The years between the end of World War 2 and the beginning of the Nineties were characterized by a deeply polarized world. Capitalist and communist countries were in direct opposition to one another and this tension was the inspiration for many books. With so many to choose from, though, it's not always easy to find a good Cold War author but your task will be much easier if you could narrow the writers down by genre.
The Cold War was different from most wars in history. The two main powers involved, the USA and the USSR, never fought each other directly even though they did get involved in armed conflicts all over the world. Instead, the era was one of extreme political tension where everyone was afraid of firing the first shot in case it would trigger a third world war.
One of the ways in which the superpowers fought one another was through espionage, trying to get the upper hand by knowing what the other side was planning. Espionage goes hand in hand with drama, intrigue, action, adventure and in some cases, even romance and these themes make for thrilling reading. That's why the spy thriller flourished during this era.
One of the masters of the spy thriller is British writer John Le Carre, creator of, among others, 'The Spy Who Came In from the Cold', 'The Tailor of Panama', 'The Russia House' and 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'. Le Carre used his insider's knowledge as a former spy for the British secret service to great effect, just like fellow ex-agent Graham Greene did. Journalists often made great tellers of spy stories too, with Frederick Forsythe a prime example.
Many authors of spy thrillers created characters that returned in novel after novel. Some of these characters became household names because of their portrayal in movies. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne are just two examples. The one that has become everyone's favorite, however, is Ian Fleming's suave British agent known as Bond, James Bond.
The communist countries also produced some great writers during the era. Many, however, wrote under very difficult circumstances with their work often being suppressed by the authorities. Czech writer Milan Kundera, for instance, went to live in exile while the Soviet writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and the Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas were not only imprisoned but also kicked out of their own countries.
Non-fiction books on the topic abound too. There are some that deal with the entire era while others focus on specific events or people. For example, you'll find several books on the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy assassination or on figures like Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Some of the non-fiction books deal with the stories of regular, everyday people. Australian author Anna Funder, for instance, recorded the stories of East Germans in 'Stasiland: Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall'.
There are several ways to discover a new favorite Cold War author. One is to simply read every book you can find on the theme. However, it's probably easier and less time-consuming to ask at the library or the bookstore in your area. You'll also find a variety of lists, reviews and suggestions online.
The Cold War was different from most wars in history. The two main powers involved, the USA and the USSR, never fought each other directly even though they did get involved in armed conflicts all over the world. Instead, the era was one of extreme political tension where everyone was afraid of firing the first shot in case it would trigger a third world war.
One of the ways in which the superpowers fought one another was through espionage, trying to get the upper hand by knowing what the other side was planning. Espionage goes hand in hand with drama, intrigue, action, adventure and in some cases, even romance and these themes make for thrilling reading. That's why the spy thriller flourished during this era.
One of the masters of the spy thriller is British writer John Le Carre, creator of, among others, 'The Spy Who Came In from the Cold', 'The Tailor of Panama', 'The Russia House' and 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'. Le Carre used his insider's knowledge as a former spy for the British secret service to great effect, just like fellow ex-agent Graham Greene did. Journalists often made great tellers of spy stories too, with Frederick Forsythe a prime example.
Many authors of spy thrillers created characters that returned in novel after novel. Some of these characters became household names because of their portrayal in movies. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne are just two examples. The one that has become everyone's favorite, however, is Ian Fleming's suave British agent known as Bond, James Bond.
The communist countries also produced some great writers during the era. Many, however, wrote under very difficult circumstances with their work often being suppressed by the authorities. Czech writer Milan Kundera, for instance, went to live in exile while the Soviet writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and the Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas were not only imprisoned but also kicked out of their own countries.
Non-fiction books on the topic abound too. There are some that deal with the entire era while others focus on specific events or people. For example, you'll find several books on the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy assassination or on figures like Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Some of the non-fiction books deal with the stories of regular, everyday people. Australian author Anna Funder, for instance, recorded the stories of East Germans in 'Stasiland: Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall'.
There are several ways to discover a new favorite Cold War author. One is to simply read every book you can find on the theme. However, it's probably easier and less time-consuming to ask at the library or the bookstore in your area. You'll also find a variety of lists, reviews and suggestions online.
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