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Rogue Male cover art

Rogue Male

By: Geoffrey Household
Narrated by: Robin Browne
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Summary

Rogue Male is one of the classic thrillers of the 20th century. It's a gripping adventure on the themes of liberty, tyranny, and the ethics of political violence.

An Englishman plans to assassinate the dictator of a European country. But he is foiled at the last moment and falls into the hands of ruthless and inventive torturers. They devise for him an ingenious and diplomatic death but, for once, they bungle the job and he escapes. But England provides no safety from his pursuers - and the Rogue Male must strip away all the trappings of status and civilization as the hunter becomes a hunted animal.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

©1939 Geoffrey Household (P)2010 RNIB

Critic reviews

100 Must-Read Thrillers (International Thriller Writers)

What listeners say about Rogue Male

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

A Classic that never gets old

The release of this book in audio is long overdue. Its clear to see the influence on modern thrillers as the action and themes are as relevant today as on first publication. The suspense and tension flow and grow to a crescendo and Robin Browne's excellent narration bring the very human feelings of the hero to life. Adventure thrillers don't come much better than this!

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

An unexpected treat

To be honest, I didn't expect much from Rogue Male as it was quite cheap and I just bought it on impulse to while away a few commutes.
I'm so glad I did because this is a wonderful thriller. Although decades old now, the writing is still fresh and exciting, with unpredictable twists and a style that many contemporary authors should envy!
The story is well-paced with an intriguing and inventive central character, perfectly narrated by Robin Browne whose voice matched exactly how I felt the fugitive should sound.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RNIB for producing such a great audiobook.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Rogue Male - An intrigue

I was first drawn to this story when the BBC made a dramatised version of this on its drama radio. It is a great story about a bloke who was sent to assassinate a European leader to try to prevent a war (1939 - wonder who that could have been based on??). After the attempt fails, he escapes and returns home only to find thathe is "damaged goods" and without friends. Hunted by traitors within his own Government, he tries to disappear, hiding in the English countryside. His escape (from the foreign country), his living in hiding and his friendship with another lost sole (a ferral cat) and written in an "older language" (Beautifully English) where the fantastic, old ideal of British "fair play" comes to the fore makes for a brilliant story - I loved it and I hope you do too!!

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12 people found this helpful

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

A true classic

I have loved this story since I was a child in the late 1970's, having seen the television film adaptation starring Peter O'Toole. However, I had never read the original book. This has now rectified that situation and I was not disappointed! This unabridged recording, whilst obviously made in earlier times and with a very slight atmosphere of the recording technology available, is a fantastic tale. Gripping from start to finish and beautifully written, Household's tale of an Englishman on the run, will appeal to anyone who enjoys the thrill of a chase and escape and evasion style thrillers. Robin Browne narrates with just the right tone, giving the central character the sense of mature dignity and calm intelligence that Household's sensitive and excellent observational writing requires. If you enjoy a good tale of escape and survival stories, I don't think you will be disappointed, treat yourself and add this to your library now!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Late Thirties Gold

This was a good listen, well narrated story of an thirties gent whose attempted assassination of a European leader is thwarted, and his escape from capture and flight are told from his diaries.

Very much a novel of it?s time, it is like the Thirty Nine Steps or Riddle of the Sands. It is a thoughtful story that kept my attention. There is action but much of the story is the main character alone with his thoughts as he goes to ground to escape his enemies.

Very enjoyable, looking forward to getting another of his books!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Grubby Dirty and Wonderful

A really good book for those who like detail and adventure and how to be an Englishman...

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7 people found this helpful

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

The Added Villainy of Whiskers

This is a golden, analogue recording of Geoffrey Household's 1939 thriller release of Rogue Male complete with background hiss, the sounds of pages turning and even brief stitches of silence holding the sections together that make you wonder if playback has stopped. That hopefully shouldn't put too many off, Robin Browne's warmly elucidated tones are always clear and fitting to the text.

It's a story written in and of a bygone age, it's now 80 years since Household's unnamed protaganist set out to get an evil dictator in his rifle sights only to be caught, escape and then try to flee. The book follows him after his captors have tortured him and thrown him off a cliff leaving him for dead but then pursuing him after his body could not be found.

It's actually a quite bizarre tale and sometimes omits obvious olfactory implications of the situations his man finds himself in. However, it's like looking back in history to that bygone age and as you hear the lead complain about his appearance having "the added villainy of whiskers" it brings that earlier gentrified world fully into your ears.

As a change of pace from rather more sophisticated modern thrillers I really enjoyed it but if you are are put off by a lower audio quality it's worth listening to the sample before you buy. And the story is 80 years old . . .

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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

I'm still in love with this story.

The language, the setting, and the character are all perfect. Both thrilling and charming, this is the only book I've consumed twice—and I could probably go again straight away.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Nature looks after the Rogue Male

An enjoyable old fashioned spy/escape story. I enjoyed this reading. Being a massive fan of the book I was delighted to find the audiobook read so well. Some strange pronunciation occasionally but a thoroughly good ripping yarn for all that. If you like Hannay then you must like the Rogue Male.

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5 people found this helpful

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

A Must-Listen Literary Beauty

Rogue Male was an utter delight and I listened with tremendous enjoyment. simply utterly brilliant

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4 people found this helpful