CWA KAA Gold Dagger
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (1973) Winner
Robert Littell
ロバート・リッテル
Robert Littell
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1935-01-08 （Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English, French
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- New York (birthplace) → France (resident)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1956-2025
- Influenced By
- John le Carré, Graham Greene
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred University | — | — | — | 1952–1956 | United States |
Alfred University
Period:
1952–1956
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
United States
Faculty not specified in available sources
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Gold Dagger | The Defection of A. J. Lewinter | — | Crime Writers' Association | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Mystery/Thriller) | Legends | ミステリー/スリラー | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
Gold Dagger
1973
Work:
The Defection of A. J. Lewinter
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
受賞
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Mystery/Thriller)
2005
Work:
Legends
Category:
ミステリー/スリラー
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2005) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Company
2002 Spy fictionA wide-ranging historical spy novel about the CIA and Soviet intelligence, depicting Cold War espionage through multiple characters.
Cold WarEspionageBetrayal and loyalty
Adaptations
- [Miniseries] The Company (miniseries) (2007)
Legends
2005 Spy fiction / ThrillerA thriller about operatives with assumed identities, exploring deception and questions of identity.
IdentityAssumed identitiesEthics of intelligence organizations
Adaptations
- [TV series] Legends (TV series) (2014)
The Amateur
1981 Spy fictionA novel about clandestine struggles involving a former CIA operative; one of his works adapted to film.
RevengeState conspiracyIndividual ethics
Adaptations
- [Film] The Amateur (film) (1981)
- [Film] The Amateur (2025 film) (2025)
Bibliography
- The Defection of A. J. Lewinter
- Sweet Reason
- The October Circle
- Mother Russia
- The Debriefing
- The Amateur
- The Sisters
- The Revolutionist
- The Once and Future Spy
- An Agent in Place
- The Visiting Professor
- Walking Back the Cat
- The Company
- Legends
- Vicious Circle
- The Stalin Epigram
- Young Philby
- A Nasty Piece of Work
- The Mayakovsky Tapes
- Comrade Koba
- A Plague on Both Your Houses: A Novel in the Shadow of the Russian Mafia
- Bronshtein in the Bronx
Adaptations
- The Amateur → 1981 film; new film adaptation in 2025
- The Company → adapted as a television miniseries (2007)
- Legends → adapted as a TV series
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realist prose focusing on Cold War espionageDetailed institutional depictions and multi-perspective narratives
- Recurring Motifs
- Betrayal and loyaltyEthical conflicts between state and individualAssumed identities
Legacy
Robert Littell is known for realist spy novels centered on the Cold War and for his long career as a journalist. Major works like The Company have been adapted for screen, making him an important figure in contemporary spy fiction.
In Popular Culture
- Screen adaptations have brought his work to a wider popular audience (notably The Company)
Trivia
- Father of novelist Jonathan Littell and painter Jesse Littell.
- Born in New York but has long resided in France.
- Graduated from Alfred University in 1956.
- Known as an amateur mountain climber.
- Worked for many years as a foreign correspondent for Newsweek.