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  • Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

  • By: Stephen Bentley
  • Narrated by: Greg Patmore
  • Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (66 ratings)
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Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story cover art

Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

By: Stephen Bentley
Narrated by: Greg Patmore
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Summary

In March 1978, at the culmination of Operation Julie, 15 defendants, including doctors, research chemists, a writer, and "professional" drug dealers were sentenced to a combined total of 124 years' imprisonment. Operation Julie is still today the point of reference for all British undercover operations and training. In 2011, the BBC claimed this massive and unique police operation was the start of the war on drugs. Stephen Bentley, was one of four undercover detectives engaged on Operation Julie, one of the world's largest drug busts. 

Together with his undercover partner, Bentley infiltrated the gang producing around 90 percent of the world's LSD and uncovered a plot to import huge quantities of Bolivian cocaine into the UK. The underworld knew the author as Steve Jackson. How did he successfully infiltrate the two gangs? Did he have to take drugs, and how did living a lie affect him? Discover the answers and get inside the mind of Steve Jackson, undercover detective.

©2016 Stephen Bentley (P)2018 Stephen Bentley

What listeners say about Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

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Another brilliant book from Mr Bentley.

i loved this book! a true story of the Authors part in one of the biggest drugs bust in British history. brilliantly narrated and a thrilling book I have come to expect from Stephen Bentley. funny, sad and gripping. What more can you ask ?

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Fascinating Story...

I was lucky enough to be given a promotional copy of this audiobook by the author in exchange for an honest review, so firstly, thank you Stephen.

I knew nothing of Operation Julie before this book but the author gives a informative and detailed account of his role in this undercover operation and what followed. Knowing that the narration was a first hand account of events added a real edge to the story as it unfolded.

A tale of courage, drama & emotion that I would, and already have recommended to others.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

enjoyable

Enjoyable listen apart from the technical chapters near the end. Good listen though especially ending on the conspiracy theories

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Listener received this title free

A fascinating account of a famous police operation

This is a fascinating book, covering his part in Operation Julie. It does an excellent job of describing policing in the seventies, The lifestyle of an undercover policeman. Lots of great facts and stores for the period and the operation. It also covers the stress, threat and strain of this type of work resulting in the high levels of drinking, the issues with some superiors and the relationships with the criminals he was sent to watch. One of the best books of this type I have ever read. The narration is perfect I thought at times Stephen was actually the narrator.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Undercover Op Julie

An amazing insight into the dangers, bravery and the officers of undercover policing which hasn’t really changed since that time and hopefully never will.
Thanks for going into print Stephen enjoyed every chapter.




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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Passionate and thrilling

This is book is an excellent telling of life as an undercover operative, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, from start to finish.

The way it’s written brings you into the world, takes you on the story with the narrator. I have listened to may undercover books but this is by far the best.

I hope that the talents Stephen has portrayed writing this, is brought across into another book. I will be awaiting that day.

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Really enjoyable listen!!

I have already been recommending this audiobook to friends. This is a true story recalling the authors undercover work which helped to take down one of the UK’s biggest LSD production ring. Stephen’s recollection of events and descriptive writing makes you feel like you were there. Stephen had a lot of funny sounding moments undercover, high as a kite, laughing uncontrollably, falling out of vans etc. The does also touch on several more serious topics such as depression, alcoholism, drug taking, PTSD as well as an employers responsibility to handle people with depression in the work place.
I enjoyed this very much and I am awaiting Stephen’s other books in audiobook format - I am told October/ November so not long to wait. I hope these books are as gripping as Undercover: Operation Julie. Finally, big respect to Stephen for not only this book but also the incredible undercover work described in the book! Good work!!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A different side to the story

The author tells a fascinating story and gives great insight to what it was like for a policeman to drop his whole life to undertake a whole new persona as an undercover agent posing as a drug dealer. If you have read or listened to tales from the criminals involved in 'Operation Julie' this will really appeal to you.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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True Look into Undercover

Stephen's story of operation Julie is honest and brutal in a way I hadn't expected. It was eye-opening and left me shaken to my core at moments, and yet Stephen's writing also had me laughing and hoping for a positive outcome - even in the moments that it seemed unlikely. Greg Patmore was a good choice for narration, he played Stephen's part well, offering a more in-depth look into the book than some can get by just reading the words on the page themselves. It was truly a captivating story - and the truth based stories tend to be the most captivating in my experience.

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Mixed feelings

I found this a hard title to review as it’s almost 2 books in one; there’s the retelling of Stephen’s time as an undercover operative, the ‘story’, which I found very interesting (and is the reason I listened to the book in the first place!) and then there’s Stephen’s assessment of how the whole background of the operation was handled and his almost political opinion on the should’s and could’s of undercover work, policing and drugs in general and making himself heard, and I found this part hard going (especially where it interrupted the flow of the ‘story’). I must stress that this isn’t a criticism of what he says or how he did it, it’s just not what I was expecting or thought I was getting-I think that could be made clearer on the back cover maybe, as I think there’s a good solid 2-2.5 hours at the end of the story for this second part and sadly I didn’t get through the last 1.5hrs. (Although I will probably come back to wrap it up after a brief change of scenery!)
I had no background knowledge of this event (as it happened before my time!) and is a genre I’ve not explored and I still enjoyed it, so don’t be put off if you’re in the same boat!
The narrator also does a good job telling the story, if a little stilted at times.
This is my freely given, honest and unbiased opinion of a free review copy.

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