Le Carre, Greene or Ambler: Favourite anti-American Brits

[Sheilbh]

Three of my favourite authors. They all write great, cynical spy novels and they've all got a mile wide streak of anti-Americanism

Who's your favourite?

[CountDeMoney]

I never found Le Carre' as particularly "anti-American"...critical, perhaps, but in the intel world from a Brit perspective, I'd say justifiable so.

He's my fave rave from the list.

[grumbler]

Le Carre.  He didn't spare anyone.

Our Game is probably the most brilliant of his works, and doesn't contain any anti-Americanism at all.

[Sheilbh]

I never found Le Carre' as particularly "anti-American"...critical, perhaps, but in the intel world from a Brit perspective, I'd say justifiable so.

I think it becomes more pronounced in his later novels, especially ones that deal with the War on Terror. A Most Wanted Man, for example, but it's still very good.

Our Game is probably the most brilliant of his works, and doesn't contain any anti-Americanism at all.

For me I'd choose a cliche and go for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

I always feel all three have been hard-done by because they're seen as 'genre' writers, not 'literary' writers. Luckily I think that distinction's starting to collapse.

[mongers]

I never found Le Carre' as particularly "anti-American"...critical, perhaps, but in the intel world from a Brit perspective, I'd say justifiable so.

He's my fave rave from the list.

Indeed, on both counts.

[CountDeMoney]

Our Game is probably the most brilliant of his works, and doesn't contain any anti-Americanism at all.

That is my personal favorite as well, and a wonderful, wonderful ending.

[Eddie Teach]

I've always enjoyed LeCarre.

[Admiral Yi]

I've never thought of Le Carre as anti-American either.  It's the villains in his books that spout down with the Yanquis codswallop.

Green is beyond a doubt anti-American.  No other explanation for why he felt the need to fabricate a malign role for the US in Vietnam.

No clue who this Ambler fellow is.

[CountDeMoney]

I never found Le Carre' as particularly "anti-American"...critical, perhaps, but in the intel world from a Brit perspective, I'd say justifiable so.

I think it becomes more pronounced in his later novels, especially ones that deal with the War on Terror. A Most Wanted Man, for example, but it's still very good.

I dunno...his critical eye of the often ham-fisted, technologically-reliant Americans during his Cold War works seemed pretty pronounced, particularly with that last kick in the star spangled nuts called The Russia House. 

But I wouldn't consider it anti-American.

[mongers]

I never found Le Carre' as particularly "anti-American"...critical, perhaps, but in the intel world from a Brit perspective, I'd say justifiable so.

I think it becomes more pronounced in his later novels, especially ones that deal with the War on Terror. A Most Wanted Man, for example, but it's still very good.

I dunno...his critical eye of the often ham-fisted, technologically-reliant Americans during his Cold War works seemed pretty pronounced, particularly with that last kick in the star spangled nuts called The Russia House. 

But I wouldn't consider it anti-American.

Hell, our own dear Hansie has said as much about operations in Afghanistan.

[CountDeMoney]

Hell, our own dear Hansie has said as much about operations in Afghanistan.

Well, the shit ain't changed since Sputnik.

[Sheilbh]

No clue who this Ambler fellow is.

He was a big inspiration for both Greene and Le Carre, especially in terms of style. He wrote a series of lefty, anti-Fascist thrillers in the late 30s which are brilliant. I've not read any of his post-war stuff.

I'm really interested and surprised that people don't see Le Carre as anti-American. A book's politics generally doesn't bother me, but I'd always thought his were as laced with it as Greene's.

[Admiral Yi]

I'm really interested and surprised that people don't see Le Carre as anti-American. A book's politics generally doesn't bother me, but I'd always thought his were as laced with it as Greene's.

I've only read the Smiley books and I just don't see it.  Quite a bit of envy about resources, relevance, power, etc, but that's not necessarily anti-American.

Question for you though: have you read The Tailor of Panama?  I have not, but saw the movie.  Overcooked rhetoric straight out of The Workers' Daily about "firebombing Panama City."  Was stuff like that in the book?

[CountDeMoney]

Question for you though: have you read The Tailor of Panama?  I have not, but saw the movie.  Overcooked rhetoric straight out of The Workers' Daily about "firebombing Panama City."  Was stuff like that in the book?

The book is actually pretty good, and really fleshes out Pierce Brosnan's character more than the movie came close to doing.

I suppose it could be considered anti-American based on the POV of the internal carnage left behind from The Noriega Thing but it's more like your typical-US-legacy-of-supporting-despots-in-Central-America, which isn't anti-American as much as it is the simple truth.

But I didn't consider it anti-American, and you know how sensitive about that.

[Sheilbh]

Question for you though: have you read The Tailor of Panama?  I have not, but saw the movie.  Overcooked rhetoric straight out of The Workers' Daily about "firebombing Panama City."  Was stuff like that in the book?

I've not read the book. Saw the film and liked it well enough - but then I've yet to meet a Geoffrey Rush film I didn't like (except maybe The King's Speech). It's not a film that stuck in my mind though.