hard at it. This was a very good depiction of the early days of the Russian Revolution from an unsympathetic side.....the opposite of "Reds", one could say. It was a terrific story with startlingly dangerous feats being attempted in the very early days of British spying. We forget that the fear of a worldwide communist revolution was justified at the time, which also contributed to the rise of fascism. The characters and stories are vivid and fascinating and with some in central Asia, resonate with us today. How amazing that the Soviets wanted to make use of the highly religious Muslims for their own purposes!
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3 people found this helpful
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- John Gathly
- 06-02-19
Excellent histoary that doesn't hide the ball
Unlike many of the texts available on audible that deal with soviet history, this one was refreshing for being clear from the outset that it isn't writing an unbiased history, but is clear in its point of view from page one that it is a story about fighting the global socialist revolution, which the author considers an unqualified heroic action. When you don't hide your bias, it becomes easier to take your history as it is, instead of being annoyed by the clear point of view when unacknowledged by so many other authors. A strange thing occurs, also, when you do this, the author is able to acknowledge alternative points of view, simply from the fact that they are openly displaying their own, and the history is actually more complete. When you state outright that the British Empire and its brutal murder across the globe is cool with you, you don't have to make fuzzy dodges that try and imply some intrinsic quality that justifies the trail of blood that is the history of empire. You simply state outright that you don't care, and you're on this side. You're a disgusting imperialist asshole with a broken system of morality, but it's refreshing nonetheless.
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2 people found this helpful