Feb 2, 2005 (Morning Edition) — For a secretive industry, the business of espionage is one many readers feel they understand -- especially if they happen to be fans of spy thrillers. Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian and author, offers a list of her favorites.
n p r n e w s
on:
NCPR is supported by:
This is a Visitor-Supported website.
More from NPR
May 19, 2013 — The Model S from electric car manufacturer Tesla has been named Motor Trend Car of the Year. But the company's business model is under attack by a formidable foe: the National Automobile Dealers Association, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington.
May 18, 2013 — Fed up with working for free, some interns are suing their employers. Last week, a judge ruled that interns could not sue the Hearst Corp. as a class action, which could be a legal setback for young workers tired of exploitative unpaid internships.
May 19, 2013 — Thousands of prisoners are held in detention camps throughout Eritrea, according to Amnesty International. Here's the story of one man who made it out.
May 19, 2013 — The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.
May 19, 2013 — Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.
Detail from the cover of 'Berlin Game' by Len Deighton ()
Librarian's Picks: The Best in Spy Fiction
Feb 2, 2005 (Morning Edition) — For a secretive industry, the business of espionage is one many readers feel they understand -- especially if they happen to be fans of spy thrillers. Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian and author, offers a list of her favorites.
For an industry shrouded in secrecy, the business of spying and espionage is one that many claim to understand — especially if they happen to enjoy reading spy novels.
From intrigue-filled fiction spurred by the Cold War to glamorous movies with twisting plots, the business of spying — espionage, surveillance and sabotage — has captured imaginations for decades. The genre has adapted with the times, moving from NATO-U.S.S.R. conflicts to convoluted tales of international competition and terrorism.
At a time when the nation's intelligence agencies are being reformed, it seemed a good opportunity to take stock of great spy novels. To do that, we turned to an expert: Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian and author of a book of recommended reading.
Pearl says she has long been a fan of the genre — and she's watched it change since the days of John le Carre and Ian Fleming, to reflect the modern world.
In addition to her librarian duties and compiling reading suggestions, Pearl has won a Women's National Book Association Award. And she is one of the few librarians in the world to have her own action figure.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.9(MDAxNzgwMTg5MDEyMTQ4Nzc4MjdiNWVmMw004))
Pearl's Favorite Spy Novels
John le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and A Perfect Spy David Quammen's The Soul of Viktor Tronko Charles McCarry's The Tears of Autumn and The Last Supper The Once and Future Spy and The Company by Robert Littell Len Deighton's Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match The Great Impersonation by Edward Phillips Oppenheim It Can't Always be Caviar by Johannes Mario Simmel Donald Westlake's A Spy in the Ointment Anything by Daniel Silva: The Kill Artist, A Death in Vienna, and moreMissing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2013, NPR
