Novels about the Cold War are part of the spy novel genre. They first appeared in the late nineteen forties and concentrated on the conflict between the Americans and the Soviets. Ian Fleming, who created James Bond, is a well known spy writer, as are Kingsley Amis, William Boyd and John Le Carre. William Boyd is known as a Cold War author too.
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 espionage writers of the time preferred to create heroic characters, James Bond being the most obvious of these. He was swashbuckling and womanizing. However, other novelists preferred to examine the ethics and morality of government spying. Graham Greene is an example of this, writing novels such as The Heart Of The Matter. Greene himself had been a British spy.
Kingsley Amis came to be associated with the James Bond franchise. He wrote The James Bond Dossier, in which he offers a thorough analysis of the Bond books. He says that they are high quality novels and not just cheap fiction. He said that the critics who complained about the literary merit of the Bond novels were just being snobs.
Le Carre had been a British government spy who went on to become a novel writer. He was most famous for his spy books. He is associated with creating anti-heroes like George Smiley. His characters were often conflicted about their work because of the immoral nature of some of it. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold made Le Carre's name. Later, it was turned into a film with Richard Burton in the main role.
George Smiley is the central character in many of Le Carre's novels and a minor character in others. Smiley was seen as a more realistic creation when compared to James Bond. Smiley is not an action hero at all but a master of shadowy espionage work. Even though he is aware of the unethical aspects of his work, he is dedicated to it and loyal to his country.
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 novels were still written even when the conflict between the Americans and the Soviets came to an end. These books usually focused on counter-terrorist operations. Terrorist attacks on Western countries created a new interest in espionage activities. Lots of older spy writers still produced work in this new era, even if they were branded as a Cold War author in the past.
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 espionage writers of the time preferred to create heroic characters, James Bond being the most obvious of these. He was swashbuckling and womanizing. However, other novelists preferred to examine the ethics and morality of government spying. Graham Greene is an example of this, writing novels such as The Heart Of The Matter. Greene himself had been a British spy.
Kingsley Amis came to be associated with the James Bond franchise. He wrote The James Bond Dossier, in which he offers a thorough analysis of the Bond books. He says that they are high quality novels and not just cheap fiction. He said that the critics who complained about the literary merit of the Bond novels were just being snobs.
Le Carre had been a British government spy who went on to become a novel writer. He was most famous for his spy books. He is associated with creating anti-heroes like George Smiley. His characters were often conflicted about their work because of the immoral nature of some of it. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold made Le Carre's name. Later, it was turned into a film with Richard Burton in the main role.
George Smiley is the central character in many of Le Carre's novels and a minor character in others. Smiley was seen as a more realistic creation when compared to James Bond. Smiley is not an action hero at all but a master of shadowy espionage work. Even though he is aware of the unethical aspects of his work, he is dedicated to it and loyal to his country.
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 novels were still written even when the conflict between the Americans and the Soviets came to an end. These books usually focused on counter-terrorist operations. Terrorist attacks on Western countries created a new interest in espionage activities. Lots of older spy writers still produced work in this new era, even if they were branded as a Cold War author in the past.
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