This course will begin with James Fenimore Cooper's THE SPY, move on to Joseph Conrad's THE SECRET AGENT, and then venture into the stormy waters of the late, great, terrifying and bloody 20th century. Reading will cover most of the the major figures of this minor but compelling genre: Erskine Childers, Graham Greene, John Buchan, Eric Ambler, John Le Carre, and contemporary practitioners Alan Furst and Robert Wilson. Extraliterary topics will include German fascism, the Cold War, and the infamous Cambridge spies. Trenchcoat and sunglasses optional but recommended.
