The Bastard Brigade

July 1, 2019
Science writer Kean (The Disappearing Spoon) switches topics with this sprawling history of the Western spies, soldiers, and scientists who worked to thwart Nazi development of a nuclear bomb, accompanied by helpful cartoon illustrations of the relevant scientific concepts. The chronological account begins by introducing a large cast, including Samuel Goudsmit, an emigre physicist; Moe Berg, a pro baseball catcher turned spy; Boris Pash, a WWI vet who commanded the book’s titular brigade; and Navy airman Joseph Kennedy Jr., who died as part of a failed mission to destroy German missile bunkers suspected of being nuclear bomb silos. The point of view shifts among these and other characters, taking them through various adventures, including the bombing of a Norwegian ferry carrying heavy water for Nazi nuclear reactors and an attempt to assassinate German physicist Werner Heisenberg. Kean often takes a jokey tone, which readers will either love or hate (describing Marie Curie, he writes “the old lioness roused herself and barged into the lab”), and the majority of sources are secondary, leaving it unclear how he reconstructed dialogue. Readers who love spy stories will enjoy this entertaining book, but WWII aficionados and scholars may want to pass it by. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Associates Literary Agency.

This audiobook asks what a Major League catcher, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and a member of one of America's most famous families have in common? They all participated in espionage to help the U.S. develop the atomic bomb before the Nazis could. While this story is true, it's also a cracking thriller. Narrator Ben Sullivan does his best, using his deep voice and deliberate style, to entice listeners with the facts, and he alter his voice to denote characters. But while Sullivan delivers every word clearly and paces the book effectively, he fails to infuse enough excitement and emotion to carry the story forward. Better engagement would make the audiobook flow more smoothly rather than simply sounding like spoken words. R.I.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine