Gavin Lyall books

Gavin Lyall (1932-2003) was an English author of espionage and action thrillers. A former RAF pilot and Sunday Times journalist, he won two consecutive CWA Silver Daggers in the 1960s.

Harry Maxim Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Secret Servant 1980 Buy
The Conduct of Major Maxim 1982 Buy
The Crocus List 1986 Buy
Uncle Target 1988 Buy

Honour Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Spy’s Honour 1993 Buy
Flight from Honour 1996 Buy
All Honourable Men 1998 Buy
Honourable Intentions 2000 Buy

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Freedom’s Battle 1971 Buy
Operation Warboard 1972 Buy
Freedom’s Battle Volume Two 2011 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Wrong Side of the Sky 1961 Buy
The Most Dangerous Game 1964 Buy
Midnight Plus One 1965 Buy
Shooting Script 1966 Buy
Venus With Pistol 1969 Buy
Blame The Dead 1973 Buy
Judas Country 1975 Buy

Gavin Lyall (1932-2003) was an English author of espionage and action thrillers. He served as a Pilot Officer in the RAF from 1951 to 1953, flying Gloster Meteors, then studied English at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He worked as a reporter and aviation correspondent for the Sunday Times before leaving journalism in 1963 to write full-time. He married journalist Katharine Whitehorn in 1958.

Lyall’s early novels were aviation and action thrillers written in a sardonic first-person style. Midnight Plus One (1965) and Shooting Script (1966) won back-to-back CWA Silver Daggers. He later shifted to Cold War espionage with the Harry Maxim series, featuring a former SAS officer assigned to 10 Downing Street, and then to Edwardian-era spy fiction with the Honour series. He served as Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association in 1966-67.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Gavin Lyall written?

Gavin Lyall has written 18 books across 4 series.

What was Gavin Lyall's first book?

Gavin Lyall’s first book is The Wrong Side of the Sky, published in 1961.

What awards did Gavin Lyall win?

Gavin Lyall won the Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger in consecutive years for Midnight Plus One (1965) and Shooting Script (1966). He also served as Chairman of the CWA in 1966-67.

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