Jeff

I got a chance to quiz Gary Oldman on how he approaches Jackson Lamb on SLOW HORSES. For a fan of the books and the show it doesn’t get much better than that! Listen @BarbicanStation or ⬇️ spywrite.com/2024/09/16/bar…

Resurfacing an episode from several years ago that highlighted Len Deighton's care for others. He brought together some of the best spy authors to honor one of the spy greats - Eric Ambler. open.substack.com/pub/lecarrecas…

Len Deighton, one of the greatest espionage writers of our time, has passed away at age 97. The Royal Air Force veteran and illustrator once served coffee to Agatha Christie on a flight to Beirut while working as a flight attendant before the publication of what is still probably his most well-known novel, THE IPCRESS FILE, in 1962, a book that introduced an unnamed working-class protagonist, a man who would become Harry Palmer in the Michael Caine films. He would go on to write over thirty books spanning the decades. On the cusp of his rise to the pinnacle of literary prominence, he lunched with Ian Fleming at the White Tower restaurant in London, a meal Deighton notes in “James Bond: My Long and Eventful Search for His Father.” He also lent his extraordinary talents to screenwriting, became the travel editor for Playboy magazine, wrote “cookstrips” and cookbooks, produced films, and penned multiple works of non-fiction. In the 1980s he created Bernard Samson, a character who would thrill readers through three trilogies into the 90s. I came across an interesting story on the @spywrite website by Jeff Quest detailing a surprise 75th birthday lunch for author Eric Ambler on June 29, 1984 at the Savoy Hotel in London. Len Deighton had organized it in Ambler’s honor. In attendance were John le Carré, Frederick Forsyth, John Gardner, Anthony Price, Kingsley Amis, Gavin Lyall, Ted Allbeury, Lionel Davidson, Miles Tripp, Julian Symons, and H.R.F. Keating. The group photo above was given to author Mike Ripley by Anthony Price’s family and published in Ripley’s article for Shots Magazine. No one knows the exact details of what was discussed or what libations flowed, but what a lunch that must have been! Le Carré, Forsyth and Deighton paid the bill. I understand that a menu from the lunch survived…and it was signed by all in attendance. An inspiration and a true master of the craft…Deighton’s legacy remains. He will be missed. All of today’s thriller writers and writers of espionage have been influenced by Len Deighton, whether they know it or not. Len Deighton February 18, 1929 - March 15, 2026

Very sad to learn of the death of Len Deighton, who was one of the two greatest spy thriller writers of all time and in some regards was Le Carre’s superior. Anyone who has not read Deighton should try Funeral in Berlin, Bomber or SSGB. Most of all they should seek out Berlin Game, the start of an epic 10 book Cold War series focused on Bernard Samson. Deighton’s writing was sharp, satirical, gripping and often amusing. His office infighting in the intelligence services was delicious and his characters are beautifully drawn. The Samson cycle starts with a meticulously plotted run of five books (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook and Spy Line) which all stand alone but tell one big story from the jaded but dedicated perspective Bernard a brilliant field operative. Len’s genius idea was to use the sixth, Spy Sinker, to retell the whole cycle from the perspective of everyone else, exposing what Bernard didn’t know and misunderstood. There is then an origin story about Bernard’s dad during the war, Winter, and then a concluding trilogy of Faith, Hope and Charity, which is not as high quality but deals with the fallout from the events of books 1-5. It’s an epic achievement and the greatest long series in spy fiction, accepting that the Smiley series is the greatest short series. Do yourself a favour, give it a try

Len Deighton has died aged 97 - what a writer. 'The poet of the spy story' was a fitting description. I loved his writing: the sardonic wit, esoteric knowledge, insider tips, brilliant twists, but above all the acute perception and human warmth in everything he wrote. A master.

@spywrite @aceatkins Details at spybrary.com/291

'Fleming was like my gateway drug into becoming an obsessive reader and a writer.' 1980s Nostalgia & #ColdWar Espionage with Ace Atkins - author interview with guest host @spywrite on today's #spybrary podcast. @aceatkins links in 1st reply

@JeremyDuns I preferred to think it was an homage to le Carré himself who was well known to be a fax machine fan.

Roper clearly uses a fax machine simply so we can have the slo-mo effect of Pine's face appearing, but he's also holed up in a jungle hide-out somewhere and has become Victor Meldrew. It's rather low down the list of problems, and I don't think it's a Marxist fax machine.

Apart from several bizarre things in here - it's not supposed to be in Britain's interest, there's a corrupt faction in MI6 who are helping an arms dealer so they make millions - does everything have to be a culture war? It's like taking Licence to Kill's politics personally.

@EsotericCD On the el. Now checking balconies for dedicated smokers.

6:00AM. Darkness. -28 degrees. I'm standing on my balcony smoking when a *jogger* (with his dog!) runs by across the street. Reflexively, I shout down to him: "IT'S SO COLD! ARE YOU INSANE DUDE?" Without even pausing or turning his head, he shouts back "ARE YOU?" I respond: "YES!"

@spybrary @SpyHards @CICSpypod @spywrite Le Carrè is back on TV.

@Stingray_travel @spybrary @SpyHards @CICSpypod Wow. Thanks for sharing!

Plus I was lucky enough to have a chance to interview the very kind @chrispchung. It was fun to hear from him about how he brought Roddy Ho’s epic season to life. In all pod apps or here - spywrite.com/2025/09/28/bar…

Hi everyone! Not really posting on social media much any more, but dropping in to let you know that the show is back and covering the new season! First episode is here or all pod apps - spywrite.com/2025/09/26/bar…

Shameful. This economy is messed up when our nation’s preschoolers don’t have enough money in their pockets to get to the store and purchase toys. The grandmas and grandpas of this nation must be held accountable!

Spies on Stage! New Podcast episode released - @spywrite gives you the lowdown on two spy plays he watched in NYC! Operation Mincemeat and Dakar 2000 Available on all good #podcast apps and on YouTube - just search 'Spybrary'

Mission Impossible 8 (2025). Tom Cruise age 62 Mission Impossible 1 (1996) Jon Voight 58

Big news from @RealJohnleCarre and @TheInkFactory - A new George Smiley TV series coming! So I had to release an emergency podcast breaking down the news. We talk producers, actors and just what material they might cover. In your pod feeds or here - lecarrecast.com/2025/03/15/leg…

@holodeckfreud @leCarreCast Ha. Reading the news had me fall down the "Best of Tom" rabbit hole on Youtube. And I now can't get the idea of cousin Greg as Guillam out of my head.

@spywrite @leCarreCast YES my thoughts exactly. does not look like george at all, way too handsome and DEFINITELY too tall, but in many ways perfect casting. i'm hoping for perhaps a more pathetic or unpleasant smiley, since they cast tom wambsgans haha.

@spywrite hey. thoughts on them casting matthew macfadyen as george smiley in the new series?

Wow. Amazon has gained creative control of the James Bond franchise. aboutamazon.com/news/company-n…