Len Deighton, one of the greatest espionage writers of our time, has passed away at age 97. The Royal Air Force veteran and illustrator once served coffee to Agatha Christie on a flight to Beirut while working as a flight attendant before the publication of what is still probably his most well-known novel, THE IPCRESS FILE, in 1962, a book that introduced an unnamed working-class protagonist, a man who would become Harry Palmer in the Michael Caine films. He would go on to write over thirty books spanning the decades. On the cusp of his rise to the pinnacle of literary prominence, he lunched with Ian Fleming at the White Tower restaurant in London, a meal Deighton notes in “James Bond: My Long and Eventful Search for His Father.” He also lent his extraordinary talents to screenwriting, became the travel editor for Playboy magazine, wrote “cookstrips” and cookbooks, produced films, and penned multiple works of non-fiction. In the 1980s he created Bernard Samson, a character who would thrill readers through three trilogies into the 90s. I came across an interesting story on the @spywrite website by Jeff Quest detailing a surprise 75th birthday lunch for author Eric Ambler on June 29, 1984 at the Savoy Hotel in London. Len Deighton had organized it in Ambler’s honor. In attendance were John le Carré, Frederick Forsyth, John Gardner, Anthony Price, Kingsley Amis, Gavin Lyall, Ted Allbeury, Lionel Davidson, Miles Tripp, Julian Symons, and H.R.F. Keating. The group photo above was given to author Mike Ripley by Anthony Price’s family and published in Ripley’s article for Shots Magazine. No one knows the exact details of what was discussed or what libations flowed, but what a lunch that must have been! Le Carré, Forsyth and Deighton paid the bill. I understand that a menu from the lunch survived…and it was signed by all in attendance. An inspiration and a true master of the craft…Deighton’s legacy remains. He will be missed. All of today’s thriller writers and writers of espionage have been influenced by Len Deighton, whether they know it or not. Len Deighton February 18, 1929 - March 15, 2026