11/30/1974 Eric Ambler sorts the rubbish

November 30, 1974.  The Times Saturday Review of this date featured an article by great British spy novelist Eric Ambler with the unpromising title, "A Better Sort of Rubbish."  His argument was that the new generation of espionage writers like John LeCarre and Len Deighton were superior to the previous authors such as Sidney Horler and William Le Queux.

Ambler wrote spy novels for more than forty years, starting in 1936.  He won the Edgar and Gold Dagger Awards, each twice.  One of his screenplays was nominated for an Oscar.

Source: Peter Wolfe, Alarms and Epitaphs: The Art of Eric Ambler.