It's time Len Deighton got the recognition he deserves

BBC about to screen a new drama, SSGB, based on one of Len's books. He wrote the Harry Palmer 'spy with no name' books and a wonderful trilogy of trilogies featuring the spy, Bernard Samson. One of my favourite English authors.

Yet no gongs or decorations for Len.

Forget the spy books.

" Bomber " is his best book.

A second series has already been screened, "The man in the high castle" about what if Germany and japan had won the war, good series too, be interesting to see how this new series pans out :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Igovernor

A second series has already been screened, "The man in the high castle" about what if Germany and japan had won the war, good series too, be interesting to see how this new series pans out :thumbup:

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Man in the high castle is a Philip K Dick book (and in my opinion, one of the worst of the alternative WWII outcome books).

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Originally Posted by lardy

Man in the high castle is a Philip K Dick book (and in my opinion, one of the worst of the alternative WWII outcome books).

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:hehe: Igovernor not reading past the headlines again

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Originally Posted by OurManFlint II

:hehe: Igovernor not reading past the headlines again

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He doesn't have the best strike rate :hehe:

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Originally Posted by lardy

Man in the high castle is a Philip K Dick book (and in my opinion, one of the worst of the alternative WWII outcome books).

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Fatherland (Robert Harris novel; 1994 film adaptation) was a good example of the genre.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

Fatherland (Robert Harris novel; 1994 film adaptation) was a good example of the genre.

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That's the first one I read and I'm a big fan of his work so probably my favourite for both reasons.

One other is Dominion by CJ Sansom, which has quite a good imagining of Halifax becoming PM instead of Churchill and appeasing. Britain becomes fairly facist after the war, with Moseley, Enoch Powell, Lord Beaverbrook etc forming the government.

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Originally Posted by OurManFlint II

:hehe: Igovernor not reading past the headlines again

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:facepalm:
Of course I read beyond the headlines, I know exactly who wrote the high castle book, you should read again what I wrote and then see it the way in which I wrote it:thumbup:
and for what it is worth i do not see it as one of the worst books written about an alternative scenario, as for the SS GB new series I will reserve judgement!

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Originally Posted by Igovernor

:facepalm:
Of course I read beyond the headlines, I know exactly who wrote the high castle book, you should read again what I wrote and then see it the way in which I wrote it:thumbup:
and for what it is worth i do not see it as one of the worst books written about an alternative scenario, as for the SS GB new series I will reserve judgement!

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What did you mean then? Sorry, but it's not clear.

So sorry that I do not have an A level in English, I am Welsh. What I meant was that, coming into the thread, I was just stating that I have watched a similar series and that a second series has just finished, I did not infer that the "man in the high castle" was written by Len Deighton, and did not comment on whether he should get recognition, and they call be pedantic:hehe:

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Originally Posted by lardy

That's the first one I read and I'm a big fan of his work so probably my favourite for both reasons.

One other is Dominion by CJ Sansom, which has quite a good imagining of Halifax becoming PM instead of Churchill and appeasing. Britain becomes fairly facist after the war, with Moseley, Enoch Powell, Lord Beaverbrook etc forming the government.

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Yes, Dominion was good too. My strongest recollection of that book was a preface or afterword where Sansom went off on one about his major obsession - opposition to Scottish independence. Nothing to do with the main storyline (or not much). I have read one other book by him (Winter In Madrid - never tried the Shardlake series) and he did the same thing. Born in Edinburgh and not a fan of the SNP.

Shardlake series is very good. He gets bogged down in inconsequential stuff at times ("afterwards I felt a little hungry so I ate an apple" kind of thing) but on the whole I recommend.

Just remembered another alternative WWII - 1942 by Robert Conroy. The Japs attack Pearl Harbour a second time and invade. Great first half of the story but when the yanks fight back it's cringey and disappointing.