Books by Charles Beaumont
Charles Beaumont worked undercover as an MI6 operative for two decades on four continents. He is the author of two novels featuring ex-spy Simon Sharman as the main protagonist: A Spy Alone (2023) and A Spy at War (2025)
“A Spy at War is very heavily based on current events. I wrote it about a year ago, but as the Ukraine situation evolves—including what I certainly regard as a betrayal of Ukraine by the United States and Donald Trump and his people…it’s something which I anticipated in the book, to some extent…in the book, I write about the ways in which Russian disinformation is being used to try to undermine support for Ukraine” Read more...
A Spy Alone
by Charles Beaumont
A Spy Alone by Charles Beaumont is a really fun spy novel by a British ex-spy. Particularly if you know people who like to gossip about Britain's intelligence services, parts of the story told in the book won't come as a complete surprise, but it's told with panache and humour. You're left with a lingering sense of unease that fact and fiction are closer together than you'd like them to be.
Interviews with Charles Beaumont
Spy Novels Based on Real Events, recommended by Charles Beaumont
James Bond novels may be a lot of fun to read, but as a depiction of life as a spy, they are pure fantasy. Novelist and ex-spy Charles Beaumont recommends five brilliant novels based on true events—and the manipulation and dishonesty that lie at the heart of espionage work.
Interviews where books by Charles Beaumont were recommended
Spy Novels Based on Real Events, recommended by Charles Beaumont
James Bond novels may be a lot of fun to read, but as a depiction of life as a spy, they are pure fantasy. Novelist and ex-spy Charles Beaumont recommends five brilliant novels based on true events—and the manipulation and dishonesty that lie at the heart of espionage work.
The Best Spy Thrillers of 2023, recommended by Shane Whaley
2023 was a fabulous year for spy thrillers, with some fans saying there hasn’t been a year like it since the 1970s, says Shane Whaley, host of the Spybrary podcast. He picks out five of his favourites from the year, all works of fiction that nonetheless give a sense of what it’s like to work as a spy.
