Irregulars – Roald Dahl’s time as a British Spy

19Jun09

I was hanging at the Chicago Public Library a few weeks ago, and this book caught my eye. I’m a huge fan of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach”, so I was intrigued by the idea of Dahl as a British spy.

Dahl entered WW2 as a member of the British Royal Air Force, but was grounded after an accident in his very first flight. With able bodies in short supply, he was upset when he was assigned to a seemingly-boring desk job at the British embassy in Washington. However, upon arriving in DC, he learned that his job would be much more interesting than originally bargained for.

Dahl became a member of the British Security Corporation, with orders to help influence US public opinion and policy towards the British. At the time, pre-Pearl Harbor, the US public was very anti-involvement…while the British needed American support. So Dahl and his pals spent lots of time drinking and becoming friends with influential newspaper and magazine editors.

So this book is interersting not because Dahl is a particularly interesting spy. He’s spying assignments seemed faily mundane (and nothing like Agent Zigzag’s). I found this book interesting because of the high-level access Dahl enjoyed in both Washington and New York. He regularly cooresponded with Vice President Henry Wallace, played cards with Elenor Rosevelt, and even spent a weekend with the Rosevelt family (including FDR) at Hyde Park. He spent lots of time with people like Wild Bill Donovan, who went on to found the OSS and the CIA. Also, his flatmate for a time in DC was Sir Ian Fleming, the creater of James Bond.

This book read more like a People magazine write up (not that I’ve ever read People) than a spy thriller. Its interesting to read about the personal lives of high government officials, but, I can’t recommend this book in good faith. Its probably best to avoid it..