The Venlo Incident
A True Story of Double-Dealing, Captivity, and a Murderous Nazi Pilot
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The Venlo Incident
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Narrated by:
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Eric Brooks
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By:
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S. Payne Best
About this listen
An incredible, rare glimpse into the inner world of Nazi espionage.
World War II seems to provide an endless supply of amazing true stories of heroism in the face of mortal danger. This true account of an MI6 agent's kidnapping and survival is a real-life spy thriller, and one worth knowing. On November 9, 1939, Captain Sigismund Payne Best and other members of Britain's ultra-secret Z service sat near a cafe in Venlo, The Netherlands, waiting to meet with whom supposedly-sound intelligence told them would be German resistance leaders. In reality, what they would meet at Venlo was an SS ambush - leading to the murder of Best's Z associate and the Nazis' seizure of a plain text list of British under-cover agents. It was a massive disaster for British intelligence and a crucial turning point of war-time espionage.
Best survived Venlo to tell of the shocking intelligence coups that precipitated the attack. His harrowing account of torture at the hands of the Nazis and five years in the infamous Sachenhausen and Dachau concentration camps offers unparalleled, first-hand details from inside the Third Reich. As a prisoner, he crossed paths with famous Nazi resistance fighters, including Georg Elser and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Best's explication of top-secret spy techniques and his depiction of how the incident played out to justify Nazi aggression is military history at its finest. His memoir of espionage, survival, and captivity is a riveting narrative that listeners will not soon forget.
©1950 Sigismund Payne Best, Introduction c. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2009, United Kingdom edition .c Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2009, North America edition c. Skyhorse Publishing, 2009 (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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The word "incident" in this audiobook's title is something of a euphemism. Captain S. Payne Best’s 1939 set-up and arrest by the Nazis in Venlo was catastrophic for MI6, the British intelligence agency that employed Best and which was trying to weaken Hitler’s regime from the inside. This is truly the stuff that spy thrillers are made of, but the contents of Best’s courageous and insightful memoir happen to be true. British narrator Eric Brooks could have stepped out of MI6 himself, as his performance implies a keen intellect and a capable grasp of German words. Best spent years in a Nazi concentration camp, and this memoir is a testimony both to his instincts for espionage and to his survival skills.
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The Roman gladiator has long been a figure of fascination. Portrayed frequently in fine art and popular culture alike, the gladiator is both a real part of history and a legend of a romanticized past. We know that these men entertained Roman audiences by fighting in dangerous and often deadly games. But who were the gladiators? What were their lives like? And why do they continue to have such a strong hold on our imagination, centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire?
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3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting History of a Very Violent "Sport"
- By Gilbert M. Stack on 12-08-24
By: Alexander Mariotti, and others
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The Secret History of Christmas
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,447
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,307
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,303
Christmas is the single biggest annual event on the planet, a time for merry-making, over-indulgence, peace, goodwill, and the occasional family row. It’s as comfortable and familiar as a pair of old shoes and yet still glittery and exciting. But what do you really know about it? It’s stuffed full of traditions and rituals that most of us have been observing all our lives without having the slightest idea of where they come from.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating and Entertaining
- By Laura Carrington on 11-23-22
By: Bill Bryson
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,942
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16,492
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16,488
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
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The Last Days of Cabrini-Green
- By: Ben Austen, Harrison David Rivers
- Narrated by: Ben Austen, Patina Miller, Harry Lennix, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 138
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Story5 out of 5 stars 135
In 1992, the deadliest year in Chicago’s history, seven-year-old Dantrell Davis was shot and killed in front of his elementary school inside the public housing complex Cabrini-Green. What happened to Dantrell led to a truce among Chicago’s gangs, but it also ignited a national panic about poverty and violence in America’s cities. Dantrell’s name would soon be used to demolish all of Chicago’s high-rise public housing, displacing tens of thousands of low-income families.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Gripping and Necessary Work
- By booklover on 11-24-24
By: Ben Austen, and others
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,476
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,097
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Story5 out of 5 stars 11,038
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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4 out of 5 stars
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it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
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Flannery O'Connor and the Scandal of Faith
- By: Jessica Hooten Wilson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jessica Hooten Wilson
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Across six revealing lectures, Professor Jessica Hooten Wilson will introduce you to one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and divisive writers in Flannery O’Connor and the Scandal of Faith. Beginning with an overview of her brief but remarkable life, Professor Wilson will then take you through an exploration of themes in O’Connor’s work and the hallmarks of her literary style. You’ll get a clearer picture of O’Connor’s historical and geographical context while digging into how her stories can transcend time and place.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The author reading her own book.
- By James T Casey on 12-16-24
By: Jessica Hooten Wilson, and others
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The History of Toys, 1900 to the Present
- By: Chris Byrne, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Chris Byrne
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 4
Toys and games have long been a part of childhood, but the 20th century saw the rise of an entire industry devoted to the business of play, one that would constantly evolve over the years. In the six lectures of The History of Toys, 1900 to the Present, consultant and toy industry expert Chris Byrne—also known as The Toy Guy®—will take you on a journey through the world of toys from the Edwardian era to our current moment. Beginning with the birth of the mass-market toy industry, you’ll trace the many transformations of toys and our shifting theories of play and childhood development.
By: Chris Byrne, and others
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Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
- By: Scott Lewis
- Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser, Oliver Hunt
- Length: 31 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 705
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 619
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Story4 out of 5 stars 619
Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
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4 out of 5 stars
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An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
- By: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 695
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 608
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 601
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces the breathtaking history from the empire’s foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration. Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gregory S. Aldrete is a treasure
- By Laurel Tucker on 02-04-19
By: Gregory S. Aldrete, and others
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The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,365
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,179
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,169
In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, and others
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Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,000
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,844
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,829
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
What listeners say about The Venlo Incident
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 10-18-19
The pilot never shows up
I bought this book based on the description Audible provided. As a matter of fact it kept being picked up in searches for the term 'pilot', though now I realize that "Nazi pilot" is probably a typo and should read "Nazi plot".
Furthermore you will learn less about the actual Venlo incident here then you would by simply reading the Wikipedia page.
This book is actually a fascinating memoire of the writer's internment in Germany during the war, and his brave and earless struggle with the constant uncertainty as to the actual availability of tobacco.
Having said that, it is actually quite fascinating as it shows a side of WWII that you rarely hear about, the internment of VIP prisoners and their treatment. Best was obviously quite a character, making this an enjoyable listen.... Just don't wait for the pilot to show up.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-16-24
A different look into concentration camps.
Best does an excellent job in chronicling his time in Nazi concentration camps, being empathetic to all those around him, yet not shying away from the horrors and atrocities that happened there. Worth the read for a different perspective and a hard contrast from “Night” or “Maus” which is about the Jewish experiences in the camps.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Robert H. Mclaughlin
- 05-27-13
Payne Best does it all
What would have made The Venlo Incident better?
Payne Best blows his horn so much. I think Hitler, Himmler & Hydrich listen to him!The book is me, me, me Payne Best. Very self serving.
What could S. Payne Best have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
A little bit more about others than his greatness!
What didn’t you like about Eric Brooks’s performance?
Mediocre at best.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment
Any additional comments?
This guy apparently intimated all and control the detention camp. Just ask him!
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