An Officer and a Spy

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: David Rintoul

They lied to protect their country. He told the truth to save it. A gripping historical thriller from the bestselling author of Fatherland.

January 1895. On a freezing morning in the heart of Paris, an army officer, Georges Picquart, witnesses a convicted spy, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, being publicly humiliated in front of twenty thousand spectators baying ‘Death to the Jew!’ The officer is rewarded with promotion: Picquart is made the French army’s youngest colonel and put in command of ‘the Statistical Section’ - the shadowy intelligence unit that tracked down Dreyfus.

The spy, meanwhile, is given a punishment of medieval cruelty: Dreyfus is shipped off to a lifetime of solitary confinement on Devil’s Island - unable to speak to anyone, not even his guards, his case seems closed forever. But gradually Picquart comes to believe there is something rotten at the heart of the Statistical Section. When he discovers another German spy operating on French soil, his superiors are oddly reluctant to pursue it. Despite official warnings, Picquart persists, and soon the officer and the spy are in the same predicament...

Narrated by Picquart, An Officer and a Spy is a compelling recreation of a scandal that became the most famous miscarriage of justice in history. Compelling, too, are the echoes for our modern world: an intelligence agency gone rogue, justice corrupted in the name of national security, a newspaper witch hunt of a persecuted minority, and the age-old instinct of those in power to cover-up their crimes.

©2013 Robert Harris (P)2013 Random House Audiobooks

Exciting Historical Fiction

This is an excellent book, providing a strong insight into the politics of this time. It would be interesting enough if it were a work of pure fiction, but the historical base and accuracy make this both a thoroughly interesting listen and a story with an important lesson to learn. Highly likely that you'll go and research the facts of this case, if you haven't done so already. The performance is excellent as the narrator has an attractive reading voice and a real knack for accents. Very highly recommended!

Pure pleasure

A pure audio book pleasure experience. Well written story which the narrator brings to life.

The Best Book I have ever Listen too

Robert Harris is a fantastic writer and I can't wait to listen to 'The Ghost'. I read his 'Fatherland' years ago but wasn't too impressed, however this book is a must. Spies, military, government, 1895, France, Germany, intrigue it has the lot. This story would be unbelievable if it wasn't based on a true story.
David Rintoul is fantastic narrating this noveltised version of events from the intelligence officer who discovers the truth and then falls foul of the hierarchy cover up.
Damn good story this. Bought the printed copy for my mother to read.

Light reading material with historical facts

The story is well described and one can imagine how it was. Having no military knowledge or much of an interest it managed to keep me interested for 2/3 of the part. I believe I'm not the main target audience for the book as I would prefer a little more romance. However I think it's a great book for people with an interest in history and how France's military/ court work in the late 1800 onwards.

Excellent Read / Listen

If you could sum up An Officer and a Spy in three words, what would they be?

I wish I had this this all those years ago in O level history. At times I felt I was trapped in Kafka's "The Trial" such was the claustrophobic feel of the book.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration was like fabulous acting, excellent.

If you could rename An Officer and a Spy, what would you call it?

J' accuse !

great story - great reader!

What did you love best about An Officer and a Spy?

I always wanted to know the détails about the Dreyfus affair - this is an entertaining book that provides a good explanation

Wonderful, thought provoking book.

Superb narration, I have seldom heard a book so well read; accents, names and locations are spoken so well it is a shear pleasure to listen to David Rintoul. The book is similarly outstanding, a marvellous read that I savoured with every passing hour. Bravo!

A really good listen transporting the listener to France in the late 1800’s

Beautifully narrated, this story is an evocative picture of society and the culture of the French army before the Great War.

History in colourful

Would you listen to An Officer and a Spy again? Why?

Possibly, in many years time. Knowing the story would lessen the experience. .
A larger part of this book’s quality is the story line rather than the characters. I’m not suggesting the characters do not have “character”, they do. But the actual story and relevance in a tense pre-war Europe is remarkable.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a dramatization of history “The dreyfus affair”. It’s a spy thriller and a courtroom thriller. The key points of the book are true. In between the author has made a gripping story with the main character having an admirable personality. If not a bit overdone towards the end

Have you listened to any of David Rintoul’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard a better narrator than David Rintoul. .
I often wonder if he has to rehearse or if he can do this off the bat.In my opinion this is one of his best performances. Also because there are few female characters and no love scenes. They always sound sickly from any male narrator

Any additional comments?

Don’t research the history of the The dreyfus affair before listening. .
Surprised the author didn’t lean more on what a flash point Alsace Lorraine was and the paranoia between France and Germany before WW1

Excellent Read

I enjoyed this book immensely. It appeared to be well researched and meticulously written. It was very credible and placed me in the period well. The theme of whistle blowing and the trauma that ensues for the whistleblower was consistent with my understanding of what happens.
The storyline is excellent and at times, I could not stop listening.

All in all, I highly recommend this audiobook.