Beverly Hills Spy

The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor

De: Ronald Drabkin

Narrado por: Sam Dewhurst-Phillips

In the spirit of Ben Macintyre’s greatest spy nonfiction, the truly unbelievable and untold story of Frederick Rutland—a debonair British WWI hero, flying ace, fixture of Los Angeles society, and friend of Golden Age Hollywood stars—who flipped to become a spy for Japan in the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Frederick Rutland was an accomplished aviator, British WWI war hero, and real-life James Bond. He was the first pilot to take off and land a plane on a ship, a decorated warrior for his feats of bravery and rescue, was trusted by the admirals of the Royal Navy, had a succession of aeronautical inventions, and designed the first modern aircraft carrier. He was perhaps the most famous early twentieth-century naval aviator.

Despite all of this, and due mostly to class politics, Rutland was not promoted in the new Royal Air Force in the wake of WWI. This ignominy led the disgruntled Rutland to become a spy for the Japanese navy. Plied with riches and given a salary ten times the highest-paid admiral, shuttled between Los Angeles and Tokyo where he lived in large mansions in both Beverly Hills and Yokohama, and insinuating himself into both LA high society and Japan’s high command, Rutland would go on to contribute to the Japanese navy with both strategic and technical intelligence. This included scouting trips to Pearl Harbor, investigations of military preparedness, and aircraft technology. All this while living a double life, frequenting private California clubs and hosting lavish affairs for Hollywood stars and military dignitaries in his mansion on the Los Angeles Bird Streets.

Supported by recently declassified FBI files and by incorporating unique and rare research through MI5 and Japanese Naval archives that few English speakers have access to, author Ronald Drabkin pieces together to completion, for the first time, this stranger-than-fiction story of one of the most fascinating and enigmatic characters of espionage history.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Ronald Drabkin (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

High intrigue

A true spy story spanning 40 years that, throughout, seems too extraordinary to be believed.

Part of the rest of the story

Fascinating & interesting look at the history & various individuals leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is obvious many intelligence mistakes were made which raises the question “What would have happened if . . “ on so many different levels & perspectives. We will never know because history is the past and cannot be changed.

Awesome book

A spectacular job on a fascinating and complicated person. We do not hear much the threat Japan posed to the US prior to Pearl Harbor.

Thoroughly riveting, well written, fabulously performed.

Worth the listen. I love WWII history. This book did not disappoint. The author painted a wonderful picture of a complicated man with unique motivations.

I will be pursuing more titles by this author.

Wow! Just when you think you know about a subject

This was a wicked good nonfiction history … I woke up at 5:35 this morning, but laid in bed and listened to Dan Snow’s History Hits, Hollywood Spy: The British WW1 Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor, April 8, 2024 podcast … I was intrigued by the story so I went to Audible and bought the book … I started listening immediately … the narrator sounded rather slow to me so I adjusted the speed to 1.15 and the narration sounded to be a better cadence … it’s late evening and I just finished - wow, what a wicked good story!

Great read

Very interesting story that i knew nothing about going into! Absolutely love Sam's voice 😍

The characters

The whole story was fascinating. How a spy ended up being so influential in history.9

Reads like fiction- but true

My wife and I both very much enjoyed Beverly Hills Spy. The book is extremely well narrated very well written it’s a gripping tail. I will fall from Grace of a military, hero, traitor, who had the last minute tried to redeem himself. If anything, the book also shows that more could’ve been done to prevent what happened at Pearl Harbor. We highly recommend this book.

Haunting and relevant true story

I love the narration… the detailed history of the spy Rutledge kept me listening hours …. Superb detailed story