37. An Officer and a Spy
Rating: ☆☆☆
Recommended by: Lisa Goldberg
Author: Robert Harris
Genre: Historical Fiction, Spy/Espionage
Info: 429 pages, published January 28, 2014
Format: Audio Book
Summary
An Officer and a Spy is the story of the Dreyfus Affair. In 1895 Paris, Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil’s Island. Among the witnesses to Dreyfus’ humiliation is Georges Picquart, who had recently been promoted to the head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. While Picquart initially believes that Dreyfus is guilty, he comes across information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military. As evidence mounts that implicates the uppermost levels of government, Picquart begins to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country and himself.
Quotes
“There is something to be said for senility . With her mind gone, she does not lack for company.”
“My four golden principles are more important now than ever: take it one step at a time; approach the matter dispassionately; avoid a rush to judgment; confide in nobody until there is hard evidence.”
“There is no such thing as a secret—not really, not in the modern world, not with photography and telegraphy and railways and newspaper presses.”
“The old days of an inner circle of like-minded souls communicating with parchment and quill pens are gone. Sooner or later most things will be revealed.”
“I feel as if I have walked into a mirrored room and glimpsed myself from an unfamiliar angle for the first time. Is that really what I look like? Is that who I am?”
“There are occasions when losing is a victory, so long as there is a fight.”