Gérard de Villiers
Encyclopedia
Gérard de Villiers is a French writer, journalist
and editor
. His SAS series of spy novel
s have been bestsellers, with his total sales running into more than 150 million. His works have been translated and are especially popular in Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Japan. His mastery of political intrigue has sometimes led him to publish books that anticipated crisis events, such as the assassinations of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat
and Indian president Indira Gandhi
.
(Superior School of Journalism in Paris).
After working as a foreign correspondent
until 1965, he started writing spy novels. He is the author of the spy novel
series SAS, beginning in 1965, which tells the adventures of the Austrian prince and CIA
agent Malko Linge
. The title SAS is a play on initials and acronyms: Son Altesse sérénissime (SAS) is the French version of "His Royal Highness" (HRH). In addition, the British Special Air Service
(SAS) is the principal special forces
unit of the British Army
.
As of 2007, Villiers had written 171 novels of the franchise, selling more than 150 million books, which are popular in Germany, Russia, Turkey and Japan, as well as in France. He has published as many as four per year. Usually the locale of the story is featured in the title (as in, Les amazones de Pyongyang or Putsch à Ouagadougou). Villiers is well-known for writing novels in tune with contemporary events, such as wars or terrorist threats. He has frequently visited theatres of operation
, doing research and interviews to ground his stories with accurate facts.
His mastery of political intrigue has sometimes led him to publish books that anticipate crisis events. These included portrayals of the assassinations of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat
and Indian president Indira Gandhi
. Due to tips from spies, he was nearly finished writing SAS: The Hunt for Carlos when the assassin was captured.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. His SAS series of spy novel
Spy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
s have been bestsellers, with his total sales running into more than 150 million. His works have been translated and are especially popular in Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Japan. His mastery of political intrigue has sometimes led him to publish books that anticipated crisis events, such as the assassinations of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
and Indian president Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
.
Life
Villiers is the son of Jacques Adam de Villiers and a graduate of the ESJ ParisEcole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris
The Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme is an institution of higher education, a French Grande École in Paris dedicated to journalism and related studies...
(Superior School of Journalism in Paris).
After working as a foreign correspondent
Foreign correspondent
Foreign Correspondent may refer to:*Foreign correspondent *Foreign Correspondent , an Alfred Hitchcock film*Foreign Correspondent , an Australian current affairs programme...
until 1965, he started writing spy novels. He is the author of the spy novel
Spy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
series SAS, beginning in 1965, which tells the adventures of the Austrian prince and CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent Malko Linge
Malko Linge
Son Altesse Sérénissime is a series of espionage novels created by French author Gérard de Villiers, featuring prince Malko Linge as the lead character...
. The title SAS is a play on initials and acronyms: Son Altesse sérénissime (SAS) is the French version of "His Royal Highness" (HRH). In addition, the British Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) is the principal special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
As of 2007, Villiers had written 171 novels of the franchise, selling more than 150 million books, which are popular in Germany, Russia, Turkey and Japan, as well as in France. He has published as many as four per year. Usually the locale of the story is featured in the title (as in, Les amazones de Pyongyang or Putsch à Ouagadougou). Villiers is well-known for writing novels in tune with contemporary events, such as wars or terrorist threats. He has frequently visited theatres of operation
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
, doing research and interviews to ground his stories with accurate facts.
His mastery of political intrigue has sometimes led him to publish books that anticipate crisis events. These included portrayals of the assassinations of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
and Indian president Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. Due to tips from spies, he was nearly finished writing SAS: The Hunt for Carlos when the assassin was captured.
Film adaptations
- Miles O'Keefe played Malko in S.A.S. à San SalvadorS.A.S. à San SalvadorS.A.S. à San Salvador is a French-German film adaptation of Gérard de Villiers' novel of the same name, directed by Raoul Coutard...
(1983).
- Richard YoungRichard Young (actor)Richard Young is an American actor who has starred in film and in television. His first feature film part was in 1972. Among his best known films are the 1984 movie The Ice Pirates and in the 1985 horror film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning...
starred in Eye of the WidowEye of the WidowEye of the Widow is an 1988 French-American action film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.It was written by Joshua Sauli and William Blake Herron as an adaptation of two Gérard de Villiers' novels of his SAS series about the Austrian secret agent Malko Linge. It stars Richard Young as Malko Linge...
(1989), directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.