Eric Ambler was an English author known for revolutionising the spy thriller genre, emphasising realism and amateur protagonists. His most notable works include The Mask of Dimitrios (1939), made into a film in 1944, and The Light of Day (1962), which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was later filmed as Topkapi. Ambler was also an accomplished screenwriter, receiving an Oscar nomination for The Cruel Sea (1953).
Eric Clifford Ambler was born in 1909 in Charlton, south-east London, into a family of entertainers who ran a puppet show. Both his parents were music hall performers, which introduced him to storytelling at an early age. Despite this influence, he initially studied engineering at Northampton Polytechnic Institute. After graduating, Ambler worked briefly for an engineering firm but returned to creative work. In the early 1930s, he worked as an advertising copywriter in London. However, he soon left advertising and moved to Paris, where he met and married Louise Crombie in 1939.
Politically, Ambler was an outspoken anti-fascist in the 1930s, reflecting his belief in the Soviet Union as a counterweight to fascist aggression. His early novels often featured sympathetic Soviet characters. However, the German-Soviet Pact of 1939 changed his views. His post-war novel The Verdict on Deltchev (1951), about a Stalinist purge trial, directly reflected this change.
When the Second World War broke out, Ambler joined the army as a private and later enlisted in the Royal Artillery. He had become a Lieutenant Colonel and an Army Film and Photographic Unit director.
Returning to civilian life, Ambler resumed his career in the film industry, writing numerous screenplays. He gained recognition for his work on A Night to Remember (1958) and The Cruel Sea (1953). His novels, often depicting ordinary people caught up in espionage, offered a new perspective on the thriller genre. Ambler's protagonists were usually non-professionals in dangerous situations alongside spies and criminals.
He once said, "I was inspired by my conversations with Turkish exiles in Montparnasse" when explaining the genesis of The Mask of Dimitrios.
In 1958, Ambler divorced Crombie and married Joan Harrison, a British film producer and screenwriter who wrote or co-wrote many of Alfred Hitchcock's screenplays — in fact, Hitchcock organised their wedding. The couple lived in Switzerland for several years before returning to the UK.
Ambler continued to write into his later years, publishing several successful novels, including Passage of Arms (1959), which won the Gold Dagger Award, and The Light of Day (1962). He was elected to the Detection Club in 1952, becoming the first member known primarily for thrillers rather than traditional detective fiction.
Eric Ambler died in London in October 1998, leaving a legacy that has influenced many writers, including John le Carré and Frederick Forsyth.
Publicity photo of Eric Ambler.
Eric Clifford Ambler was born in 1909 in Charlton, south-east London, into a family of entertainers who ran a puppet show. Both his parents were music hall performers, which introduced him to storytelling at an early age. Despite this influence, he initially studied engineering at Northampton Polytechnic Institute. After graduating, Ambler worked briefly for an engineering firm but returned to creative work. In the early 1930s, he worked as an advertising copywriter in London. However, he soon left advertising and moved to Paris, where he met and married Louise Crombie in 1939.
Politically, Ambler was an outspoken anti-fascist in the 1930s, reflecting his belief in the Soviet Union as a counterweight to fascist aggression. His early novels often featured sympathetic Soviet characters. However, the German-Soviet Pact of 1939 changed his views. His post-war novel The Verdict on Deltchev (1951), about a Stalinist purge trial, directly reflected this change.
When the Second World War broke out, Ambler joined the army as a private and later enlisted in the Royal Artillery. He had become a Lieutenant Colonel and an Army Film and Photographic Unit director.
Returning to civilian life, Ambler resumed his career in the film industry, writing numerous screenplays. He gained recognition for his work on A Night to Remember (1958) and The Cruel Sea (1953). His novels, often depicting ordinary people caught up in espionage, offered a new perspective on the thriller genre. Ambler's protagonists were usually non-professionals in dangerous situations alongside spies and criminals.
He once said, "I was inspired by my conversations with Turkish exiles in Montparnasse" when explaining the genesis of The Mask of Dimitrios.
In 1958, Ambler divorced Crombie and married Joan Harrison, a British film producer and screenwriter who wrote or co-wrote many of Alfred Hitchcock's screenplays — in fact, Hitchcock organised their wedding. The couple lived in Switzerland for several years before returning to the UK.
Ambler continued to write into his later years, publishing several successful novels, including Passage of Arms (1959), which won the Gold Dagger Award, and The Light of Day (1962). He was elected to the Detection Club in 1952, becoming the first member known primarily for thrillers rather than traditional detective fiction.
Eric Ambler died in London in October 1998, leaving a legacy that has influenced many writers, including John le Carré and Frederick Forsyth.
Publicity photo of Eric Ambler.
years of life: 28 June 1909 – 22 October 1998
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