British spy novelist Len Deighton dies at 97

Key Points

Len Deighton, author of "The Ipcress File," died at age 97.
His spy novels depicted espionage as gritty, contrasting with James Bond.
He also wrote the Bernard Samson series and worked as an illustrator and food writer.

Len Deighton, the British writer known for spy thrillers such as "The Ipcress File," has died. According to his literary agent Tim Bates, Deighton passed away peacefully on Sunday. No cause of death has been given.

Deighton was 97 years old. His first novel, "The Ipcress File," introduced a gritty depiction of espionage, contrasting with the glamour of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. The book's working-class hero Harry Palmer was later named in film adaptations starring Michael Caine.

K. " He grew up in a working-class family in London, with his father working as a chauffeur and his mother as a cook.

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