An Officer and a Spy: A novel

by Robert Harris Narrated by David Rintoul

Overview

Robert Harris returns to the thrilling historical fiction he has so brilliantly made his own. This is the story of the infamous Dreyfus affair told as a chillingly dark, hard-edged novel of conspiracy and espionage.

Paris in 1895. Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil's Island, and stripped of his rank in front of a baying crowd of twenty-thousand. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the ambitious, intellectual, recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. At first, Picquart firmly believes in Dreyfus's guilt. But it is not long after Dreyfus is delivered to his desolate prison that Picquart stumbles on information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military. As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself.

Bringing to life the scandal that mesmerized the world at the turn of the twentieth century, Robert Harris tells a tale of uncanny timeliness--a witch hunt, secret tribunals, out-of-control intelligence agencies, the fate of a whistle-blower--richly dramatized with the singular storytelling mastery that has marked all of his internationally best-selling novels.

Editorial Reviews

JANUARY 2014 - AudioFile

David Rintoul’s smooth, warm voice and expert characterization keep the listener hooked throughout this involving and long novelistic examination of the Dreyfuss Affair. Based on a case that rocked France in the 1890s—the court-martial and solitary imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfuss on false accusations of treason— the story is told from the point of view of Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquard, who uncovered the conspiracy against Dreyfuss and led the charge to free him. Although the story is well known, Harris builds terrific suspense, and the colorfulness of his writing helps listeners visualize the past. It’s a complicated tale, which makes Rintoul’s skills invaluable—rhythm, pacing, and, above all, great voicing of individual characters keep everything clear and interesting to the end. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2014 - AudioFile

David Rintoul’s smooth, warm voice and expert characterization keep the listener hooked throughout this involving and long novelistic examination of the Dreyfuss Affair. Based on a case that rocked France in the 1890s—the court-martial and solitary imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfuss on false accusations of treason— the story is told from the point of view of Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquard, who uncovered the conspiracy against Dreyfuss and led the charge to free him. Although the story is well known, Harris builds terrific suspense, and the colorfulness of his writing helps listeners visualize the past. It’s a complicated tale, which makes Rintoul’s skills invaluable—rhythm, pacing, and, above all, great voicing of individual characters keep everything clear and interesting to the end. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169293869
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/28/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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