Robert Littell (author)
Encyclopedia
Robert Littell is an American
novelist and journalist residing part of the time in France. He specializes in spy novels that often concern the CIA and the Soviet Union
.
Littell was born in Brooklyn
, New York
, and is a 1956 graduate of Alfred University
in western New York. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy and served at times as his ship's navigator, antisubmarine warfare officer, communications officer, and deck watch officer.
Later Littell became a journalist and worked many years for Newsweek
during the Cold War
.
Littell is an amateur mountain climber and is the father of award-winning novelist Jonathan Littell
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and journalist residing part of the time in France. He specializes in spy novels that often concern the CIA and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Littell was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and is a 1956 graduate of Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
in western New York. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy and served at times as his ship's navigator, antisubmarine warfare officer, communications officer, and deck watch officer.
Later Littell became a journalist and worked many years for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Littell is an amateur mountain climber and is the father of award-winning novelist Jonathan Littell
Jonathan Littell
Jonathan Littell is a bilingual writer living in Barcelona. He grew up in France and United States and is a dual citizen of both countries. After acquiring his bachelor degree he worked for a humanitarian organisation for nine years, leaving his job in 2001 in order to concentrate on writing...
.
Novels
- The Defection of A. J. Lewinter (1973)
- Sweet Reason (1974)
- The October Circle (1975)
- Mother Russia (1978)
- The Debriefing (1979)
- The Amateur (1981)
- The Sisters (1986)
- The Revolutionist (1988)
- The Once and Future Spy (1990)
- An Agent in Place (1991)
- The Visiting Professor (1994)
- Walking Back the Cat (1997)
- The CompanyThe Company (novel)The Company: A Novel of the CIA is a work of fiction written by American novelist Robert Littell and published by Penguin Press in 2002. The plot interweaves the professional lives of both historical and fictional characters in the field of international espionage between June 1950 and August...
(2002) - Legends (2005)
- Vicious Circle (2006)
- The Stalin Epigram (2009)
Semi-fiction
- If Israel Lost the WarIf Israel Lost the WarIf Israel Lost the War is a 1969 alternate history/political controversy book written jointly by Robert Littell, Richard Z. Chesnoff and Edward Klein.- Synopsis :...
(alternate history) (with Richard Z. Chesnoff and Edward KleinEdward KleinEdward Klein is a bestselling nonfiction author who has written about the Kennedys and Hillary Clinton.Klein is the former foreign editor of Newsweek and former editor in chief of The New York Times Magazine. He frequently contributes to Vanity Fair and Parade; he has a weekly column in Parade...
) (1969)
Films
- The Amateur was made into a film of the same name in 1981.
- The Company was adapted into a six-part television miniseriesThe Company (TV miniseries)The Company is a miniseries about the activities of the CIA during the Cold War. It was based on the best selling novel by Robert Littell. The teleplay adaptation was written by Ken Nolan.-Plot:...
in 2007.
Awards
- The Defection of A. J. Lewinter. 1973 British Crime Writers' AssociationCrime Writers' AssociationThe Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
's Gold Dagger AwardGold DaggerThe Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
for fiction.
- Legends. 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Mystery/Thriller category.