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 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 was a former British spy who later took to writing novels, especially spy novels. He often created anti-heroes such as George Smiley. His characters tended to suffer internal conflicts about their work because they were aware of it's moral ambiguity. Le Carre's third novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, became a bestseller. It was later turned into a movie starring Richard Burton.
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 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 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 was a former British spy who later took to writing novels, especially spy novels. He often created anti-heroes such as George Smiley. His characters tended to suffer internal conflicts about their work because they were aware of it's moral ambiguity. Le Carre's third novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, became a bestseller. It was later turned into a movie starring Richard Burton.
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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