Inglorious b**s

Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) is still remembered by the first postwar generation by his infamous "Gairmany calling" introduction to his black propaganda radio broadcasts. John Amery's father & brother seem to have left memories which no longer include the shabby career of their treacherous relative. I'd never heard of Eric Pleasants, probably the least malignant of the quartet. If I didn't recall Harold Cole's name, it could be that he's one of many despicable people who betrayed country and humanity in occupied & Vichy France.
Cole is arguably a psychopath- empathy forms no part of his makeup. He understands human nature, the better to manipulate others, with the easy lies and superficial charm of the really nasty, simulating feelings to his own evil ends. War or no, he was never going to be a useful member of society, though the fearlessness of psychopathy could have been useful in a contract killer. Perhaps he would have found a niche in Hitler's campaign of destruction, but grandiosity would have lead to his downfall even there.

John Amery was also a fantasist. Born to privilege, from childhood he was ungovernable. Difficult to blame background or genetics, since father & brother turned out OK (assuming you think Tory MPs are OK - irony!) I'd have liked to know more about his early years, from birth, his mother, as I suspect a developmental disorder.

Joyce was energised by hatred - of Ireland's independence and those involved (UK govt included), of Jews - though he knew none - and was so extreme that Moseley expelled him from the British Union of Fascists, that collection of cranks & militants who would now be described as alt-right.

By comparison the Cambridge spies seem like Boy Scouts - at least in their beginnings. The fascist menace was in your face, Stalin's excesses less well known. He became "Uncle Joe" in Allied circles! Their treachery I also deplore, but they were more human, and their revulsion regarding fascist activity in Europe and its approbation by many Establishment figures in UK seems more honest.

Traitors rarely die in their own beds, at threescore years & ten, comforted by the rites of the Church. Booze, drugs, shunning (by both sides), an unmarked grave in unconsecrated ground await - at best..

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1 person found this helpful

Reading ok makes the best of a weak book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Fewer cliches and more understanding

Really its invective

If the author has such a low opinion of the characters -why write about them?

Maybe they are very limited people, with little to recommend them but they must have had some complexity.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Gareth Armstrong?

Perhaps

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Traitors?

Tell the author to do some research or choose a topic he approved of.

We know the characters are limited and lack for the most part authenticity - but why??

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These boys were not Traitors

If you could sum up The Traitors in three words, what would they be?
If you look at the history of the Blackshirts at the time they didn't want war. This was a total avoidable war as Britain wasnt threatened. This book slightly biased to say the least.

What did you like best about this story?
Each so called "traitor" their version in the book. I would recommend reading Twighlight over England by William Joyce before this to understand why they chose this path.

Which character – as performed by Gareth Armstrong – was your favourite?
Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce)

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Laugh

Any additional comments?
You need an understanding of that era especially British fascism to have an open mind to hear this book. That aside I really enjoyed this authors personal account of the characters.

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2 people found this helpful

A Fascinating Story

Having read Rebecca West's "The Meaning of Treason" which does almost deal with this material - but doesn't stop it carries on through to Atom Spies, George Blake and Anthony Blunt, I was familiar with the tale of William Joyce, less so with Amory and not at all with the other two. I thought the book well read and the stories of treachery altogether fascinating. I'm not sure why they did such monstrous things - Joyce and Amory both clearly inadequate, the other two? Just living fantasy worlds? Nowadays they couldn't be executed since the death penalty for treason has been abolished, it was arguable in law at the time whether Joyce should have been hanged since it emerged during the Trial that he was a USA citizen and the UK Treason Act (dating back to Edward III) only applies to UK citizens. The remaining two were complete b......s. What would we do now?

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