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Spy Tales From the Cold War Trivia Quiz

There were spy novels long before the Cold War - yet this type of novel flourished most after World War II. There can be no doubt that with authors such as Graham Greene and John Le Carre it has earned itself a place in fiction.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
56,862

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
475

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What Berlin Bridge was the route of escape for Karla in 'Smiley's People'? Hint

Marx-Engels Bridge

Weidendammer Bridge

Jannowitz Bridge

Glienicke Bridge

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Question 2 of 10

2. Under what name is David Cornwell, born 1931, better known as a spy story author? Hint

John Le Carre

Adam Hall

Elleston Trevor

Ian Fleming

3. Already during the Great War many spy writers had had real spywork-training as members of the Secret Intelligence Service. Which of the following authors was even convicted at the Old Bailey for the unauthorised publishing of his memoirs? Hint

A. E. W. Mason

Compton Mackenzie

Valentine Williams

Somerset Maugham

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Question 4 of 10

4. The path for the Cold War spy novels had been smoothed by such authors as Maugham and John Buchan who in the 1920s had already written great espionage stories. Who was Maugham's spy hero? Hint

Clubfoot

Ashenden

Captain Mansfield Smith-Cumming

Edward Knoblock

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Question 5 of 10

5. Ian Fleming had a background as a British naval intelligence officer during World War II. What was his first (very successful) spy tale? Hint

Goldfinger

Casino Royale

With Love From Russia

Dr No

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Question 6 of 10

6. During the Second World War Graham Greene (1904-91) was an S.I.S. officer and happened to be the subordinate of one of the best-known double agents of the whole Cold War era. What was his boss's name? Hint

Donald Mac Lean

Guy Burgess

Kim Philby

Anthony Blunt

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Question 7 of 10

7. When John Le Carre was writing 'The Spy Who Came In From the Cold', there happened to be a K.G.B. mole at work in the very same buildings where he was doing his S.I.S. job.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. Even after Graham Greene had left the S.I.S. in 1944, he kept writing stories that were based on a direct involvement with spying. Which of these stories was based on his knowledge of the Vietnam spying world? Hint

Our Man in Havana

Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Bomb Party

The Human Factor

The Quiet American

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which of these spy authors uses Richard Hannay as his hero? Hint

John Buchan

John Dickson Carr

Len Deighton

Walther Beretta

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which of these was Deighton's first spy-novel? Hint

An Expensive Place to Die.

Funeral in Berlin

The Ipcress File

The Billion Dollar Brain

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What Berlin Bridge was the route of escape for Karla in 'Smiley's People'?

Answer: Glienicke Bridge

Jannowitz Bridge is a bridge across the Spree. Marx-Engels Bridge is where Unter den Linden begins. Weidendammer Bridge is near the Friedrichstrasse Tubestation and also close to Bertold Brecht's Berliner Ensemble.

2. Under what name is David Cornwell, born 1931, better known as a spy story author?

Answer: John Le Carre

Elleston Trevor and Adam Hall are the same person. Trevor wrote 'The Berlin Memorandum' (1965), which became 'The Quiller Memorandum' when adapted for the movie theatre by Harold Pinter.

Answer: Compton Mackenzie

His so-called 'Greek Memories' (1932) described S.I.S. activities in the East Mediterranean. The novels he wrote were mostly humoristic stories such as 'Whisky Galore'(1947). Just like Sean Connery, he was an ardent Scottish nationalist. The book in which he bitterly satirized the British secret services is 'Water on the Brain' (1933).

4. The path for the Cold War spy novels had been smoothed by such authors as Maugham and John Buchan who in the 1920s had already written great espionage stories. Who was Maugham's spy hero?

Answer: Ashenden

Mansfield Smith-Cumming, a naval officer, had been the head of S.I.S. since its creation in 1909. Clubfoot was Charles Williams' hero. The playwright Edward Knoblock (not Knoblauch...) had been recruited as a spy.

5. Ian Fleming had a background as a British naval intelligence officer during World War II. What was his first (very successful) spy tale?

Answer: Casino Royale

'Casino Royale' (1953) was followed by 'From Russia, With Love' (1957), 'Dr No' (1958) and 'Goldfinger' (1959).

Answer: Kim Philby

Philby (1912-1988), Burgess(1911-1963) and MacLean(1913-1983) all died in Moscow. Blunt(1907-1983) was the only one to die in the West, and more exactly in London, where he had been Director of the famous Courtauld Institute.

7. When John Le Carre was writing 'The Spy Who Came In From the Cold', there happened to be a K.G.B. mole at work in the very same buildings where he was doing his S.I.S. job.

Answer: True

There were in fact two moles he was indirectly involved with. One was George Blake whose trial took place in 1961, and who had had the same Bonn station commander as Le Carre, John Lunn. The other was a scientific attache Frank Bossard who had been working in same building as Le Carre.

Answer: The Quiet American

'The Quiet American' was published in 1955, 'Our Man in Havana' in 1958, and 'The Human Factor' in 1978. 'Doctor Fischer of Geneva' (1980) has no spying content.

9. Which of these spy authors uses Richard Hannay as his hero?

Answer: John Buchan

A Walther PPK was what James Bond used when Ian Fleming began to realise that a Beretta was no longer a suitable weapon for his glamorous hero. John Dickson Carr wrote 'Most Secret' in 1964. Len Deighton (born 1929) is one of the few successful spy authors without a real spying background.

By the way, he even was a pastry cook at some moment of his life and earned himself a good reputation as a cooking columnist and an author of cookery books.

10. Which of these was Deighton's first spy-novel?

Answer: The Ipcress File

'Ipcress File' was first published in 1962, 'Funeral in Berlin' in 1964, 'The Billion Dollar Brain' in 1966 and 'An Expensive Place to Die' in 1967.

Source: Author flem-ish

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