Wild Bill Donovan

The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage

De: Douglas Waller

Narrado por: Johnny Heller

He was one of America's most exciting and secretive generals - the man Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. A mythic figure whose legacy is still intensely debated, "Wild Bill" Donovan was director of the Office of Strategic Services (the country's first national intelligence agency) and the father of today's CIA. Donovan introduced the nation to the dark arts of covert warfare on a scale it had never seen before. Now, veteran journalist Douglas Waller has mined government documents and private archives throughout the United States and England, drawn on thousands of pages of recently declassified documents, and interviewed scores of Donovan's relatives, friends, and associates to produce a riveting biography of one of the most powerful men in modern espionage.

The son of poor Irish Catholic parents, William Joseph Donovan married into Protestant wealth and fought heroically in World War I, where he earned the nickname "Wild Bill" for his intense leadership. After the war he made millions as a lawyer on Wall Street until FDR tapped him to be his strategic intelligence chief. A charismatic leader, Donovan was revered by his secret agents. Yet at times he was reckless, risking his life unnecessarily in war zones and engaging in extramarital affairs that became fodder for his political enemies.

Wild Bill Donovan reads like an action-packed spy thriller, with stories of daring young men and women in Donovan's OSS sneaking behind enemy lines for sabotage, breaking into Washington embassies to steal secrets, plotting to topple Adolf Hitler, and suffering brutal torture or death when they were captured by the Gestapo. It is also a tale of political intrigue, of infighting at the highest levels of government, and of powerful men pitted against one another.

©2011 Douglas Waller (P)2011 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Waller's realism about these issues combined with an obvious affection for the remarkable charter of Wild Bill Donovan have resulted in a splendid biography." ( The Los Angeles Times)

Review of a biography of William Donovan

This is a fascinating biography of the man who developed the OSS which was the forerunner of the CIA. Donovan was a complex man who loved his country and wanted to protect the USA from aliens intent on harming the country. Single handedly, he developed the spy agency which has guarded us from enemies abroad.

I can highly recommend this biography with one minor exception.

My only complaint is that the reader has a pronounced nasal quality which I found very annoying. I wish they had chosen a better reader! Even with that complaint I still recommend the book.

Fair story, almost to much detail

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, because I learn that the legend of Bill Donovan is partly true and partly fiction.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Just a wrap up of what happened following his death.

Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Do you think Wild Bill Donovan needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No follow up needed. The story of the CIA had been told.

Any additional comments?

None

Decent listen

High level overview, flows ok, would recommend for overall experience, detailed stories limited would have liked more

Johnny Heller is a miserable narrator

This is a fascinating story, but Johnny Heller is a miserable narrator. He reads too fast!! And his nasal delivery is irritating.
And why the heck is Alexa so stupid that she cannot read at 3/4 speed like my iPad??
Like every war America has ever fought, the rich and or the crooked, have taken advantage of the situation at the expense of the unknown, common soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation, but eventually even the rich and famous return to dust.

Adventure Part 1

This story was driven by the force of personality of Donovan.; an innovator with ambition and poor relationship skills in his career and his personal life. The captivating way this story was written has led me select Waller's Disciples as my Adventure Part 2.