Anti-Hero

The Spy Who Masterminded the Largest Espionage Ring in USA History

By: Ethan Quinn

Narrated by: Michael C. Gwynne

Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Many terms were bestowed upon the mysterious Fritz Duquesne throughout his colorful life, but perhaps the most fitting ever attributed to him was: "the most dangerous prisoner to have ever lived."

But before this Boer warrior-turned-spy reached the heights of infamy that awarded him such acclaim, Fritz Joubert Duquesne lived a life of adventure that many people wouldn’t experience in a hundred lifetimes. From a young age, Fritz harboured a burning resentment toward the British army, stemming from the brutal treatment suffered by his family during the Anglo-Boer wars.

Fritz vowed revenge against the nation that took from him those he held dear, leading to his own enrollment in the military of whichever side fought opposite the British forces.

Through complex prison escapes, destructive acts of sabotage, and heroic feats that are even too far-fetched for fiction, Fritz Duquesne exacted revenge in the most daring, unbelievable, and all-round theatrical manner possible.

His life crossed oceans and continents, assuming multiple aliases and personas along the way. Eventually, Fritz Duquesne found himself a crucial cog in the Nazi machine, ultimately being responsible for the largest spy ring ever uncovered in the United States.

©2018 Ethan Quinn (P)2019 Ethan Quinn

Fantastic story that could be fiction... But Isn't

I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review. This is an excellent TRUE story about spies, capture, escape, war and the horror of it, and a man who used strategy, planning, and spur of the moment thinking that Ethan Quinn puts together masterfully with just the right amount of time and detail. This never once lost my attention, and I eagerly listened the entire time, and when it was over, my only thought was "Wow!"

Fantastic

This was a great telling of a historical character that many know nothing about. The writing was precise and made it easy to follow along the timeline. The narrator did a great job of keeping you engaged and bringing the story to life, I was given a free copy of this audio in return for an unbiased review.

Journalist, Spy, Pimp......The Man Who Did it All

I love when I can learn about a person, that I had previously never knew existed. What a crazy, yet incredible life that was lived by Fritz Duquesne. I had never even heard of him prior to listening to this book and Ethan Quinn has inspired me to due further research on Duquesne. This was my first book by Ethan Quinn and love the way he tells the story, where the timeline is easy to follow, even though it spans over the life of Duquene. I also commend the narration, which was very well done! Very few times do I find a book that I cannot stop listening to, this is one of those books. I had to find out what stunt Duquesne did next and how he gets himself out of trouble....FANTASTIC READ!!!


This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom

Fascinating

Anti-Hero, Is a fascinating true story of an extrodinary man, a man who hated the British Empire. This is real history the kind that gets overlooked. This audio book was a one sitting listen - it is gripping.
A must read for fans of little history, the history of people.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my own request, and voluntarily leave this review.

Unbelievable True Story

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions expressed herein are my own.

I had never even heard of Fritz Duquesne prior to listening to this book. What a tragic and interesting life he led. From enduring the heartbreak of the loss of his mother and sister - leading to his absolute hatred of Britain and his quest for vengeance. It was fascinating how this hatred pushed him to spy for the Nazis during WWII. It was almost unbelievable how much Fritz was willing to endure to escape from prison. A very good true story about spying, being captured, escaping and the cleverness and tenacity borne of hatred of one man determined to sabotage an entire country.

What a life!!

I don't say "wow" often, but . . . wow. If Fritz Duquesne and his life story were fiction, it might be criticized for being too wildly implausible. If the events in this 3 1/2 hour audio book were made into a movie, it would need to be a trilogy. This very interesting account of one man's incredible lives --- you can't call it "a life," because the next 20 men couldn't live in 20 lifetimes the events this one guy fit into one --- grabbed me from the opening pages, and I swallowed the whole book in one large, satisfied gulp. It is not one of those boat anchor bios that wander across 500 pages and tell you every detail about the subject and everyone they ever met. This is more of a terse docu-thriller, a chronology of a remarkable, complicated and conflicted man told in a journalistic voice, without filler. I found it intriguing that the real-life historical characters you might have previously regarded as "good guys" are often the bad guys in Fritz Duquesne's life, and the titular hero of the story is practically the textbook definition of an anti-hero. In other words, despite the outrageous, impossible things that Duquesne did and had done to him, the story rings true throughout. Because real good guys and bad guys are never all one thing or the other. They're . . . complicated.

If I had one minor complaint, it was that the book was a bit short, and I wanted more detail (although I accept that there may not be much more detail available on a man who spent much of his life in the shadows). But that is also a compliment to the author and the story he told --- I appreciate a writer who can tell a complicated story quickly and leave the reader wishing the story wasn't over. I was a bit put-off by the narration at first, feeling it was perhaps a bit melodramatic and intentionally mellifluous. But I quickly came to appreciate, then genuinely enjoy the narrator's deep, silky voice and intonations. By the end of the book I was a fan of both the author and narrator, in addition to wanting to know everything I could about the man they introduced us to. These are the things that make a book worth 5-stars to me, whether I bought it, received it as a gift, or requested and received a review copy in exchange for an honest review, which is how I came to listen to Anti-Hero. So if the title and description of this book sound as interesting to you as it did to me, give it a try. I believe that initial interest will be richly rewarded.

Fascinating Made for the Movies Biography

This was an incredible story and hard to believe it's true... Spy, espionage, prison breakouts and so much more. It's a story that I had not heard anything about and in a way reminded me of "Catch Me If You Can" and James Bond. Even though this man is far from a hero you do find yourself understanding how he became the man he did. It's a great listen and I definitely recommend it but I would caution that does have some graphic violence and a little bit of language and sexual content - it talks a little about the rapes of his mother and sister but there are no actual sex scenes. As a parent I would let my 7th grader and older listen to it but I will talk to them before and after.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Excellent biography of an interesting man

As someone who likes history...I admit I hadn't heard of Fritz Duquesne. A man whose early years shaped the hatred and lifelong obsession with revenge. Fritz's ability to escape capture and reek havoc on his enemy, the British, is almost hard to believe but this biographic is well grounded in research. The author portrayed Fritz as multi-dimensional rather than a flat character from history. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like the somewhat theatrical reading of this book by the narrator Michael C. Gwynne (who has starred in a variety of films) as it was a departure from the usual style of the non-fiction narrators I had listened to until now. Shortly after the first few chapters, I was hooked on not only the story but the narration as well.

I received this for free at my request and have voluntarily provided this review.

Another missing chapter in history

I love history. There are so many things that are glossed over in school. One gets a general picture of what happens but no details. What you learn in school in regards to history is like learning about a country from looking at a globe. A broad perspective with a few details but nothing that truly teaches you anything about it. This is a story of a man who became a spy and saboteur. How he came to be and the one man war he waged against Britain and its allies. What a phenomenal piece of history. Well written and well read. Highly highly highly recommend. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Fritz Duquesne The Anti-Hero

Anti-Hero was an incredible audiobook. At first I thought this was fiction until I discovered this man was a real person. Fritz Joubert Duquesne was truly an anti-hero although he was deemed as "the most dangerous prisoner to have ever lived." The life he lived or perhaps endured was simply jaw-dropping. This book was cleverly written as to reveal an intricate timeline of this man's life. There's no filler here. This book was attention holding from start to finish. Ethan Quinn is a terrific author who I'll keep an eye out for new books by him.

Couple a terrific audiobook with an also terrific narrator and you can't go wrong. Michael C. Gwynne had perfect voice inflections with a sort of deep tone that complimented this story. He had the perfect voice for this book.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.