The Spy’s Bedside Book (1957), edited by Graham Greene and Hugh Greene, received a sumptuous revival in its 2006 Folio Society edition, offering a masterclass in espionage literature’s golden age. This curated anthology weaves together clandestine fiction, real-life spy memoirs, and historical accounts—from Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent to W. Somerset Maugham‘s Ashenden stories—capturing the moral ambiguities and thrilling deceptions of the profession. The Folio edition elevates the material with quarter-bound navy leather covers, marbled paper boards, and satin ribbon markers, while Peter Suart’s woodcut-style illustrations add period atmosphere.
The Greene brothers’ selections—including Graham’s own Our Man in Havana excerpt—reveal their insider’s perspective (both worked in intelligence during WWII). A must-have for devotees of John le Carré’s nuanced tradecraft or Ian Fleming‘s glamorous danger, this edition bridges literary and pulp traditions of spy fiction.
