32. The Best Spy Novels Written by Intelligence Professionals

The following is a list I obtained from Nigel West (http://www.nigelwest.com/). The books are listed in alphabetical order of author.

Benton, Kenneth The Double Agent. A veteran MI6 officer writes about real incidents.

Fleming, Ian. From Russia with Love. )007’s creator received a classified briefing from a GRU defector before completing the best James Bond thriller.

Greene, Graham. Our Man in Havana. An amusing tale of an MI6 officer in Cuba, tormented by his mischievous, precocious daughter and the head of the local secret police.

Judd, Alan. Legacy. A still-serving MI6 officer describes an authentic double agent case in fictional terms.

Le Carrè, John. The Perfect Spy. A semi-autobiographical account of a British intelligence officer’s moral dilemma.

Mackenzie, Compton. Water on the Brain. A vicious spoof written by Mackenzie after he had been prosecuted under Britain’s Official Secrets Act in 1932

Masterman, John. The Four friends from Lisbon. Wartime double agents intrigue in Lisbon, written by the chairman of MI5’s double cross committee.

Maugham, Somerset. Ashenden. A collection of short stories based on the author’s personal experiences during the First World War.

Bingham, John. Knight's Black Agent. A veteran MI5 officer (actually Le Carrè’s mentor and model for George Smiley) reveals a case history.