by Jonathan Hale | Sep 21, 2026
Everyone knows a spy novel when they see one. Until they don’t. James Bond is easy. George Smiley is easy. A CIA officer running an agent in Moscow is easy. But what about a political thriller involving stolen classified documents? A military novel built around...
by Jonathan Hale | Sep 14, 2026
There is no definitive list of the 25 greatest spy novels. That is worth admitting at the outset. Espionage fiction has been evolving for more than a century, and its best books are remarkably different from one another. Some celebrate adventure. Others dismantle it....
