Presidential Agent: The Lanny Budd Novels, Book 5

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Presidential Agent: The Lanny Budd Novels, Book 5 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Upton Sinclair (Author), Bronson Pinchot (Narrator), Blackstone Publishing (Publisher)

370

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On the eve of World War II, Lanny Budd reenters the deadly snake pit of Nazi Germany as Roosevelt’s spy—in the pulse-pounding, Pulitzer Prize-winning series.

An American art expert raised in a world of European wealth and privilege, Lanny Budd is dedicated to his socialist ideals and to combatting the twin scourges of Nazism and Fascism. In 1937, a chance encounter in New York with Professor Charles Alston—his boss at the Paris Peace Conference and now one of President Roosevelt’s top advisors—provides Lanny with the opportunity to make a profound difference.

Appointed Presidential Agent 103, the international art dealer embarks on a secret assignment that takes him back into the Third Reich as the Allied powers prepare to cede Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler in a futile attempt to avoid war. But Lanny’s motivations are not just political: The woman he loves has fallen into the brutal hands of the Gestapo, and Lanny will risk everything to save her.

Presidential Agent is the action-packed fifth installment of Upton Sinclair’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series that brings the first half of the twentieth century to dramatic life. An astonishing mix of history, adventure, and romance, the Lanny Budd Novels are a testament to the breathtaking scope of the author’s vision and his singular talents as a storyteller.

Listening Length

29 hours and 24 minutes
Author

Upton Sinclair
Narrator

Bronson Pinchot
Audible release date

November 15, 2022
Language

English
Publisher

Blackstone Publishing
ASIN

B09Y6BV5JP
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	29 hours and 24 minutes
Author	Upton Sinclair
Narrator	Bronson Pinchot
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	November 15, 2022
Publisher	Blackstone Publishing
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B09Y6BV5JP
Best Sellers Rank	#228,761 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #814 in Historical Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals) #1,928 in Espionage Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals) #5,948 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)

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4.4 out of 5

370 global ratings

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jlkohler

Lessons for Today

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023

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I learn so much from these books! I see parallels between the communist and fascist ideas and the division in the US today.

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Karl Janssen

Lanny Budd, paranormal secret agent

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2017

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Presidential Agent is the fifth book in Upton Sinclair’s Lanny Budd series, which chronicles the adventures of a wealthy American art dealer in Europe who gets actively involved in some of the most important events in 20th-century world history. (Take care not to confuse this one with the almost identically titled eighth book in the series, Presidential Mission.) Published in 1944, Presidential Agent takes place from 1937 to 1938, and covers critical events in Europe leading up to World War II, including Hitler’s forced annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Through a mutual friend, Lanny is introduced to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who grants him a private meeting in the White House. Because of Lanny’s extensive travels in Europe and his acquaintance with many world leaders and dignitaries, FDR finds him to be an invaluable source of information. He asks Lanny to be his eyes and ears in Europe and periodically report back to him on the events taking place there. He even gives Lanny a code name, Agent 103. At first Lanny functions mostly as a news service, but the more he witnesses firsthand the terrifying threat of the Nazis the more involved he becomes in active espionage. Having previously met Adolph Hitler and Hermann Göring, Lanny cultivates his friendships with these two Nazi leaders and also develops a camaraderie with Hitler’s Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess. Though a socialist at heart, Lanny must pretend to embrace the Nazi party line in order to acquire valuable intelligence. Beyond helping FDR, Lanny has personal reasons for embarking on this dangerous mission. In the last novel, he found love in the form of a German Jewish artist who works for the underground resistance. She has now gone missing, possibly held by the Nazis in a concentration camp, and Lanny will risk everything to find her.

Once again, Sinclair’s leftist view of history yields fascinating insights into the course of world events. Hitler’s taking of Austria and Czechoslovakia might be covered in a few sentences in a typical history textbook, but Sinclair really gives a detailed rendering of how these events gradually unfolded. The reader gains a clear understanding of how the Nazis came to power while many Americans and Europeans either welcomed them as saviors from communism or timidly buried their heads in the sand. The most disappointing aspect of the novel, as usual, is Sinclair’s indulgence in his fascination with the paranormal, which is even more evident here than in the previous books. One of Lanny’s hobbies is communicating with the dead through séances. Because Hitler and Hess are also interested in the occult, Lanny is able to exploit their mutual interest in spirit communication as a way to get close to them. While that is a valid way to advance the story, instances where séance revelations actually influence the course of events only thwart the credibility of what is otherwise a very intelligent, thoroughly researched historical novel.

I had ten per cent of the ebook file left when, to my surprise, the book just ended—the remainder being a preview of the next book. Presidential Agent feels like an incomplete novel meant to function as a bridge between the books before and after. By this point in the series, Sinclair seems to have stopped trying to give these novels a beginning, middle, and end, and simply treats them all as one long book. Some plotlines are resolved halfway through, while new threads are only begun. The books in this series really don’t function as independent novels, so the reader has to commit for the long haul. Though I have my reservations about each individual installment, I can’t help but admire the entire series as a monumental achievement. For those interested in 20th-century world history, the Lanny Budd series is worth the effort.

13 people found this helpful

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Phyllis Godfrey

A thorough and enjoyable lesson in twentieth century world history.

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023

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There are a lot of historical facts housed in a fictional narrative.
Hard to digest and keep track of, but the personal story of the “son of Budd Earling” keeps it interesting and readable.
I highly recommend this series for lovers of historical fiction.

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mike-w

Tour-de-Force by Upton Sinclair

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2019

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A novel about the run-up to World War II, this book vividly out-lines the events leading up to the War through the eyes of Lanny Budd, a wealthy man of the world, as comfortable at the home of Adolf Hitler or Franklin D. Roosevelt. The novel is exquisitely written and tremendously informative about the events of the time. Although it is quite long, one gets the feeling that it would not have been as good if anything had been left out. It is the fifth of an eleven book series, and although it stands well on its own, I assume the context would be better if the series was started from the beginning (which I now intend to do!).

One person found this helpful

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LEE

Sleeping with the Enemy.

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2020

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Compared to the earlier books in the series, the PRESIDENTIAL AGENT (Book 5) isn’t one of my favorites. It is a good book, but it’s somewhat depressing because it occurs in the years immediately preceding the outbreak of WW2. It was during this time period the Nazis rose to power and began to systematically silence their opposition and those it considered inferior. The Nazis rule of terror and its death machine begins in earnest as the world turns a blind eye; and it does not even spare a love one of Lanny Budd.

Lanny Budd lived through WW1 and he sees that another World War is inevitable; yet he is powerless to prevent it. As FDR’s secret agent, Lanny Budd has infiltrated the Nazis and the American and European power-brokers who are driving the world to the brink of another World War. Lanny passes the information to FDR, but FDR is powerless to do anything about it. Lanny Budd’s helplessness, frustration, depression, and anguish are clearly felt in the book. Adding to his emotional and psychological conundrum, Lanny Budd has to continual seek out and remain friendly with people that he abhors as evil and wicked. He is sleeping with the enemy and the stench of death wafts around him.

PRESIDENTIAL AGENT (Book 5) goes more in-depth on the influence of religion (specifically the influence of the Catholic church), Hitler’s admiration of the prophet Mohammad, spiritualism, mysticism, psychism, occultism, astrology, seances, fortune telling, mythology, etc. Hitler and his henchman Hess were followers of mysticism and astrology so it’s a historical fact that had to be addressed. Mysticism was also the rage with high society during this time. With all the deaths that have occurred and will occur because of the Nazis and Spanish and Italian fascism, the ghosts of the many victims are hauntingly felt in the book.

Lanny Budd is an unusual “spy” in that he’s not an action spy. If the “Lanny Budd” character had been cast in a movie or TV series, the late actor Cary Grant would have been an ideal leading man since he, like Lanny Budd, is low-keyed; yet cosmopolitan, debonair, handsome, intelligent, wealthy, charming, confident, and has an appealing personality and physique far superior to that of any other man (in other words, a chick magnet). I sometimes wonder if Upton Sinclair thought of Cary Grant when developing the character of Lanny Budd.

2 people found this helpful

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Lauren

An important book.

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018

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This is the first Lanny Budd book that I've read. It is an important work describing the evil forces of facism and the powers in Europe and the US who supported these corrupt ideas. Lanny Budd is one of the few people in the story who support the ideals of freedom and fairness.

The people in history who were involved in this real life drama come alive in this book

I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I highly recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

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Bonnie Dickson

Not a favorite

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020

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So many people awarded this book five stars. I can see why that was the case, but all I felt was impatience for it to be done. Maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time.

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

The whole "Lanny Budd" series is a great experience for anybody who likes historical fiction based on ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

The whole "Lanny Budd" series is a great experience for anybody who likes historical fiction based on real history.
Over the years I've checked on a lot of the historical facts and found them very accurate.
The only negative point I can make is the amount of typographical errors in these e-book versions, silly sloppy mistakes.
But on a whole a definite 5 star rating.

Nigel Barron

Yet another good book in the Lanny Bud series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

Purchased as a gift. All arrived on time and as described. Yet another good book in the Lanny Bud series..

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