The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim
The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

The Great Impersonation

Author: E. Phillips Oppenheim

Narrator: John Rayburn

Unabridged: 8 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/04/2021


Synopsis

This is a classic novel of espionage and sinister intrigue that are also connected with an unexpected intrusion of irresistible romance. Written in 1920, it deals with elements of WWI that tell of saboteurs having infiltrated England.A German advocate of the Kaiser discovers he is a facial/physical match for young Englishman Everard Dominey, who is near death after harrowing experiences in Africa. The remarkable doppelgänger resemblance leads Major-General Baron Leopold Von Ragastein to infiltrate the UK in perfect disguise. He wants to lead his country’s efforts as Europe is racing toward war. Part of the plan is to murder Dominey and have the Baron take his place in English society.The Oppenheim tale of escapism and subterfuge becomes more baffling when the listener follows the story without knowing whether Leopold is posing as Everard or not. The convoluted plot makes it one of the most entertaining spy novels. Listen now and learn about the planned impersonation.

About E. Phillips Oppenheim

Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866–1946), an English novelist, was a major and successful writer of genre fiction, particularly thrillers. Featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1918, he was the self-styled “prince of storytellers.” He published more than a hundred novels, mostly stories of suspense and international intrigue, as well as romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life. His work possesses a unique charm, featuring protagonists who delight in Epicurean meals, surroundings of intense luxury, and the relaxed pursuit of criminal practice on either side of the law.

About John Rayburn

John Rayburn is a veteran of over sixty years in broadcasting. He served as a news/sports anchor and show host, and his TV newscast achieved the largest share of audience figures of any major-market TV newscast in the nation. John is a member of the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. He is well suited to bring fascinating stories to life concerning the people, places, and things that combine to present lively observations of our day-to-day lives.


Reviews

EPO was a bon vivant, worldling and womanizer who wrote about 60 thriller-espionagers in the early 20thC. His characters are rich, glamorous -- both the good and the bad. Quirky readers like myself have even collected his oft dated but delightfully woozy adventures. (I have about 15). Some are not t......more

Goodreads review by Eleanor

I read about this book somewhere, so thought it was worth trying. Very dated tosh, especially when it comes to the women who fawn over the central character. All right if you read it as an example of the sorts of books people thought were thrilling back in about 1920, but not otherwise.......more

Goodreads review by Barry

This novel,written in 1920,is a winner. The twist in the last chapter is stunning. It is a first rate espionage/spy thriller set in the months before WWI. It is marked contrast to much of today's thriller writing, i.e., a minimum of violence, few four letter words, and no explicit sex scenes, yet i......more


Quotes

“Grandly scaled old-school espionage…Genre buffs shouldn’t miss it; fans who read it years ago will be surprised how well it holds up.” Kirkus Reviews