One of my biggest revelations as a member of the Spybrary Facebook group was discovering the works of Ted Allbeury. Allbeury, a man who not only could claim to be a former intelligence agent but lived a colorful, was a bestseller in his day, spoken of in the same breath as Len Deighton or John le Carre. Following his 2005 passing, he has drifted into the background, though his works have begun … [Read more...] about The Kresal Dossier: The Lantern Network
Matthew Kresal
Parting Shot by James Kunetka- Brush Pass Review (104)"
Matthew Kresal sends us in his Brush Pass Review of Parting Shot by James Kunetka. More about Parting Shot by James Kunetka From Publishers Weekly The year is 1945 and a crumbling Third Reich leaves a legacy: nuclear bombs planted in the Allied capitals. Crude by contemporary standards, they are nevertheless capable of delivering a "parting shot" that could set the … [Read more...] about Parting Shot by James Kunetka- Brush Pass Review (104)"
Matt from Bond Fans Events talks 007 in Las Vegas! (72)
On this episode of Spybrary, Matthew Kresal talks to Matt Sherman of Bond Fans Events about the upcoming Bond fans trip and tour to Las Vegas. Bond fans will gather under the stewardship of Matt Sherman to celebrate the 007 movie Diamonds are Forever. Matt Sherman aka the 'M' at Bond Fans Events also talks us through past tours and the type of surprises he likes to include in his Bond Fan … [Read more...] about Matt from Bond Fans Events talks 007 in Las Vegas! (72)
The Kresal Dossier – The Russian Engima
One of the joys of listening to and being involved with the community around the Spybrary podcast has been discovering books I might never have heard of otherwise. Clive Egleton's The Russian Enigma (aka Pandora's Box) is just such an example of that, having been posted about by C.G. Faulkner whom I had the pleasure of meeting (alongside other Spybrarians) at last spring's Spy-Con. Though it took … [Read more...] about The Kresal Dossier – The Russian Engima
The Kresal Dossier: Doctor Who – Endgame
Philby. Burgess. Maclean. If you're a student of Cold War spies (and if you're at Spybrary there's a decent chance you are), those names will be very familiar. The latter pair's 1951 defection helped to make public the most famous spy scandal of the era. In the decades since, they've also inspired countless works of fiction on page and screen. One of the more unusual comes from the realm of … [Read more...] about The Kresal Dossier: Doctor Who – Endgame
Review – The Avengers: Too Many Targets
If you're a fan of the spy-fi side of spy fiction chances are you're a fan of The Avengers. With Patrick Macnee as the debonair John Steed alongside fellow agents such as Diana Rigg's Emma Peel, it's become a quintessential piece of 1960s British television. Indeed, the series was part of my teenage years as I watched re-runs of it and The Saint on BBC America some four decades after it originally … [Read more...] about Review – The Avengers: Too Many Targets
58: Battle for Bond- Brush Pass Review
Spybrary Spy Podcast with Matthew Kresal After a rejuvenating few months at Shrublands our Brush Pass Reviews makes a welcome return to the Spybrary Spy Podcast.Matthew Kresal's brush pass has been decoded. Tune in and hear his transmission where he gives us his rapid briefing on the Battle for Bond, a book written by Robert Sellars. 'In 1963, Ian Fleming, the … [Read more...] about 58: Battle for Bond- Brush Pass Review