Len Deighton

Len Deighton
BornLeonard Cyril Deighton
(1929-02-18)18 February 1929
Marylebone, London, England
Died15 March 2026(2026-03-15) (aged 97)
Guernsey, Channel Islands
OccupationWriter, illustrator
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Alma materRoyal College of Art
GenreSpy fiction, military fiction, alternate history, non-fiction
Notable worksThe IPCRESS File
The Bernard Samson novels
SS-GB
Goodbye, Mickey Mouse
Oh! What a Lovely War
Bomber
SpouseYsabele Deighton
ChildrenAlexander, Antoni

Leonard Cyril Deighton (/ˈdiːtən/; 18 February 1929 – 15 March 2026), known as Len Deighton, was a British author. He was thought to be one of the top three spy novelists of his time (along with Ian Fleming and John le Carré).

He was a well known military historian, cookery writer, and graphic artist. His first book, The IPCRESS File, was an instant bestseller. The Sunday Times called him "the poet of the spy story".

Deighton was born in the London inner-city of Marylebone. He studied at St Marylebone Grammar School, at Saint Martin's School of Art and at the Royal College of Art. He was married to Ysabele Deighton.

Deighton died on 15 March 2026 at his home in Guernsey, Channel Islands at the age of 97.

References

  1. ↑ Morrell, David; Wagner, Hank (2012). Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads. Oceanview Publishing. ISBN 978-1608090402.
  2. ↑ Burchby, Casey (7 December 2011). "Len Deighton's Spy Novels Still Outsmart Fleming and le Carre After 50 Years in Print". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Deighton, Len (2015). The Ipcress File. HarperColins. ISBN 9780007343027.
  4. ↑ {{cite news|last=Grimes|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/books/len-deighton-dead.html|title = Len Deighton, Author of Espionage Best-Sellers, Dies at 97|date=17 March 2026|accessdate=17 March 2026|newspaper=The New York Times|url-access=limited|ref=CITEREF"Len_Deighton,_Author_of_Espionage_Best-Sellers,_Dies_at_97"._The_New_York_Times