cover image Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies

Ben Macintyre, read by John Lee. Random House Audio, unabridged, 10 CDs, 12.5 hrs., $40 ISBN 978-0-307-99043-3

It would be hard to imagine any narrator doing a better job with the rich material contained in this true-life thriller than John Lee does in this audio edition. Macintyre is a master of the art of digesting massive amounts of material and winnowing out the details that matter. He's done just that in this riveting account of the British Double-Cross System, which waged a covert disinformation campaign against the Nazis to maximize the chances of victory on D-Day. The account proves that truth is stranger than fiction, and the twists in the story and the eccentricities of the characters present the narrator with a serious challenge: he must convince the listener to accept that these events and people were real. For the duration of the audiobook, Lee knocks it out of the park, proving equally adept in voicing action scenes and bizarre incidents. His deadpan, dry delivery allows the material to speak for itself. The result is an entertaining and unforgettable listen. A Crown hardcover. (July)