What is the greatest spy novel ever written?

Answer 1

As for me, one of the greatest spy novels ever written is John le Carre's "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", It's simply marvelous, cool and awe-inspiring regarding the subtle ways of working underground during the intense cold war where there were East and West Germany. I read it during my college days and le Carre's been always my favorite writer of espionage ever since.

Answer 2

Books by John Le Carre:

Call for the Dead
A Murder of Quality
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963) (Edgar Award 1965, Best Novel)
The Incongruous Spy
Call for the Dead
A Murder of Quality
The Looking-Glass War
A Small Town in Germany
The Naïve and Sentimental Lover
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Honourable Schoolboy
Smiley's People
The Quest for Karla
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Honourable Schoolboy
Smiley's People
The Little Drummer Girl
A Perfect Spy
The Russia House
The Secret Pilgrim
The Unbearable Peace
The Night Manager
Our Game
The Tailor of Panama
Nervous Times
Single & Single
The Constant Gardener
Absolute Friends
The Mission Song

Answer 3

1) I'm going to guess you mainly read fantasy. The more genres you read the more you will see female characters with really witty banter from 'Sex in the City' to 'the Stephanie Plum' Series. Stephanie Plum works with a two females who they have a rapport that is funny even when it should be more serious and life threatening. She has a grandmother that gets in some really great comments as an old woman. Real Vampires is another series where the comraderie between female characters is not only funny but well written it is a genre called Chick Lit and it is very focused on exactly what you are suggesting, bringing up the bar for women and men to show their lighter side, no matter the situation. 2) Again straying from fantasy and more into Supernatural you will find more realistic female characters who have that Harry Potter feel to them. A little ignorance, some learning, a moment of helplessness, a feeling of defeat and then they suddenly make a comeback. Nothing to destroy the world but no longer just a female in distress. I've read more Paranormal novels where the women are equal to the men and in some cases are the spies, turncoats, leaders of the teams and villans equally. The authors let them fight with a vengence one moment and cry like a baby the next. (women do that in RL sometimes) In adult fantasy the women are sometimes the weaker character then find out their value and use as the novel progresses other times they are in powerful positions and then are given some obstacle that takes them down a peg or two. Usually a male. Which moves us right into that third point 3) Reading paranormal romance and adult fantasy brings in a new dimension of romance because as the plotline develops so does a symbiotic relationship between the male and female characters. Again this is adult literature and it sells books to female romantics. Which happens to be close to 83% of the novel buying public, so it doesn't surprise me that some authors screw it up just to include it in order to capture a larger market. 4) I like the limitations set. I mean face it if there were no limits then just banish the bad guy, or the horrible end of the world problem on page three and live on little children. What would be the point. In fact I wrote a short story where the magic of one kingdom was so strong they had no enemies, no one able to combat them so they lived a war free life. Problem was everyone who wanted to escape their battle countries wanted in and the country was being overridden by magical foreigners. So to keep the populace down, and the magic in balance, they hold a catch and release contest. Those caught most often are banished. Only the strongest get to stay. Everything has some sort of limit, in reality and even in sci fi and fantasy, if not you lose the moral of the story and even the purpose of it. Absolute power corrupts and power corrupts absolutely.

Answer 4

Riddle of the Sands;
The Great Impersonation;
The Czar's Spy

By: Erskine Childers
By: E. Phillips Oppenheim
By: William Le Queux

Answer 5

I loved "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" by John LeCarre.

Answer 6

Berlin Game by Len Deighton

It's book one of a trilogy. The other 2 are:

Mexico Set
London Match

Answer 7

The Life and Times of Austin Powers

Answer 8

For me, Gravity'rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon. It's not exactly what you would call a spy novel, but there are spies everywhere, and everyone become spy of his own life...
One of XXth century masterpiece...

Answer 9

Not a single book but either the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz or the James Bond series by (I am not sure)

Answer 10

I think there are lots...because there are lots of tastes...what can you say about: A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS by Eric Ambler? MATARESE CIRCLE by Ludlum?
What about: "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold"?