THE IRREGULARS Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington

As enjoyable as Conant's history of British spy jinks in wartime Washington is on the page, its pleasures are enhanced by Simon Prebble's vintage British inflections. This is the voice of BBC wartime newsreels, measured and stalwart and utterly composed, and its assured syllabification never concedes to an American pronunciation. Conant's story of classy espionage conducted in tuxedos is not only the prototype of the James Bond novels, it also includes among its many memorable characters Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, along with congressmen and socialites, columnists, and even Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Prebble's narration is point-counterpoint for the polished comedy of Conant's true-life tale, refining the farcical nature of much of the story, while giving a wink to the whole proceedings. Highly recommended. D.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]