THE DEIGHTON DOSSIER

The online resource about writer Len Deighton

WELCOME TO THE DEIGHTON DOSSIER

You are on the best and most comprehensive resource online presenting and celebrating the life and work of one of the UK's top contemporary novelists, Len Deighton, who celebrated his 93rd birthday on 18 February 2022.

On this site you'll find a treasure trove of articles, images, downloads, interviews and facts about the author and a guide to every book he's ever written.

You may know that Len Deighton wrote The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin, out of which developed the 'Harry Palmer' character in the films of the same name, portrayed by Sir Michael Caine. But, did you know that Deighton was formerly an illustrator and designed the UK first edition front cover of Jack Kerouac's On the Road? Or, that he is also a historian and has written acclaimed histories of military technology and techniques during the Second World War?

If you enjoy Len Deighton's books and the films inspired by them, and want to know the stories behind their creation and more about the writer's career, the Deighton Dossier is the right place to start! While largely complete, the site is added to from time to time with new information.

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GET THE UP-TO-DATE PICTURE

Find out the latest information on film and TV adaptations - such as the exciting new ITV adaption of The Ipcress File, plus news on new book editions, newly discovered rare items and other news about the author.

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    Harry Palmer in Town
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    The Ipcress File launched
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    Penguin reissues every novel
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    Harry Palmer is being re-booted
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    New writing by Len
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    Len Deighton turns 91
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    Funeral in Berlin press kit
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    The Harry Palmer phenomenon

FIND SOMETHING NEW

This website aims to give readers and collectors information about books, films, articles and interviews by Len Deighton they may have missed and also share some unusual images and facts about the author and his works which you may not have come across before.

FIND OUT MORE

BOOKS

This is the most comprehensive resource about every book which Len Deighton has written or contributed to.

You can also find reference books about the author and details of every book to which he has provided forewords and introductions.

If you want to know more about any Len Deighton's books - familiar and unfamiliar - this is the place to start.

FILMS & TV

You're probably heard of Harry Palmer, the hero of The Ipcress File.

But have you seen the other Palmer films, or the lesser known adaptation in the 1970s of Spy Story? Or did you know that Len Deighton produced two films, Oh! What a Lovely War and Only When I Larf?

Find out more in this section, which has additional pages covering the Game, Set & Match, SS-GB and The Ipcress File tv series.

DESIGN

Before he was a writer Len Deighton had a successful career as a book illustrator and graphic designer, working for many publishing and advertising firms in the UK and USA.

Did you know, for example, he designed the cover for the first edition of Jack Kerouac's On the Road? Here you'll find images from that period which illustrate Len Deighton's distinct graphical style of book cover illustrations.


THE AUTHOR

On this site you'll find a full biography of Len Deighton along with images of the author from different periods of his life.

As a reader of his books you'll also find out about his particular style of writing, some of the persistent themes found in the books, and how he regards his writing.

In this section you'll also find a Did you know? section and quotes about Deighton from journalists and readers.

MISCELLANY

This website has a miscellany of information about Len Deighton that doesn't quite fit into any of the first four categories.

This includes the an opportunity to complete a Mastermind quiz on the novels of Harry Palmer.

It also contains information about some of the interesting ephemera associated with many of Len Deighton's works, such as The Ipcress File board game and music inspired by Deighton books.

BLOG

Keep up to date with the latest news on Len Deighton and his works, and to read and comment on articles written by the Deighton Dossier and its blog readers, by checking out the blog.

Hosted on blogger.com The Deighton Dossier blog has eight years' worth of articles. It provides news and images covering a range of Deighton-related topics, like book reissues, collectible discoveries, new releases, rarer finds and plans for film adaptations of Deighton's books.

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