Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Matryoshka Dolls
Spy Games – Top Secret Spies
Every so often I'll be highlighting some of the spy games I've picked up from various second hand stores over the years. I haven't played most of these yet, as finding willing spy game participants can be tricky, but I'm hoping to road test some of these as the kids get older. Top Secret Spies …
Transcripton by Kate Atkinson
Kate Atkinson’s latest book Transcription tells the story of fictional spy Juliet Armstrong. She’s an eighteen year old who is recruited to assist with an operation to track German spies in London during WW2. While a colleague reels them in from the apartment next door, she transcribes their recorded conversations. Atkinson jumps between three timelines …
G-Force – A movie review
Ok, I’ll admit, this is an atypical movie to review for the site. However, I’ve seen it a few times now due to my oldest son’s love of it and there are some things worth highlighting. G-Force came out in 2009 from Disney and was producer Jerry Bruckheimer first movie aimed specifically at younger kids. …
Spy Games – Conspiracy
Every so often I'll be highlighting some of the spy games I've picked up from various second hand stores over the years. I haven't played most of these yet, as finding willing spy game participants can be tricky, but I'm hoping to road test some of these as the kids get older. Here we have …
Mick Herron – Interview
For previous reviews of the Slough House series, a visit to the real Slough House, a Slough House glossary and more visit here. Mick Herron has a quiet, unassuming look about himself. It’s something that any spy would put to good use; to blend in unseen and observe his surroundings. However there’s another profession where …
Spy Games – Enemy Agent
Every so often I'll be highlighting some of the spy games I've picked up from various second hand stores over the years. I haven't played most of these yet, as finding willing spy game participants can be tricky, but I'm hoping to road test some of these as the kids get older. Did you ever …
Le Carré Recommends – Part 4
Over the past couple years I've been posting about some of the books and authors that I've found that John le Carré has recommended over time. Le Carré tends to dole out his support sparingly, especially since he someone faked a recommendation from him, so it's always interesting to see what he's endorsed. Thanks to …
Spy Games – Illya Kuryakin
Every so often I'll be highlighting some of the spy games I've picked up from various second hand stores over the years. I haven't played most of these yet, as finding willing spy game participants can be tricky, but I'm hoping to road test some of these as the kids get older. Continuing our look …
Spy Game – The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Every so often I'll be highlighting some of the spy games I've picked up from various second hand stores over the years. I haven't played most of these yet, as finding willing spy game participants can be tricky, but I'm hoping to road test some of these as the kids get older. Here's one I …
London Rules by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I did a re-read of the first four books. London Rules was published after the novel Spook Street. Find a glossary on Slough House terms here and the full list of pieces on the book series here. …
Spook Street by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. Spook Street appeared after the novel Real Tigers in 2017. Read more on other Slough House books here. "First law of Spook Street. Secrets don’t stay secret.” The …
Mick Herron’s Slough House – A Glossary
Find even more on the slow horses and the Slough House series here. There is a lot going on in Mick Herron's Slough House books and following the tradition of John le Carré he's created his own spy jargon. As the series continues I thought having a cheat sheet might prove helpful for refreshing memories …
Real Tigers by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. The Slough House book Real Tigers was released in 2016 and followed the short story The List and the novels Dead Lions and Nobody Walks. Read more on other …
The Throwaway by Michael Moreci
The Throwaway by Michael Moreci is a spy thriller made for the moment. It’s a fast moving read that jumps right into the story and throws its lead into a situation that quickly spins wildly out of his control. Mark Strain is an on the make Washington D.C. lobbyist with a growing family who is …
Michael Moreci – Interview
Michael Moreci has become known for his sci fi and comics work but this summer he’s branching out into thrillers. His Roche Limit comic trilogy is sci-fi storytelling at its best. The first part reads like a Blade Runner-esque noir thriller, the second Aliens meets the Southern Reach trilogy and the finale is reminiscent of …
Chicago Spies – Part Two
Looking at Chicago related authors Bill Granger, Michael Moreci, Brad Thor, Andrew Grant, Sam Greenlee, John Jakes, Sara Paretsky, and more.
Nobody Walks by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. The Slough House related book Nobody Walks appeared after the short story The List and between the novels Dead Lions and Real Tigers in 2015. Read more on …
Collecting A Legacy of Spies
The biggest story of last year was the announcement that John le Carré had written a new Smiley novel. Fans of le Carré's all over the world were shocked. Le Carré had seemed to put a button on Smiley with The Secret Pilgrim so every fan is excited about the new novel. As a collector, …
The List by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. The short story The List appeared between Dead Lions and Real Tigers in 2015. Read more on other Slough House books here. Dieter was long retired from the …
Playing by Moscow Rules
There are a few different versions of the Moscow Rules, the term that refers to how a spy should handle themselves behind enemy lines. I like this version I found on a postcard in the International Spy Museum.
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. Second is Dead Lions from 2013. Read more on other Slough House books here. “Dead lions,” Molly said. “What about them?” “It’s a kids’ party game. You have …
Chicago Spies – Part One
Although it is not the first place you would think of having a spy pedigree - Chicago, Illinois - smack dab in the middle of the United States, does have a few notable spy connections. Over the next two posts I will discuss some of the real and fictional spies we’ve seen in Chicago. True …
Broken Covers – John Creasey
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70’s the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alastair Maclean, …
SafeHouse Chicago – A Review
In my recent quest to visit spy related locations I’ve found that there is nothing better than being immersed in your subject. Milwaukee institution the Safehouse has done just that for decades. Looking like an abandoned warehouse on the outside and with “secret” entrances and exits, spy themed food and memorabilia throughout, on my visit …
Spybrary “Shelf of Fame”
Listen to the Spybrary Shelf of Fame announcement here. See the full list of nominees here.
The Last Man in Tehran by Mark Henshaw
Over the past several years author Mark Henshaw has quietly been putting out some of the best modern CIA based espionage novels. Henshaw (currently or formerly, it’s kind of hazy) worked for the CIA as an analyst. While other former Agency employees such as Jason Matthews have gotten the buzz, Henshaw's spy thrillers rival the …
The Riddle of the Sands Adventure Club
One of my favorite podcasts of recent years was something called "The Riddle of the Sands Adventure Club." Hosted by Lloyd Shepherd and Tim Wright, the podcast and accompanying website did a deep dive into The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, a book that is arguably the first modern spy novel and what I …
Spy Authors who have led more interesting lives than me – Part 1 of 1000
A couple of the crazy, but apparently true bios of Manning O’Brine.
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
A look at Mick Herron's spy novel, Slow Horses
Broken Covers – Hammond Innes
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70's the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alastair Maclean, …
Spy Limericks – Smiley
Always searching for ways to lighten the mood, I'm posting the occasional limerick on le Carré's and other spy characters. Got a good one? Post it in the comments below! Smiley There once was a man from Bywater, Sarrett was what he called his alma mater. His wife was unfaithful But her opinion distainful On Heinrich …
The Spybrary podcast
One of the best things over the past few years has been the appearance of the Spybrary podcast. Spybrary is run by Shane Whaley, an avid spy fan who wanted to create something that gave people a place to learn more about spy fiction and create a community of spy fans. The podcast has consisted …
Broken Covers – Desmond Bagley
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70's the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alistair MacLean, …
Interview with Toby Manning on John le Carré and the Cold War – Part Two
We conclude our interview with Toby Manning on his book John le Carré and the Cold War. Find part one here. When you’re done reading my interview listen to the Spybrary podcast interview with Toby Manning. Spy Write: It seems that le Carré's post-Cold War work may have been what muddied the waters regarding the “otherness” …
Continue reading Interview with Toby Manning on John le Carré and the Cold War – Part Two
Interview with Toby Manning on John le Carré and the Cold War – Part One
I am please to welcome Dr. Toby Manning to the site. He's agreed to talk about his just released book John le Carré and the Cold War. If the book is anything like some of Dr. Manning's previously released papers on le Carré, it will make for thoughtful reading and have you pulling le Carré's …
Continue reading Interview with Toby Manning on John le Carré and the Cold War – Part One
Broken Covers – Alistair MacLean
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70's the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alistair MacLean, …
Broken Covers – Eric Ambler
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70's the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alastair Maclean, …
Reading Recommendations for Spies – Charlie Muffin
Ian Fleming didn't leave to the reader's imagination what James Bond liked to read. Aswritten by Edward Biddulph on the excellent James Bond site -Artistic License Renewed - we can see some of the books Bond perused while off duty. We're not as lucky with other famous fictional spies. That's the idea behind this occasional …
Continue reading Reading Recommendations for Spies – Charlie Muffin
The Exphoria Code by Antony Johnston
Antony Johnston is best known for his varied work in the comics field. Over the course of his career he’s taken on just about every genre imaginable. With the recent successful adaptation of his and artist Sam Hart's graphic novel The Coldest City (as the movie Atomic Blonde) he’s become known more as a spy …
Broken Covers – Helen MacInnes
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70's the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alistair Maclean, …
More Harm Than Good by Andrew Grant
More Harm Than Good is Andrew Grant's return to his David Trevellyan spy series after a two year hiatus. His previous novels in the series, Even and Die Twice, were excellent entries into the spy genre. In his latest, gone are the chapter opening observations on spycraft or Trevellyan's past, which I quite enjoyed for …
The Fake le Carré Blurb Scandal
Finding books that John le Carré has recommended, contributed to or written introductions/forewords to has become something of a passion project for me. In the process of doing this research I came upon its flip side - the fake le Carré blurb scandal. Back in 1991 a writer named Derek Van Arman was involved in a …
Le Carré Recommends – Part 3
I"m back with another addition to my growing list of books le Carré has recommended or blurbed. Catch up with my previous posts - Part one Part two Here are the new additions - The Reason Why by Cecil Woodham-Smith - JlC review - "I’m not sure why I returned to this classic account of one …
Best of 2017
Last year I put together a short list of some of my favorite things from the past year. I’ve done it again and here they are in no particular order - A Divided Spy by Charles Cumming - This one is a little selfish. I won a auction to have my name appear in the …
Which Literary Spy are you?
It's the ultimate question for any spy fan. If you were a spy which kind of spy would you be? I've seen a bunch of quizzes for the movies but I thought I'd throw together this one for all the book spy fans. Are you a Smiley, Lemas, Bond or someone else? Give it a …
Bond in Motion – Exhibit Review
This is another in my posts on spy tourism. Read other posts in the series here. Located in London, I had marginal expectations for the London Film Museum’s Bond in Motion exhibit. I'm not any sort of huge car guy and as this is an exhibit looking at Bond vehicles, how much am I really …
An Ode to the Inscription
I strongly believe that the gift of a book is one of the best in the world. It's the opportunity to share an experience that meant something deeply to you, show a person that you understand their likes and dislikes or to help them expand their horizons. A related but important aspect of giving a …
Reading recommendations for spies – Quiller
Ian Fleming didn't leave to the reader's imagination what James Bond liked to read. As written by Edward Biddulph on the excellent James Bond site - Artistic License Renewed - we can see some of the books Bond perused while off duty. We're not as lucky with other famous fictional spies. That's the idea behind …
Continue reading Reading recommendations for spies – Quiller
The International Spy Museum – A Review
This past summer I was able to take a road trip to Washington D.C. and while there visited the International Spy Museum. Open since 2002, it's one of the few museums dedicated to espionage. It's set to move to a new, bigger location in early 2018 so this is a last look at the museum's …
Spy Tours of London
If you are a spy fan and you are in London, odds are you will want to take a spy tour. I was able to take advantage of many of the ones I found during my recent trip there and wanted to offer a list of the various options. I didn't take a bad one, …
On book collecting – Part Two
Previously we discussed the various things to look for when choosing a book to collect, but where do you get these books? Read on for my top six tips! Note: The specifics tend to be U.S.-centric but in general the tips are true for book collectors all over the world. Tip #1 - When starting …
A fictional spy walk in London
Following up on my previous post about locations in London made famous by John le Carré as haunts of George Smiley, I'm posting some other spots where fictional spies hung out. You can find all of these and more on my fictional spies Google map. Update: Author Mick Herron has confirmed via email that this …
A Smiley Walk
I recently had the opportunity to visit London and while there I visited some of the sites written about in the fiction of John le Carré, Mick Herron and Adam Hall. I thought I'd share some of what I found. First up, Smiley locations that le Carré wrote about. The previously discussed Smiley map has …
Le Carré, Revisited
In honor of publication week for A Legacy of Spies I've collected a "best of" list of some of my le Carré posts. I also recommend reading Matthew Bradford's great series of posts looking back at the Smiley series book by book. First, here's my spoiler free review of the new book, A Legacy of …
James Bond meets Nero Wolfe
This was also posted on Artistic License Renewed. Wolfe, Nero Wolfe. Although now largely forgotten, 40 years ago there was no bigger detective than Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe. Wolfe, who first appeared in 1932 had an unprecedented run with a nearly yearly appearance on bookstore shelves until Stout died in 1975. Wolfe, a gigantic man …
On Book Collecting – Part One
Over the past few years I've become much more knowledgeable on book collecting then I ever thought I would. As I've fallen down the rabbit hole of collecting books, I've picked up a few tricks and secrets I thought I'd pass along. Please use them for good and not evil. Tip # 1 - Choose …
Non spoiler review: A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré
Wow. After over twenty five years we have a new Smiley book. Something I never thought I'd see happen, has happened. Was it worth going back to the well? I think so. Before we get too far, it's best to set expectations. In truth, A Legacy of Spies is about Peter Guillam, not Smiley. It’s …
Continue reading Non spoiler review: A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré
Mr. Smiley’s Neighborhood
Many a tour guide has made a significant amount of money holding Sherlock Holmes or Dickens character tours in London looking at the real locations of their fictional counterparts. Some would consider this foolish. Why look at place that these characters never walked? They weren't real people after all. That's true, but visiting these places …
The Charlie Muffin Series
The Charlie Muffin spy series by a Brian Freemantle is among one of the most underrated spy series. Running sixteen novels over the course of forty years it's followed the trials and tribulations of the working class Muffin as well as the state of Russia from the height of its power in the Cold War …
John le Carré, Narrator
It is rare for an author to also be a good reader of their own work. However, remembering Adam Sisman's discussion of John le Carré's theatrical bent and abilities as a mimic in his book John le Carré: The Biography it's not entirely surprising that le Carré's narration of his novels is excellent. Single & …
Spy – The reality show
For a review of an even newer spy reality show, click here. Everyone has their guilty pleasures and one of mine is reality TV. When spies and reality TV mix, how can I resist? SPY was a BBC show that aired back in 2004 and spun out of the success of the show MI-5. 8 …
Spy Writers Club
The first rule of Spy Club. Don't talk about Spy Club. 12 men received the invitation. On an unseasonably cool afternoon at the end of June they made their way across England to a back room of the Savoy Hotel. They came singly or in pairs, pushing through the wooden revolving doors and strolling anonymously …
Operation Finale – An exhibit review
The Illinois Holocaust Museum is hosting another traveling spy-themed exhibit following up on its successful hosting several years ago of Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs. This new exhibit, Operation Finale, is focused on the secret plan to kidnap Adolf Eichmann and bring to him to Israel for trial. Eichmann was one of the officers responsible for …
Collecting Adam Hall
I've written previously about how much I enjoy Adam Hall's Quiller. In The Berlin Memorandum, released in 1965 and retitled to The Quiller Memorandum in the US. Today I'd like to highlight a few of the signed copies of Quiller books I own. The first edition of the The Berlin Memorandum has a flat red dust …
Le Carré Recommends – UPDATE
A few weeks back I wrote about books that John Le Carré has either introduced or recommended. I've found even more Le Carré books that either have a JlC written introduction, blurb or essay. He also recently revealed the three books he had recently been reading. The Rape of a Nation by Marcus Bleasdale - …
A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré – An appreciation and rarity
For even more of my posts on John le Carré, click here. I recently read A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré and loved it. It's surprisingly maligned by most critics and fans but it’s very readable. The book follows Alan Turner, the Foreign Office cleanup man, as he's sent to the …
Continue reading A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré – An appreciation and rarity
le Carré announces a new novel – A Legacy of Spies
News broke this morning about a new George Smiley novel written by John le Carré. A Legacy of Spies is set to be released on September 7th, 2017. Many, myself included, had assumed last years The Pigeon Tunnel would be 85 year old le Carré's last book, especially after Adam Sisman revealed he had set …
Continue reading le Carré announces a new novel – A Legacy of Spies
John Le Carré – Time Magazine Profile
Just before the release of The Honourable Schoolboy, Time published a cover story profile of John Le Carré. If you're too lazy or busy to read Adam Sisman's recent doorstopper of a biography, the Time profile is a very good shortcut. The work of Stefan Kanfer, Dean Fischer and Anne Hopkins, it's a very nice …
The Coldest Winter – A Review
My love of spy fiction isn't constrained to prose. There are several graphic novels with an espionage theme that have been able to hold their own with the best of spy novelists. Antony Johnston's duo The Coldest City and The Coldest Winter are two of them. I’ve been a reader of Antony Johnston’s work for …
John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part Three
We finish our discussion with Robert Lance Snyder in advance of the release of his new book, John le Carré's Post-Cold War Fiction. Read part one here. Read part two here. Jeff Quest: I’ve been working on a list of books recommended by le Carré and as a result reading many of the introductions he …
Continue reading John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part Three
John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part Two
We continue our discussion with Robert Lance Snyder in advance of the release of his new book, John le Carré's Post-Cold War Fiction. Read part one here. Jeff Quest: Le Carré has managed to stay relevant in a way that his other contemporaries still writing, like Frederick Forsyth or Charles McCarry, haven’t. McCarry in particular released a book …
Continue reading John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part Two
John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part One
I am pleased to welcome to the blog Dr. Robert Lance Snyder. Dr. Snyder has written the upcoming book John le Carré's Post-Cold War Fiction. I haven't read his book yet, but he has previously written The Art of Indirection in British Espionage Fiction and edited the spy fiction of Paradoxa, both of which I've …
Continue reading John le Carré’s Post-Cold War Fiction – Robert Lance Snyder Interview Part One
Geoffrey Household – Attacks of Taste
Throughout the 1960's Evelyn Byrne, a teacher at a New York public school, wrote well known authors and asked if they would write back with the books that had the biggest impact on them as they were in their teens. She would then print these responses in the school newspaper in hopes that it would …
Favorite Things in 2016
Here are some of my favorite things I did or discovered in 2016 in no particular order- Slough House series - Mick Herron blew me away with his spy series. I burned through all 5 books in the series in a matter of weeks. I read an advance copy of Spook Street, out early next year …
Art of le Carré
The recent biography by Adam Sisman spends a bit of time on the early professional life of le Carré when he was attempting to become a working artist. He didn't have much success as a working painter, to our advantage as readers, but he did get at least one commission for a book cover. The …
Le Carré Recommends
You've read all of John le Carré’s novels, short stories, opinion columns, letters to the editor, his biography and autobiography. Before you go back to the beginning and start all over, you want to try something different. What to do? Read books le Carré has recommended of course! Le Carré is very deliberate in what …
The Spies who Never were – Update
I wrote at the end of last year about lost spy novels by famous authors. Recently a new book came to light that I am extremely excited for and wanted to make sure readers knew about. Donald Westlake Westlake was a prolific author and has the distinction of creating two iconic crime fiction characters. The …
The Spy Who Joked
If you are a male of a certain age who grew up in America then chances are that you held an issue of Mad Magazine in your hands at some point in your adolescence. You always knew something was big in the popular culture when you saw it in Mad. In the September 1966 issue …
The Spy Who – The Art – Part 3
We left off discussing an abridged version of "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" and I'm back after digging up another one. From 1937 to the present Readers Digest condensed books have been providing shortened versions of the popular fiction of the day. The winter 1964 release saw a collection of four novels.Included …
Review – Licence Expired
Licence Expired : The unauthorized James Bond Edited by Madeline Ashby and David Nickle This review is was originally posted on the website Literary 007. This book is the first to explore James Bond outside of the constraints of the officially licensed Bond continuation novels. Currently in Canada rights over written works revert to the …
Le Carré’s first lines
For more on John le Carré click here. I highlighted the first lines from Eric Ambler's novels a few weeks back and in honor of John le Carré's newest release, The Pigeon Tunnel, I thought it would be interesting to look at his first lines and whether any changes or trends could be discovered. Hard …
“The Spy Who” – Rarities – Part 2.5
In honor of John le Carré's new release, The Pigeon Tunnel, throughout the month of September I'm highlighting some trivia about his past novels. I'm continuing my look at the release of a condensed version of "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" in the August issue of TRUE magazine. Last post we looked …
“The Spy Who” – The Art – Part 2
In honor of John le Carré's new release, The Pigeon Tunnel, throughout the month of September I'm highlighting some trivia about his past novels. I thought about including this one with the other The Spy Who Came in from the Cold editions in part one but this seemed worthy of a couple posts of it's …
“The Spy Who” Rarities – Part One
Following up on my previous post about "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," in the next few posts I'll be highlighting some of the odd or rare versions of the book I have. First is a compilation of le Carré's third, fourth, and fifth novels - The Spy Who, A Small town in …
The Flat Bureaucrat by Susan Hasler
"It's a Wonderful Life" meets the 9/11 report If Susan Hasler’s Intelligence was “24” meets “The Office”, it’s sequel, The Flat Bureaucrat, is “It’s a Wonderful Life” meets the 9/11 report. In case it isn’t readily apparent, that’s a good thing. Hasler’s years as an analyst in the CIA have served her well in her …
Eric Ambler’s First Lines
In my research on Eric Ambler’s “lost” novel, "Gentleman from Abroad," I saw a few first lines from his previous novels. As I looked through them, I realized that they were a master class in getting your reader interested in your story from the start. Sure there are a couple that aren’t as intriguing as …
Eric Ambler’s “lost” novel
Eric Ambler's "lost" novel
Collecting Spy Fiction
Abel Uribe/Chicago TribuneLinking here to a short profile that appeared in the Chicago Tribune book supplement Printers Row a couple years back. They have a weekly feature on various local book lovers and their collection. The story was written by Laura Pearson, @tislaurapearson, and the pictures below are by a great Tribune photographer Abel Uribe. …
Spy out the Land by Jeremy Duns
Spy out the Land by Jeremy Duns From the book jacket, see below for the review - A time of turbulence 1975. A summit has been arranged between the Rhodesian government and various nationalist leaders, and is due to take place in railway dining car 49, midway along Victoria Falls Bridge. But Matthew Charamba, a key …
Collecting The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
The 50th anniversary of the release of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold passed us by a couple of years ago, and I thought I'd post about a few copies of that important piece of spy fiction that I've picked up over the years. In addition, I'll comment on what to look for when …
Continue reading Collecting The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
The Spies who Never Were – Lost Manuscripts
One of the ideas that can set a book lover’s mind aflutter is the idea of a “lost” story by one of their favorite authors. This is especially true for fans of espionage fiction. Finding a famous author’s lost gem hit a new high with the release of Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz. This latest …
Continue reading The Spies who Never Were – Lost Manuscripts
Chicago’s Spy – Spy Story of the Week
Who knew that Chicago was such a hot bed of intrigue? This story from 1977 in the Chicago Reader brought it to light. The article tells the story of how the CIA used (uses?) legitimate companies to provide a cover for CIA agents in other countries. In return these companies received lucrative contracts from the …
Spy Site of the Week
For anyone interested in up to date information on the bleeding edge of spying in the modern world, Wired's Danger Room blog is a must-visit site.
Your private army
Global Rescue is a company that provides worldwide medical transport out of dangerous places back to the United States and if unrest breaks out in the place you're visiting they'll send ex-Special Forces soldiers in to pull you out.
More Confederate Spies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhFKgpr1oDs I recently read "Manhunt" by James Swanson and it was great. One of the interesting points that he discusses is how at the time of Lincoln's assassination, the war had barely ended and the idea that his death could have been ordered by the Confederates leaders was not out of the question. Add to …
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aco15ScXCwA The trailer for the film of LeCarre's famous novel is coming out in September and here's the first trailer. The cast is great and it looks like they've captured the really captured that cold war atmosphere. I'm very cautiously optimistic on this one.
Golden Spies
This is a must read from the Washington Post. Two former female OSS spies from the 1940's meet up in the same retirement community almost 70 years later. If there isn't a writer working on a Golden Girls-like spy sitcom, they should get started right away. However, even though these ladies were called "Donovan's Girl's" …
The Google Spy
The latest twist in the spy game? Using Google to pass secret messages. At least that's what the brain's at Warsaw University in Poland have come up with. They have a team that tries to come up with new ways to distribute secret messages, otherwise known as steganography. I know, I'd never heard of it …
Taking a break…
Taking a break for a bit. Will return soon!
Spies and Freedom – Spy Place of the Week
Working with the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., the Constitution Center in Philidelphia, PA is running the exhibit - Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America
Japan’s Spies – Spy Video of the Week
Does it get any better than Computer Animated news on spies? I didn't think so. The news came out through another cable that Wikileaks has released. As discussed in this full story at the Telegraph, Japan has had no spy agency since WWII.
The Spy Comedian – Spy story of the Week
Recently Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a former member of the KGB, cracked a spy joke
The British Bunker – Spy Story of the Week
On Wired.com there is a really interesting story about an artist, David Moore, who is currently the only civilian allowed to photograph a secret British bunker for top Military and Governmental officials.
The History of the Espionage Act – Spy History of the Week
Women Suffragists who were nearly prosecuted under the Espionage Act in 1917 when they protested Woodrow Wilson in front of the White House.
A visit to Bletchley Park – Spy Site of the Week
Here's a really interesting video talking about how the coded Enigma communications that the British were secretly decoding during World War II are now being digitised. The hope is to put them online for anyone to access. It sounds like a very cool project.
The CIA Berlin Tunnel and Russian Spies – Spy Video of the Week
Here is a really interesting video about the CIA tunnel in Berlin and George Blake a British Intelligence officer turned spy for the Russians.
Spy Vulture – Spy Story of the Week
In a mix of "The Birds" and "The Bourne Identity" comes this story of Israel being accussed of using a bird to spy on Saudi Arabia.
Spy vs. Spy – Spy Story of the Week
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of Spy vs. Spy back in January of 1961 in Mad Magazine, here's a story that NPR did for the 40th anniversary.
Ghost: Confessions of a Counter-Terrorism Agent – Fred Burton
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the State Department’s security arm and is responsible for the safety of all U.S. diplomatic workers and any visiting foreign dignitaries. Ghost: Confessions of a Counter-Terrorism Agent, the true story of Burton’s time working on the Counter-Terrorism team for the DS, is riveting reading.
Spy Guys and Gals – Spy Website of the Week
This site lists just about every spy novel series with two books or more and allows you to search by both author and by character name.
The man who runs the site obviously loves spy novels and the number of authors and books is huge. This is a great resource for anyone looking for new espionage stories.
The Spy who came for Christmas – David Morrell
Morrell’s The Spy who came for Christmas hits the spot for a book you never knew you needed – the Christmas spy tale. Paul Kagan is an undercover intelligence operative who breaks his cover to save an innocent baby, who just might bring peace to the Middle East. He finds refuge with a mother and son alone on Christmas eve, but his enemies are hot on his trail…
Astrospies!- Spy Image of the Week
Ok, get ready for the coolest spy concept ever - Astrospies!!!
NOVA just aired a program about how the military was training pilots to orbit the earth and spy on Russia in the mid-1960's. It's a bit more hype than anything, the program never put anyone in space, but the idea is awesome.
League of Night and Fog – David Morrell
David Morrell follows up on his previous spy novels Brotherhood and Fraternity with this double sequel, The League of Night and Fog. The two protagonists from each of his previous novels, Saul and Drew, team up. The plot mix includes Nazis, ancient Mossad agents, international assassins and, of course, the CIA. The author begins the …
Duquesne spy ring – Spy Image of the Week
The largest espionage case in the US was the Duquesne spy ring. Led by Fritz Duquesne who despised the British and became a spy for Germany in both World Wars I and II, the ring was caught and prosecuted by the FBI in 1941. Interestingly they were found guilty on December 13th, 1941. I would …
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John LeCarre
Ok, I'll admit it. Until now I hadn't read the most influential spy novel of the 20th century, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre. Now that I have, it's easy to see why it had such a big effect. To discuss the plot too much is to spoil it, but …
Continue reading The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John LeCarre
Intelligence: a novel of the CIA – Susan Hasler
When the word “spy” is used in popular culture, it conjures up images of James Bond and ice-cold assassins. The reality is that the majority of modern intelligence work is done in an office cubicle. Hasler, with 20 plus years of experience in the CIA, mines that untapped area with a very funny book that …
Continue reading Intelligence: a novel of the CIA – Susan Hasler
Leon Theremin – Spy image of the week
Leon Theremin is known for the creation of the Theremin, the electrical instrument made famous in the 50's for it's eerie usage in the soundtracks of low budget sci-fi movies. However, what is not as well known is that he also functioned as a spy for Russia. Theramin became a bit of a celebrity in …
The Gray Man – Mark Greaney
It may be hard for me to fully explain how much I disliked this book, but I'm going to give it a try. It begins with the opening pages when we meet the improbably named hero, Court Gentry, otherwise known as The Gray Man. The Gray Man is a former CIA assassin that was burned …
On Break…
I'm taking a break for a few weeks and will return with a vengeance!
Confederate Spies – Spy Image of the Week
Following up on a quick look at Union spies, here is Belle Boyd a spy for the Confederacy. She was captured on suspicion of spying three separate times and died after the war in Wisconsin Dells, WI. More at Wikipedia.
Revolutionary War Spy Letters – Spy Image of the Week
Following up on the this weeks site of the week, this is a letter from George Washington to a member of the Culper Ring his collection of spies against the British. This letter was captured by the British and never made it to it's intended recipient.
Revolutionary War Spies – Spy Website of the Week
This site, organized by the Clements Library of the University of Michigan, is a collection of letters to and for American and British Spies in the Revolutionary war. It's fascinating to see the actual letters that went back and forth between folks spying in the Revolutionary War and some of the history behind them. It …
Continue reading Revolutionary War Spies – Spy Website of the Week
Mata Hari’s execution – Spy Image of the Week
There are few events that attracted as much attention a hundred years after the fact as the mystery around the accused spy, Mata Hari. Even now, the court records related to her trial are still sealed until 2017! Look here for a interesting first person account of the execution from a reporter on the scene. …
Continue reading Mata Hari’s execution – Spy Image of the Week
Intelligence bibliography – Spy Website of the Week
In my internet travels I stumbled on this site, The Literature of Intelligence, dedicated to nonfiction books and articles on the Intelligence business. I've only just begun to scratch the surface of what is found there but the depth of information collected is pretty extraordinary. Being organized by a former member of the CIA turned …
Continue reading Intelligence bibliography – Spy Website of the Week
KGB Headquarters – Spy image of the Week
For decades the thought of being taken to the KGB headquarters, also known as Lubyanka, struck fear in the hearts of Russians and spies alike. Originally an insurance agency, it was taken over by the secret services after the revolution and still houses part of Russia's current intelligence agency the FSB. The above picture was …
CIA Writers – Spy Website of the Week
NPR's Talk of the Nation in 2005 had a interesting interview with a number of former CIA workers that have written spy related fiction and nonfiction. It's well worth a listen - NPR Talk of the Nation - Spy Writers
Fraternity of the Stone – David Morrell
Picking up with ideas he started to explore in Brotherhood of the Rose, Morrell continues to look at the long term impact a life spent on killing would have on the soul. Can a person find peace and forgiveness when everything they've ever done has caused destruction and pain? Of course, this is all done …
The Spies want to be your Facebook Friend – Spy Story of the Week
In just another example of how much things have changed since the Cold War, the US government is looking to pass a law to make it easier to collect information on people using the internet. The software programs these plans are aimed at relate to sites that offer encryption or allow peer to peer traffic. …
Continue reading The Spies want to be your Facebook Friend – Spy Story of the Week
Pinkerton the spy – Spy image of the week
A pretty widely reproduced picture of Lincoln with Allan Pinkerton. Pinkerton is well known for his founding of the Pinkerton Detectives, but he was also a crucial part of the Union military as head of the Union Intelligence Division. He's also one of the few civilian members of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. More …
Brotherhood of the Rose – David Morrell
David Morrell, better known as the writer of the novel the first Rambo movie was based on, wrote a spy trilogy in the early 1980s that has just been released in ebook format. The first, Brotherhood of the Rose, follows two orphans that have been raised as brothers and trained to become expert operatives for …
SPY – The reality show – Spy Website of the Week
I caught this show on PBS several years ago and really enjoyed it. SPY was a BBC reality show spinning out of the show MI 5 where 8 regular folks were given spy like training and sent on psuedo-spy missions. Here's the opening - Although it only lasted a season it was really fun and …
Continue reading SPY – The reality show – Spy Website of the Week
RAF Spy for Russia – Spy Image of the Week
"A map from the trunk of Royal Air Force soldier Douglas Britten's car is just one piece of evidence proving his guilt in acting as a British spy for Russia." - Photo from Corbis Images. Link found through University of Warwick page on GCHQ.
The Spy Plan
My newest goal - find a way to have "spy-like" experiences. Here are the ideas I've had so far - - Take an advanced driving class to learn how to drive fast and in adverse conditions. - Self defense training. Not having been in a fight before, I could use some practice. - Take Boot …
MI5 – What we do – Spy Website of the Week
When looking for great spy related websites, MI5's seems an obvious spot, but I'd like to focus on one particular part of their website this week. Under their section entitled "What we do" you can review a the different jobs available and see a log of their daily activities. If you are looking for a …
Russian Spy Dies – Spy Story of the Week
It's been determined that a Russian spy, Sergei Tretyakov, who defected to the US several years ago died while choking on a piece of meat. Ouch, what a way for a spy to go. His book with Pete Earley, Comrade J, is a must read for anyone interested in espionage in modern Russia. Read more …
The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer is the sequel to his first book in the series, The Tourist. Milo is an everyday working shlub trying to keep his marriage from falling apart. The only difference is that he works for the Department of Tourism, a secret CIA organization dedicated to doing the work that's so …
Spy Ship USS Pueblo Crew – Spy Image of the Week
In January of 1968 the crew of the USS Pueblo were captured off the coast of North Korea and accused of spying. The US finally secured their release in December of that year. Full story at Wikipedia. A interesting video of a visit to the ship, still held by North Korea, is at VICE TV.
The 39 Steps (2008)
The 39 Steps stars Rupert Penry-Jones (of MI5/Spooks fame) as a military intelligence officer caught up in Events He Cannot Control in this loose british adaption of the John Buchanan novel. When a spy with coded details on a German plan to defeat Britain before World War I has even started is killed, Penry-Jones is …
Spycasts – Spy Website of the Week
The International Spy Museum is someplace I really would like to visit in the near future. Until then, they offer some really great podcasts about all types of issues relating to espionage. Hosted by the Museum’s Executive Director Peter Earnest, a former CIA officer, previous podcasts have had interviews with a wide variety of intelligence …
Guarding Long Bridge, DC – Spy Image of the Week
A great Civil War spy image off of Wikipedia “01/01/1863 - Long Bridge, Lincoln's Time. Washington, D.C. Union troops guarding a bridge over the Potomac River to Virginia to prevent infiltration by Confederate spies.”
MI-5 (Spooks in Britain)
MI-5 - Season Seven Some Spoilers ahead – Read at your own risk I have a love/hate relationship with MI-5, mostly leaning towards hate. The first 2 ½ seasons were great with multiple engaging characters, thrilling cliffhangers and interesting stories about issues relevant to real intelligence officers. Unfortunately, the last 3 ½ seasons have had …
DOD suppresses spy book – Spy News Story of the Week – 9/10/2010
The Department of Defense is attempting to block publication of the book Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan by Anthony Shaffer, a former agent for the Defense Intelligence Agency. The book had been vetted by the Army Reserves but apparently has still has some sensitive information included. Full story …
Continue reading DOD suppresses spy book – Spy News Story of the Week – 9/10/2010
Quiller Meridian by Adam Hall
There's something about the first person narrative that can really make a spy novel come alive. I think it's the fact that you are stuck inside the spy's head with all the paranoia that being alone and undercover would require. There was no writer better at this than Adam Hall in his Quiller novels. His spy, codenamed …
Burn Notice: The Giveaway by Tod Goldberg
When you’re a tie-in novelist, you're always going to lag behind the TV show you are writing about. That’s certainly the case with Tod Goldberg’s The Giveaway, based on the USA show Burn Notice. His book has the unfortunate luck to use Biker gangs and Safety Deposit box robbing, both of which have played large …