Len Deighton

Author profile

born

in London, The United Kingdom

February 18, 1929

gender

male

website

http://www.deightondossier.net/

genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Military History

About this author

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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 Kerouac's On the Road. H...more 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 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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Len Deighton's Books

Average rating: 3.88 · 22,690 ratings · 702 reviews · 67 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Ipcress File 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 4,377 ratings — published 1962 — 31 editions	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) 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 3,016 ratings — published 1983 — 30 editions	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) 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 2,259 ratings — published 1984 — 22 editions	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) 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 1,380 ratings — published 1985 — 24 editions	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 3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 avg rating — 1,209 ratings — published 1978 — 27 editions	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 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 1,081 ratings — published 1964 — 22 editions	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) 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 900 ratings — published 1990 — 19 editions	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) 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 793 ratings — published 1988 — 23 editions	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
	Winter: A Berlin Family, 1899-1945 4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 686 ratings — published 1987 — 16 editions	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) 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 710 ratings — published 1989 — 17 editions	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 (10 books)
by Len Deighton
3.9687864382455826 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 11,149 ratings

Secret File (7 books)
by Len Deighton
3.8339566192969334 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 6,685 ratings

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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

13 people liked it

“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

4 people liked it

“When they ask me to become president of the United States I'm going to say, "Except for Washington D.C.”
― Len Deighton, Spy Hook

tags: politics

4 people liked it

See all Len Deighton's quotes »

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