Eric Ambler - Master of the Modern Spy Story

Starting in the 1930s and lasting well into the 1980s, Eric Ambler practically invented and certainly perfected the modern spy story and novel of international intrigue. He introduced realism, accuracy, and conflicted , three dimensional characters, and paved the way for such diverse talents as Helen MacInnes, John LeCarre, Len Deighton, Stella Rimington, Ken Follet, Alan Furst, and Joseph Kanon. Graham Greene, himself no slouch at the form, called Ambler, "The greatest spy novelist of all time." He was also a noted screenwriter, best known for "The Cruel Sea", "A Night to Remember", and "The Wreck of The Mary Deare".