Knight: Yorkshireman, Storyteller, Spy

By: Greg Christie

Narrated by: Simon Hester

"Vivid, detailed and fully of lively writing; Knight is a fascinating portrait of a remarkable man." (Henry Hemming, author of 'M' Maxwell Knight, MI5's Greatest Spymaster.)

The epic tale of a major inter-war novelist whose work was lauded by the literary establishment of the 1930s - but overshadowed by his biggest hit. As a 10-year-old working in a Leeds knacker's yard, Eric Knight had a dream. Emigrating to the USA, he reinvented himself as artist, newspaper reporter, film critic, and best-selling novelist. His books were praised by Ernest Hemingway and H L Mencken and turned into Hollywood movies.

An infantryman in the First World War, he served again in the Second - in espionage, propaganda, and intelligence. Among his confidants were OSS chief "Wild Bill" Donovan, UK ambassador Lord Halifax, and President Roosevelt. In 1943, on a secret mission to meet Churchill and FDR in North Africa, his plane was blown up, killing all on board. And what is this extraordinary man remembered for? A little pot-boiler he sold for $10,000: Lassie, Come Home.

©2018 Greg Christie (P)2019 Greg Christie

Wonderful window into a world no more

Although this story takes a very long time to develop the purpose of the subtitle: Yorkshiremen storyteller spy, it is well worth the wait. The entire time I listened I remembered the Lassie movie from my childhood and wondered why don’t I know the author. How is it his name is used in collaboration with the best of the best of American and English authors and I don’t know his name. The last three chapters make that abundantly clear as how he fell into complete obscurity. Well done well done.