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.
Where countries don't trust one another, there will be spies. By far the most popular genre dealing with the era is the spy thriller. After all, the espionage theme has almost unlimited possibilities for adventure, action, intrigue and romance.
John Le Carre is one of the leading writers of the spy thriller. His most famous book is probably 'The Spy Who Came In from the Cold' but he also wrote 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 'The Constant Gardener' and 'The Russia House', all of which became successful movies too. Le Carre had the advantage that he used to be a spy himself, just like Graham Greene, another master of the genre. Many writers of spy thrillers also used to be journalists, like Frederick Forsythe.
The espionage genre gave rise to some of the most popular fictional characters. Secret agents like Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy, and Jason Bourne, created by Robert Ludlum, returned in several novels and were immortalized on the silver screen too. The one that became the man every man wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with was Ian Fleming's martini-drinking, tuxedo-wearing Brit best known by his secret agent code, 007.
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.
Where countries don't trust one another, there will be spies. By far the most popular genre dealing with the era is the spy thriller. After all, the espionage theme has almost unlimited possibilities for adventure, action, intrigue and romance.
John Le Carre is one of the leading writers of the spy thriller. His most famous book is probably 'The Spy Who Came In from the Cold' but he also wrote 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 'The Constant Gardener' and 'The Russia House', all of which became successful movies too. Le Carre had the advantage that he used to be a spy himself, just like Graham Greene, another master of the genre. Many writers of spy thrillers also used to be journalists, like Frederick Forsythe.
The espionage genre gave rise to some of the most popular fictional characters. Secret agents like Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy, and Jason Bourne, created by Robert Ludlum, returned in several novels and were immortalized on the silver screen too. The one that became the man every man wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with was Ian Fleming's martini-drinking, tuxedo-wearing Brit best known by his secret agent code, 007.
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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When you want to find a good Cold War author, pay a visit to the web pages at www.war-author.com today. You can learn more about the topic at http://www.war-author.com now.