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Dick Barton: Special Agent cover art

Dick Barton: Special Agent

By: Edward J. Mason
Narrated by: Douglas Kelly, Noël Johnson
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Summary

Set in an exciting world of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure, the adventures of special agent Dick Barton and his friends Jock and Snowey were essential listening for an entire generation.

Originally running on the BBC Light Programme between 1946 and 1951, few of the BBC's original recordings still survive. However, in 1949 a number of early Barton tales were rerecorded for transmission overseas starring Douglas Kelly. This collection contains 12 of the most recognisable dramas as well as live performances, a profile of the character and interviews with the stars.

Episodes include:

  • The Affair of the Black Panther
  • The Cabotolin Diamonds
  • The Case of Conrad Ruda
  • The Firefly Adventure
  • The Lily Chang Adventure
  • The Paris Adventure
  • The Tibetan Adventure
  • The Vulture
  • The Smash and Grab Raiders

The collection also includes:

  • 'Dick Barton, Special Agent': the first episode broadcast in 1972, read by Noël Johnson.
  • Dick Barton Live: a 2013, one-off show from Leicester's Y Theatre using period equipment and scripts from 1951. The resulting adventure stars Tim Bentinck as Dick with Terry Molloy as his faithful companion Snowy White.
  • Dick Barton, Still a Special Agent: a profile of radio's greatest hero, presented by John Hosken.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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What listeners say about Dick Barton: Special Agent

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

please fix......

what a mix up....has anybody actually listened to this all the way through.!!!!! episodes from previous chapter's jump in half way through new stories...!!!!!...only 22 hours of this jumble to get through!
absolutely love the series hate the fact Audible has messed up badly.
after listening all the way through.....there are only mistakes in the beginning.....still very off putting.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Classic 1940's 1950's radio drama with Dick Barton

It must first be remembered that this is classic 1940's 1950's radio drama, and contains language and attitudes of the time.
That having been said this collection is a good, lightweight listen with none of the expletives, blood, gore or sex many books seem to have these days.
Dick Barton and company, Jock, Snowy etc, move from one adventure to another almost none stop.
Early on in the 180 pages there are two chapters, each in separate stories, that are repeated, thus making 178 over all.
The stories aren't in the order they appear on the summary and chapters aren't named, so it takes a while to work out what's where.
I'll try and include a list in correct order in a later update if I can.

UPDATE: The following is a list of the included books in order of play.
1. Dick Barton Special Agent
2. The Paris Adventure
3. The Cabotolin Diamonds
4. The Smash and Grab Raiders
5. The Tibetan Adventure
6. The Affair of the Black Panther
7. The Vulture
8. The Li Chang Adventure
9. The Case of Conrad Ruda
10. The Firefly Adventure

NB. I've not included the last two chapters as they're not part of the ten stories.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

What fantastic stories. I’d not heard these before - so it was a wonderful surprise ! Dramatic, gripping and funny. Excellent!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Chapters repeated Audible didn't proof read again

What a shame Audible cut corners and didn't proof read again.
Chapter 35 should be Chapter 34 which is a repeat.
Would also have been useful to have broken it down into each adventure rather than just chapter numbers to make navigation easier.

Please remember when listening to this that it does reflect the language and attitudes of earlier times. It wasn't always acceptable then and considered a very Victorian stiff upper lip style.
The little woman act is laid on thick in places and the constant use of afendi did make me grind my teeth.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

really good escapist fun


The first and obvious thing to say is this is very much of it's time, so no point in taking offense at any aspects of it. Totally over the top in the best kind of way, with stories and performances appropriate for what it's trying to achieve. Well worth dipping into for some light relief. Just one thing, as Audible as always haven't named any of the files, has anyone attempted to compile a contents list for this in the way others have with, for instance, the Lovecraft downloads. Any help much appreciated, from fellow customers or Audible administrators.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Dick Barton

Barton shows why old radio shows are so loved by its audience worth a try

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

classic

great adventure serial from times past, is it pc no just good old fashioned entertainment, recommend giving a break between each story ,

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

All Messed Up!!

What shame Audible obviously haven't checked this prior to release
you need a degree to sort the stories out here

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

great to start with

Great to listen to, however after 60 plus rpisodes starts to get a bit too much
but overall it was good

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good old fashioned entertainment

I loved this. I must say if Dick Barton was alive today and spoke to and about women the way he did in the 50’s he probably be in big trouble. For the era it was written and recorded in, it is very apt and it’s amazing to realise just how times have changed. You also realise that if they’d have had mobile phones back then things would have been very different.

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