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Roger Brook #1
The Launching of Roger Brook
Introducing Roger Brook, 'master spy and gentleman adventurer' of the Napoleonic Era, in Dennis Wheatley's famous historical series that spans the years from 1783 through 1815.The year 1783 finds the young Roger Brook fresh out of school and seeking his fame and fortune in France. Spurred on by his admiration for the delectable Georgina Thursby and the fair Athénais de Rochambeau, Brook gets involved in the secrets of French foreign policy, much to the peril of himself and his lady admirers.In this perfect coming of age story we see naivety, love, temptation and adventure propelling us cross-countries, with a host of surprising and unexpected characters."The inventive energy of [Wheatley] is something to marvel at. He displays a fertility of imagination without equal among living writers" - Daniel George, Herald Tribune
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
28 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Wheatley
385 books248 followersDennis Yates Wheatley (8 January 1897 – 10 November 1977) [Born: Dennis Yeats Wheatley] was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors in the 1950s and 1960s.
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 14, 2016
Dennis Wheatley used to be a wildly popular writer, and very prolific as well. As recently as the 1960's his books were selling over a million copies a year. Now, it seems as though he is mainly forgotten. Which is too bad, as he wrote many very entertaining books.
This book was his first historical novel, and is set in the 1780's, in both England and France. The main character, amazingly called Roger Brook, leaves home at the age of fifteen rather than be sent out to work as a seaman, as his father wishes him to. Instead he travels to France, and stays there for several years and encounters many adventures while doing so. He falls in love with a princess, sells dubious medicinal remedies to a gullible public for a time, fights a couple of duels, and becomes a spy for the English government.
All in all, an excellent and entertaining read which is highly recommended for those who like this sort of thing. His books may not be all that easy to find however. Luckily I manged to buy about 20 of them, and some of the others are available from a nearby library. They are also available on Kindle for a very reasonable price, around $7 each (in Canada, so probably less in the U.S.A.).
This book was his first historical novel, and is set in the 1780's, in both England and France. The main character, amazingly called Roger Brook, leaves home at the age of fifteen rather than be sent out to work as a seaman, as his father wishes him to. Instead he travels to France, and stays there for several years and encounters many adventures while doing so. He falls in love with a princess, sells dubious medicinal remedies to a gullible public for a time, fights a couple of duels, and becomes a spy for the English government.
All in all, an excellent and entertaining read which is highly recommended for those who like this sort of thing. His books may not be all that easy to find however. Luckily I manged to buy about 20 of them, and some of the others are available from a nearby library. They are also available on Kindle for a very reasonable price, around $7 each (in Canada, so probably less in the U.S.A.).
April 6, 2016
When this book first turned up on my radar, my first thought was: A whole series about a secret agent around the time of the French Revolution? Sign me up! Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this first book in the series quite as much as I'd hoped - unnecessarily long exposition passages regarding the politics and general state of affairs in Europe at the time slowed down the pace and mostly came across as rather tedious lectures, and I didn't like the protagonist all that much. Roger is arrogant, naive, impetuous, spending entirely too much time moping about an exceedingly annoying girl, and given to bouts of extreme idiocy. He is, however, also a hormone-ridden teenager in this first book, so I suppose some allowances for rashness and idiotic behaviour must be made. The action took a long time to actually get started, but the last part of the book was promising. I'll give the next one a try and see if, now that Roger has grown up and will actually be engaging in intrigue and espionage professionally rather than just bumbling about with no real clue as to what he's doing, the series will grow on me.
May 18, 2016
My father was the one who first introduced me to the Roger Brook spy stories and I managed to get hold of the first one of the series (a reprint from 1996) to reread. Roger Brook is a young Englishman (15 when the book starts), who runs away from home because his father wants him to join the Royal Navy. Through a series of misadventures he finds himself living in France just prior to the French Revolution and falling in love with the beautiful Athenais do Rochambeau. As a young man, he finds information which might prove useful to the British government, thus beginning his spying days. This is a good old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure, even if the writing itself is outdated. Did anyone ever all his enemy ‘dastard?’ Perhaps the alternative would have offended the author’s days in 1947 when this book was first printed. Despite the outdated style, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I have just bought the second in the series ‘The Shadow of Tyburn Tree.’
December 30, 2016
I first read the Roger Brook stories as a schoolkid. A lot of the reviews criticise the admittedly somewhat ham handed introduction of historic background, but that to my mind is what lifts the book from just another historical novel to something more educational. I have to say that I remember far more about the events leading up to the French Revolution than any period of history taught at school, because this was so much more entertaining a way of learning.
It was nice to see the whole series on offer (after the author has been ignored for so long) as one ebook download so I decided to revisit my childhood memories. The book stands up well considering the passage of time. The observations of reviewers concerning racism and sexism are reflections of the times.
It always fascinated me that Wheatley managed to write so many books that were precisely 512 (2 to the power 9) pages long.
It was nice to see the whole series on offer (after the author has been ignored for so long) as one ebook download so I decided to revisit my childhood memories. The book stands up well considering the passage of time. The observations of reviewers concerning racism and sexism are reflections of the times.
It always fascinated me that Wheatley managed to write so many books that were precisely 512 (2 to the power 9) pages long.
May 10, 2012
i enjoyed this book think it evokes the era 1700,s i read the second book ist silly billy that i am ,roger is a spy and got a bit of the flashmen about him hope you enjoy
July 29, 2025
This is the first of a series of stories featuring Roger Brook, a fictional character in the time of William Pitt, taking us right from his later school days into his first employment as a British secret agent in pre-revolutionary France.
The novel begins in the late 1700s. Right from the get go we are given quite a detailed introduction to the culture and history of the Georgian era and the Age of Enlightenment in Great Britain. As the novel develops this historical and cultural background is then extended to continental Europe. Typical of Wheatley there is no lack of such historical depth, and he covers it very accurately. In contrast with many of his novels set in later eras this does not, at least to me, cross over into a slightly tedious and unnecessary boastful display of his knowledge overlaid with some of his own personal beliefs and prejudices. It simply adds the required depth and background to the novel, but in so doing it has also significantly increased at least my own knowledge of the era, which makes it more interesting and readable.
One aspect of the culture to which we are exposed is the British attitude to fair fighting, even in that pre-Queensberry era, as illustrated in this quote:
"... he could easily have thrown his adversary into confusion by giving him a swift kick in the shin, and he had never been able to understand why, if one was set upon by a bigger fellow, one should not resort to any such trick for one's own protection".
A warning to the easily offended. Towards the end of this novel Wheatley uses the "n" word. He also refers to a wealthy French noble as being extremely ugly and not a suitable match for a young French lady simply because of the mix of West Indian blood in his ancestral background. Such opinions would not be at all acceptable in a modern novel, although the reality is that Wheatley is simply expressing the views and attitudes that would most certainly have prevailed in the historical and geographical setting of this novel, as well as at the time he wrote it.
Any who, like me, know the environs of the New Forest well will recognise many places identified at the beginning and the end of this novel, as Roger Brook's home is in Lymington. We hear of Lymington, Winchester, Totton, Brockenhurst, Boldre, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Pylewell, Highcliffe and Hurst Castle. Most of the novel, though, is based in Northern France, and we are introduced to a number of towns and villages of Brittany, Normandy, and the Ile-de-France, including, of course, Paris itself. Right at the end we have a journey from Lymington to London, the mid stretch of which (Winchester, Alton, Farnham and Guildford) I have driven countless times and I recognised some of the descriptions, particularly the scenic Hogsback between Farnham and Guildford.
Roger Brook comes across as a very likeable young man, who gradually eases into doing important secret work on behalf of his country. He has good morals and good manners, especially for one so very young. Early on it is easy to see the mistakes he is making due to not yet having even turned 16, and I found myself shouting at him not to do what he is clearly going to do. I feel this is a clever move by Wheatley, getting me totally engrossed in the novel, especially as I could see Roger changing and developing as the novel progresses and becoming much less liable to make crucial errors of judgement.
There is a great deal of action, historical facts, and love interest in this exciting novel. I recommend it to those who are not too sensitive and who are not too put off by the great historical detail that appears throughout and that some may feel often interrupts the action.
The novel begins in the late 1700s. Right from the get go we are given quite a detailed introduction to the culture and history of the Georgian era and the Age of Enlightenment in Great Britain. As the novel develops this historical and cultural background is then extended to continental Europe. Typical of Wheatley there is no lack of such historical depth, and he covers it very accurately. In contrast with many of his novels set in later eras this does not, at least to me, cross over into a slightly tedious and unnecessary boastful display of his knowledge overlaid with some of his own personal beliefs and prejudices. It simply adds the required depth and background to the novel, but in so doing it has also significantly increased at least my own knowledge of the era, which makes it more interesting and readable.
One aspect of the culture to which we are exposed is the British attitude to fair fighting, even in that pre-Queensberry era, as illustrated in this quote:
"... he could easily have thrown his adversary into confusion by giving him a swift kick in the shin, and he had never been able to understand why, if one was set upon by a bigger fellow, one should not resort to any such trick for one's own protection".
A warning to the easily offended. Towards the end of this novel Wheatley uses the "n" word. He also refers to a wealthy French noble as being extremely ugly and not a suitable match for a young French lady simply because of the mix of West Indian blood in his ancestral background. Such opinions would not be at all acceptable in a modern novel, although the reality is that Wheatley is simply expressing the views and attitudes that would most certainly have prevailed in the historical and geographical setting of this novel, as well as at the time he wrote it.
Any who, like me, know the environs of the New Forest well will recognise many places identified at the beginning and the end of this novel, as Roger Brook's home is in Lymington. We hear of Lymington, Winchester, Totton, Brockenhurst, Boldre, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Pylewell, Highcliffe and Hurst Castle. Most of the novel, though, is based in Northern France, and we are introduced to a number of towns and villages of Brittany, Normandy, and the Ile-de-France, including, of course, Paris itself. Right at the end we have a journey from Lymington to London, the mid stretch of which (Winchester, Alton, Farnham and Guildford) I have driven countless times and I recognised some of the descriptions, particularly the scenic Hogsback between Farnham and Guildford.
Roger Brook comes across as a very likeable young man, who gradually eases into doing important secret work on behalf of his country. He has good morals and good manners, especially for one so very young. Early on it is easy to see the mistakes he is making due to not yet having even turned 16, and I found myself shouting at him not to do what he is clearly going to do. I feel this is a clever move by Wheatley, getting me totally engrossed in the novel, especially as I could see Roger changing and developing as the novel progresses and becoming much less liable to make crucial errors of judgement.
There is a great deal of action, historical facts, and love interest in this exciting novel. I recommend it to those who are not too sensitive and who are not too put off by the great historical detail that appears throughout and that some may feel often interrupts the action.
May 21, 2018
I am working my way through all of Wheatley's works having purchased the entire set in a second hand bookshop. This story was set in the period leading up to the French Revolution and I can only imagine that Dennis must have been a fan of the period. He goes into some extraordinary detail about the political situation and I can imagine the book must have taken some considerable research.
I am not especially interested in this period of history so I did find some of the sections rather dry, although I would imagine some people might enjoy.
I am not especially interested in this period of history so I did find some of the sections rather dry, although I would imagine some people might enjoy.
June 22, 2024
First published in 1947, this book is the first book in the adventures of the English spy Roger Brook. It explores the pre-French Revolution era of Europe.
This book is quite engaging, easy-to-read and explains the context of European politics well.
But this book is a product of its time, so obviously one of its plot points is racist.
This book is quite engaging, easy-to-read and explains the context of European politics well.
But this book is a product of its time, so obviously one of its plot points is racist.
April 6, 2022
Over the Brook
Not Bechers but Roger it has been many years since I read the Roger Brook series but once again I look forward to reading all from his schoolboys all the way to the tidal wave.
Not Bechers but Roger it has been many years since I read the Roger Brook series but once again I look forward to reading all from his schoolboys all the way to the tidal wave.
June 17, 2025
This book is probably unavailable nowadays. I read this as a teenager and then read the whole series along with other Wheatley books.
The Roger Brooks series centred around the Napoleonic Wars and the intrigue and action were really compelling.
The Roger Brooks series centred around the Napoleonic Wars and the intrigue and action were really compelling.
May 29, 2023
Very old fashioned but also very readable and fast paced with a lot of historical information I was previously unaware of. Highly enjoyable escapism.
Read
February 2, 2024The first of the Roger Brook series.
May 3, 2024
Brilliant! Just the right mix of action, romance and history, as I like it.
March 26, 2016
As a writer of a series of books about a spy during the Napoleonic wars myself I read this out of curiosity. As other reviewers have said it is very dated. There is sexism and racism that would not be acceptable today. There are long passages of quite dull exposition about the political and diplomatic situation. There is also some quite clichéd characterisation and events. The dialogue is full of "tis" and "twas". But for all its faults the core story is sound and once it gets going quite readable. The climax is handled well, but you do wish the author got there a 100 pages earlier.
As an example of how historical fiction was written 40 years ago it serves to show how far the genre has developed since.
As an example of how historical fiction was written 40 years ago it serves to show how far the genre has developed since.
May 10, 2013
I did enjoy this book, but I felt that it could have been about 2/3s of the the length it was. I read it quite quickly, but I felt as though I had to force myself to read through the 'boring bits' to get to the actual bits of story. I found when it was actual story, and not a mini essay on international relations at the time, it was a good read. It was only these bits of 'essay' that I felt went rather slowly and which dragged the rating of the book down.
April 15, 2020
Read the whole series. Started reading them in Libya, when I was seventeen and finished them in London when the last book was published, in 1974.
I really liked them, then. The style seems a bit stilted now, and the dialog a bit naff. Plenty of 'derring do' and good, detailed descriptions of the times, events and places. Taught me a lot about the French Revolution, the Napoleonic period, taking into account Dennis Wheatley's very right wing views.
I really liked them, then. The style seems a bit stilted now, and the dialog a bit naff. Plenty of 'derring do' and good, detailed descriptions of the times, events and places. Taught me a lot about the French Revolution, the Napoleonic period, taking into account Dennis Wheatley's very right wing views.
October 23, 2012
My favourite! I found this book in the street and due to a temporary lack of good reading material I gave it a try, although the book did not look very interesting. It turned out to be a proper page-turner, a highly addictive novel that I finished in a only a few days.
May 22, 2011
Pretty good read. Some of the political stuff was boring but the author had excellent writing technique.
October 6, 2015
Excellent
Read
January 9, 2015One of many books from this book club and this author. Not sure when I finished this, but guessing 1974
February 21, 2016
Great reading if you like 17th century history.
A wonderfull beginning to a new series of books set in this time-period.
The detail once again is exceptional.
A wonderfull beginning to a new series of books set in this time-period.
The detail once again is exceptional.
Want to read
April 3, 2019Synopsis: Brook is Prime Minister Pitt's secret agent in France in the 1780s. The French Revolution is coming and he's on the scene.
January 18, 2018
Somewhat dated, but a good adventure story nonetheless. At times the exposition is rather tedious, and rather didactic (several pages on the gabelle does not make for very fun reading), which makes the narrative somewhat disjointed. There was also quite an astounding level of racism, sexism and laughable class consciousness, which, whilst it may represent the attitudes of the times does not endear the protagonist to the reader. But, first and foremost, this is a thriller type adventure novel, and in this regard, it was enjoyable. The basic premise was fascinating, but from a modern perspective it ends up not being quite so enjoyable because of the aforementioned problems.
Conclusion: dated, but decent story.
Conclusion: dated, but decent story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews