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Len Deighton’s Followers (912)

Len Deighton

Born

in London, The United Kingdom

February 18, 1929

Website

http://www.deightondossier.net/

Genre

Thriller, Historical Fiction, Mystery

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Deighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.

Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the R Deighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.

Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.

Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.

He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.

Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.

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Combine Editions
Len Deighton’s books

Average rating: 3.99 · 103,931 ratings · 4,713 reviews · 242 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Ipcress File (Secret File, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 17,815 ratings — published 1962	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Berlin Game (Bernard Samson, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 14,163 ratings — published 1983 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mexico Set (Bernard Samson, #2) 4.10 avg rating — 9,193 ratings — published 1984 — 78 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	SS-GB 3.75 avg rating — 8,825 ratings — published 1979 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	London Match (Bernard Samson, #3) 4.19 avg rating — 6,917 ratings — published 1985 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Funeral in Berlin (Secret File #3) 3.97 avg rating — 4,314 ratings — published 1964 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spy Hook (Bernard Samson, #4) 4.04 avg rating — 3,886 ratings — published 1988	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spy Sinker (Bernard Samson, #6) 4.12 avg rating — 3,686 ratings — published 1990 — 59 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bomber 4.19 avg rating — 3,366 ratings — published 1970 — 75 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spy Line (Bernard Samson, #5) 4.08 avg rating — 3,172 ratings — published 1989	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Len Deighton…

Series by Len Deighton

Bernard Samson (9 books)
by

Len Deighton

4.11 avg rating — 51,254 ratings

Secret File (7 books)
by

Len Deighton

3.89 avg rating — 28,054 ratings

Hook, Line and Sinker Trilogy (3 books)
by

Len Deighton

4.08 avg rating — 10,742 ratings

Faith, Hope & Charity (3 books)
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4.16 avg rating — 6,494 ratings

Quotes by Len Deighton (?)

“Do you ever make silly mistakes? It is one of my very few creative activities.”
― Len Deighton

tags: humor, mistakes, silliness

39 likes

“Perhaps all fear is worse than reality, just as all hope is better than fulfilment.”
― Len Deighton, Berlin Game

14 likes

“What Douglas had once seen as the attractive over-confidence of youth, now looked more like unyielding selfishness.”
― Len Deighton

tags: affection, love, selfishness, ss-gb, youth

9 likes

See all Len Deighton's quotes »

Polls

December 2024 - Cold War Spy Novel

A Perfect Spy by John Le Carré

13 votes, 41.9%

The Human Factor by Graham Greene

10 votes, 32.3%

The Ipcress File by Len Deighton

5 votes, 16.1%

Agent in Place by Helen MacInnes

3 votes, 9.7%

31 total votes

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Len Deighton’s Followers (912)

Len Deighton

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Combine Editions
Len Deighton’s books