![]() Of course, one major stumbling block for any writer trying to wring drama out of a historical narrative of this kind is that the outcome is predetermined. That’s to say nothing of the coded messages that were sent in and out of the prison. Until, that is, one realizes how much ersatz espionage went on in the facility, from hiding stolen radios to devising a method for secreting a compass inside a walnut. This is especially germane in Macintyre’s latest book, “Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis’ Fortress Prison.” Telling the story of Allied POWs incarcerated in one of the most notorious German prisons during the Second World War may at first seem like a departure for Macintyre. “I remember vividly he once said, ‘You’ve got to maintain jeopardy on every page.’” “He encouraged me greatly,” Macintyre says, before laying out the piece of advice that has continued to stick with him. The late David Cornwell - better known to the world by his nom de plume, John le Carré - had a more cynical attitude toward MI5 and MI6 than Macintyre is willing to countenance, though he does credit le Carré with reinventing the modern spy novel, as well as helping him in his own career. ![]() Somerset Maugham, Fleming, and John Buchan.Īs well as one other, a longtime friend of Macintyre’s who gave him a piece of writing advice he’s never forgotten. “I think it’s no accident that many of the greatest fiction writers in Britain have been spies,” he says, mentioning in particular Graham Greene, W. It’s also, Macintyre agrees, a skill that novelists have to develop. “Multiple lies, where you have to remember the last lie and make sure that your subsequent lie fits with it - that’s really difficult.” “One lie is a piece of cake,” Macintyre says. ![]() And then there’s the matter of not getting nicked, which is where the ability to lie consistently and convincingly comes into play. ![]() The realm of espionage, as depicted in the novels of Ian Fleming, for example, is generally considered to be romantic and adventurous the reality, as evidenced from Macintyre’s nonfiction books, is far more mundane and messy. Over the course of a career now entering its fourth decade, the British author has carved out a successful and lucrative niche for himself writing about people who lie for a living: spies. He, perhaps better than most, should know. Final Score 9/10"iPhone Games Network wrote: "It’s more cathartically satisfying than bubble wrap and a whole lot prettier"Apple ranked called Defend Your Castle one of the "Best Castle Defense Games" on the App Store!DESCRIPTION Prepare to Defend your Castle against the relentless army of invaders! Those crafty barbarian hordes have amassed their forces once again to challenge your domain.“Lying is a very difficult thing to do,” says Ben Macintyre.
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