The Double Traitor

Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-194Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 405K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Double Traitor by E. Phillips OppenheimAuthor: Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-1946,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2003

Editor's review

This is a typical early spy thriller by Oppenheim, built around identity, loyalty, and double betrayal. The author excels at planting danger beneath calm social scenes, letting conspiracies advance quietly between dinner tables and diplomatic occasions. The book's strengths lie in its brisk pacing and dense suspense; the characters' motivations are not complex, yet they are enough to support layer upon layer of reversals. As a public-domain ebook, it preserves the flavor of early twentieth-century popular fiction, offering the pleasure of old-fashioned suspense. It suits continuous reading on a commute or a short holiday, when you want to be carried along by the plot. One caveat: characterization tends toward type, and the portrayals of women and foreigners reflect the limitations of the era. Readers may treat it as a sample for understanding early spy-fiction narrative modes rather than judge it by contemporary standards.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic spy and suspense fiction
Office workers who want fast-paced stories for fragmented reading time
Readers interested in early twentieth-century popular literature
Language learners who want to practice reading with an English original

Not a good fit for

Serious fiction readers who prefer strong literary quality and deep psychological characterization
Readers sensitive to outdated gender and national stereotypes
Hardcore military fans expecting modern spycraft technical detail

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter without long interruptions to keep the suspense continuous.
Watch for clues to characters' identities and note key turning points as you go.
Don't get stuck on individual unfamiliar words; prioritize following the plot and the tone of dialogue.
After finishing, compare it with spy novels of the same period to see similarities and differences in narrative conventions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book part of a series?

According to available information, this is a standalone novel by Oppenheim and does not depend on earlier works. The story revolves around double betrayal and is self-contained. Readers can start without reading anything else, though those who enjoy the style can look for other public-domain novels by the author.

Is the English original difficult to read?

Overall it uses the language of popular fiction, with shorter sentences and more dialogue, making it easier than literary classics of the same period. Some vocabulary and expressions carry period flavor but do not greatly hinder comprehension. Readers with intermediate English can finish it smoothly; skipping unfamiliar words is fine.

What period is the story set in?

Judging by the style and the author's era, it has an early twentieth-century European setting involving diplomacy and espionage. The available information does not specify particular countries or historical events in detail; readers may treat it as a fictional tale of European international intrigue rather than map it onto real history.

Comments

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About the author

Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-194 Author

E. Phillips Oppenheim (Edward Phillips Oppenheim, 1866–194) was a writer known for mystery and espionage fiction. Public information about him is limited, and the biographical details in our records are incomplete. The existing catalogue shows that he was a prolific author, with 61 of his works held on this site, including The Great Impersonation, The Double Traitor, The Governors, The Lost Ambassador, The Yellow House, and Stolen Idols. These works generally centre on disguise and false identity, political intrigue, detective pursuit, and adventure; their plots are tightly paced and full of suspense, and he was skilled at advancing the narrative through complex relationships among characters. His works are often classified under inspirational growth, reflecting readers' interest in the choices and turning points of fate faced by his characters.