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 involved ongoing tension between the Soviet Union and the USA. It began in 1947 and continued until the USSR collapsed in 1991. It got it's name because there were never any actual military battles between the two enemies. They both had nuclear weapons, so each was afraid of being destroyed by the other. As a result, they fought wars by proxy and tried to defeat each other psychologically.
Many spy writers at the time were creating heroic characters, James Bond is probably the most famous of these, with his suave manner and womanizing. Other writers though, decided to look at the ethical and moral conflicts that were a part of government espionage. Graham Greene was known for this, addressing the issue in books such as The Heart Of The Matter. Greene had worked for British intelligence services.
Kingsley Amis came to be connected with the James Bond character when he wrote The James Bond Dossier. In it, Amis analyses the Bond novels and actually finds them to be substantial fictional works. Amis said that those who criticized the books were merely being pretentious. It is believed that Amis later wrote three more Bond books although he used a pseudonym.
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 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 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 involved ongoing tension between the Soviet Union and the USA. It began in 1947 and continued until the USSR collapsed in 1991. It got it's name because there were never any actual military battles between the two enemies. They both had nuclear weapons, so each was afraid of being destroyed by the other. As a result, they fought wars by proxy and tried to defeat each other psychologically.
Many spy writers at the time were creating heroic characters, James Bond is probably the most famous of these, with his suave manner and womanizing. Other writers though, decided to look at the ethical and moral conflicts that were a part of government espionage. Graham Greene was known for this, addressing the issue in books such as The Heart Of The Matter. Greene had worked for British intelligence services.
Kingsley Amis came to be connected with the James Bond character when he wrote The James Bond Dossier. In it, Amis analyses the Bond novels and actually finds them to be substantial fictional works. Amis said that those who criticized the books were merely being pretentious. It is believed that Amis later wrote three more Bond books although he used a pseudonym.
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 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 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.
About the Author:
You can visit the website www.war-author.com for more helpful information about Let A Cold War Author Tell You A Great Story
No comments:
Post a Comment