Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy, Nicholas Reynolds
Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy, Nicholas Reynolds
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Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy
Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961

Author: Nicholas Reynolds

Narrator: Fred Sanders

Unabridged: 9 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 03/14/2017


Synopsis

A former CIA officer and curator of the CIA Museum unveils the shocking, untold story of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway’s secret life as a spy for both the Americans and the Soviets before and during World War II.While he was the curator of the CIA Museum, Nicholas Reynolds, a longtime military intelligence expert, began to discover tantalizing clues that suggested Ernest Hemingway’s involvement in the Second World War was much more complex and dangerous than has been previously understood. Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy brings to light for the first time this riveting secret side of Hemingway’s life—when he worked closely with both the American OSS, a precursor to the CIA, and the Soviet NKVD, the USSR’s forerunner to the KGB to defeat Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.Reynolds dig deep into Hemingway’s involvement in World War II, from his recruitment by both the Americans and the Soviets—who valued Hemingway for his journalistic skills and access to sources—through his key role in gaining tactical intelligence for the Allies during the liberation of Paris, to his later doubts about communist ideology and his undercover work in Cuba. As he examines the links between his work as a spy and as an author, Reynolds reveals how Hemingway’s wartime experiences shook his faith in literature and contributed to the writer’s block that plagued him for much of the final two decades of his life. Reynolds also illuminates how those same experiences also informed one of Hemingway’s greatest works—The Old Man and the Sea—the final novel published during his lifetime. A unique portrait as fast-paced and exciting as the best espionage thrillers, Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy illuminates a hidden side of a revered artist and is a thrilling addition to the annals of World War II.

About Nicholas Reynolds

Nicholas Reynolds has worked in the fields of modern military history and intelligence off and on for forty years, with some unusual detours. Freshly minted PhD from Oxford University in hand, he joined the United States Marine Corps in the 1970s, serving as an infantry officer and then as a historian. As a colonel in the reserves, he eventually became officer in charge of field history, deploying historians around the world to capture history as it was being made. When not on duty with the USMC, he served as a CIA officer at home and abroad, immersing himself in the very human business of espionage. Most recently, he was the historian for the CIA Museum, responsible for developing its strategic plan and helping to turn remarkable artifacts into compelling stories. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University and, with his wife, Becky, cares for rescue pugs.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Katie on July 12, 2018

I was really hoping I would enjoy this book but I don't think it is for a casual nonfiction fan like myself. Some authors, like Erik Larson, are able to present information to the reader who might know next to nothing about the topic but get caught up in the story because the writer has a knack for......more

Goodreads review by Adam on October 20, 2021

There's a lot of red-baiting but i guess that's to be expected given the author is a CIA Librarian. Admirably lays out Hemingways life and times from 1935 through to his death, and digs into his connections to the NKVD (claims he agreed to work for them, but never actually put in any work despite ta......more

Goodreads review by David on January 29, 2018

A well-researched biography of one of America’s greatest authors—Ernest Hemingway. The book starts with his attempt to help victims of the massive hurricane of 1937 which killed hundreds of World War One veterans in the Florida Keys. Roosevelt had put these unfortunate men to work during the depress......more

Goodreads review by Steven on March 24, 2017

In Nicholas Reynolds new book, WRITER, SAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY: ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S SECRET ADVENTURES, 1935-1961, the author, the CIA Museum’s historian poses the question as to why Hemingway, who tried all forms of spying, before and during World War II would sign on with Stalin’s henchmen at the NKVD.......more

Goodreads review by Translator on July 03, 2024

Of the four jobs held by Hemingway in the title of the book, we could argue that he was quite decent at writing, probably not bad at sailoring, and undoubtedly good enough at soldiering. However, when it comes to espionage, while it may have been a true passion for him, judging by his successes and......more