Cold War novels were basically spy novels. They started to be written after the Second World War and focused primarily on the American-Soviet conflict. Ian Fleming, who brought us James Bond, is a popular spy novelist, as are Kingsley Amis, Sebastian Faulks and William Boyd. John Le Carre is another well known Cold War author.
The Cold War was a rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union. It began in 1947 and ended in 1991 after the USSR fell. The conflict received it's name because there was never any physical military combat. Both sides had access to nuclear arms which meant each side was scared of being wiped out by the other. As a result, they fought psychological battles and proxy wars.
Some spy novelists at the time created heroic characters. James Bond was arguably the most well known of these, with his womanizing and combat skills. Other writers however, wanted to look at the moral and ethical aspects of government espionage. Graham Greene was one such writer who did this, in novels like The Heart Of The Matter. He had worked as a spy in the past.
Kingsley Amis was associated with the James Bond character and went on to write The James Bond Dossier. In the book, Amis offers a comprehensive analysis of the Bond novels and concludes that they were substantial works of popular fiction. Amis accused those who denigrated the books of being pompous. It is thought that Amis wrote three books for the Bond franchise but the dossier is the only one to carry his name.
Le Carre had worked as an intelligence agent before he started writing. He was known for creating anti-heroes like George Smiley. His characters often battle with inner demons because they knew that their work was sometimes immoral. The Spy Who Cam In From The Cold, Le Carre's third book, made him into major novelist. It was adapted for the big screen with Richard Burton playing the main protagonist.
George Smiley was the main protagonist in many of Le Carre's stories. Critics saw Smiley as a more realistic character than James Bond. Smiley was not physically impressive at all, he solved problems using cunning and knowledge. Even though he was fully aware of the less savoury aspects of his work, he carried it out diligently.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is probably the most famous of Le Carre's works featuring Smiley. In it, Smiley investigates the possibility that a Soviet spy may have infiltrated British intelligence services. The book was turned into a popular TV show with Alec Guinness in the lead role. In 2011, a film version was released with Gary Oldman playing George Smiley.
Spy books were still written even after USSR collapsed and the conflict with the Americans ended. These new spy books looked at counter-terrorist operations. Serious terrorist attacks in western countries has renewed the public interest in the world of secret agents. Plenty of older writers wrote novels on the subject, even though they may have been better known as a Cold War author.
The Cold War was a rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union. It began in 1947 and ended in 1991 after the USSR fell. The conflict received it's name because there was never any physical military combat. Both sides had access to nuclear arms which meant each side was scared of being wiped out by the other. As a result, they fought psychological battles and proxy wars.
Some spy novelists at the time created heroic characters. James Bond was arguably the most well known of these, with his womanizing and combat skills. Other writers however, wanted to look at the moral and ethical aspects of government espionage. Graham Greene was one such writer who did this, in novels like The Heart Of The Matter. He had worked as a spy in the past.
Kingsley Amis was associated with the James Bond character and went on to write The James Bond Dossier. In the book, Amis offers a comprehensive analysis of the Bond novels and concludes that they were substantial works of popular fiction. Amis accused those who denigrated the books of being pompous. It is thought that Amis wrote three books for the Bond franchise but the dossier is the only one to carry his name.
Le Carre had worked as an intelligence agent before he started writing. He was known for creating anti-heroes like George Smiley. His characters often battle with inner demons because they knew that their work was sometimes immoral. The Spy Who Cam In From The Cold, Le Carre's third book, made him into major novelist. It was adapted for the big screen with Richard Burton playing the main protagonist.
George Smiley was the main protagonist in many of Le Carre's stories. Critics saw Smiley as a more realistic character than James Bond. Smiley was not physically impressive at all, he solved problems using cunning and knowledge. Even though he was fully aware of the less savoury aspects of his work, he carried it out diligently.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is probably the most famous of Le Carre's works featuring Smiley. In it, Smiley investigates the possibility that a Soviet spy may have infiltrated British intelligence services. The book was turned into a popular TV show with Alec Guinness in the lead role. In 2011, a film version was released with Gary Oldman playing George Smiley.
Spy books were still written even after USSR collapsed and the conflict with the Americans ended. These new spy books looked at counter-terrorist operations. Serious terrorist attacks in western countries has renewed the public interest in the world of secret agents. Plenty of older writers wrote novels on the subject, even though they may have been better known as a Cold War author.
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