Alex Gerlis Books In Order

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Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Alex Gerlis is a British author from Lincolnshire that worked at the BBC for many years before branching out to pursue a career as a freelance writer and novelist.

+Biography
Alex Gerlis was born in 1955 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He attended Hull University where he studied Law and politics. His degree paved the way for Gerlis to enter the journalism field.

The author had experimented with a number of jobs in the arena of political research before he landed a three-month contract at the BBC. That was in 1984 and Gerlis had no idea that he had just begun a journey that would last more than two decades.

Alex Gerlis was initially hired to work on the Panorama programme. He spent a significant portion of his time doing research for the show. Eventually, as his talents grew, the author was elevated to the role of producer, proceeding to manage shows like ‘The Money’ Programme.

By 1990, Gerlis was flying high as an Assistant Editor on Breakfast news. His work allowed him to cover some of history’s most notable occasions and events, this including the fall of Margaret Thatcher.

His time on radio only ended when he finally decided to join the television aspect of the BBC, coming onboard as Editor of the One O’clock and Six O’clock news. He also had a hand in the BBC Weekend News segments.

By the mid-2000s, the author had landed the position of administrator of the BBC’s journalism training operations. Not long after, Gerlis was asked to head the training at the BBC College of Journalism.

It was during his time at the corporation that Alex Gerlis joined the Broadcast Journalism Training Council. He also chaired the European Union Training Committee. All in all, by the time he left the BBC, Gerlis had amassed quite the resume.

His retirement officially happened in 2011. The author wanted to pursue other activities the most notable of which was writing. His first novel, ‘The best of Our Spies’ generated a lot of buzz in the publishing arena.

Even though the novel was first published in 2012, the concept was inspired back in 1994. At the time, Gerlis was working for the BBC and he had been charged with covering the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day.

Gerlis had a pretty decent understanding of the events of D-Day, or so he thought. It wasn’t until he looked into the matter in greater detail that he realized that there was so much more to learn and unearth about the Battle of Normandy.

Chief among them was the fact that the Allied forces fought harder and faced far harsher obstacles than they expected. The City of Caen, for instance, should have been captured in mere hours, or so the Allied Planners had intended.

But it took a month to accomplish that particular mission. Gerlis’ book places special emphasis on the deception the Allied forces used to convince the Germans that they would land in one location when, in fact, they intended to deploy elsewhere.

Even though ‘The Best of Our Spies’ is categorized as fiction, Gerlis took a very journalistic approach to its creation, injecting significant effort into guaranteeing that the factual side of his story was accurate.

This involved not only digging into non-fiction literature about D-Day but also flying to places like Pas de Calais and talking to people who experienced those events firsthand.

Alex Gerlis seems to have a specific appreciation for European history, especially when perceived through the lens of conflict. He also enjoys playing with the field of espionage.

Gerlis counts the likes of John le Carre and Graham Greene among his favorite authors. But he has repeatedly discouraged female readers who think his books are crafted with men and boys in mind from disdaining his works.

Gerlis’ works, though they play with the concepts of spies and war, are as much about relationships and human behavior as they are about anything else. And for that reason, the author is certain that his novels can appeal to a wide variety of individuals, regardless of whether or not they enjoy stories of espionage.

Alex Gerlis imputes a lot of the success he has achieved to Curtis Brown, his literary agents who helped him land publication deals with Amazon, through which the Kindle and Paperback formats of his novels were produced, and Whitefox through whom Gerlis’ books were finally published in the United States.

Gerlis has a wife, two daughters, and grandchildren. When he isn’t writing, the author loves to read and travel. He also enjoys watching football, going swimming and eating at restaurants.

+The Best of Our Spies
1944 changed a lot of things. It was in that year that the Allied Landings happened in Normandy, marking the start of a perilous battle to see Europe liberated. Nathalie Mercier was a young secret agent working for Britain’s Special Operations.

She was stationed in the Pas de Calais where she was working in tandem with the French Resistance when she disappeared.

Her husband, Owen Quinn, grew desperate. Living in London, he made it his mission to find his wife. This meant first discovering the truth about the Allies’ sophisticated deception around which D-Day revolved and then figuring out what role his wife was expected to play in the plan.

With the revelations leaving him largely appalled, Owen went off to France, unaware of the hardships that would follow his discovery of Nathalie.

+The Swiss Spy
The eve of the Second World War finds Henry Hunter at Croydon Airport where British intelligence has accosted him. As a spy, Henry deals in secrets. His world is mired in them.

But it isn’t until British intelligence stops him that he realizes just how many secrets he has. The event catapults him into a dangerous game of espionage which finds him deploying into Nazi Germany.

Henry has to accomplish a litany of increasingly dangerous missions. This is as he tries his best to manage his numerous identities and overcome the bevy of spymasters waiting to waylay him at every corner.

With a haunting secret from his past dogging his every step, Henry Hunter cannot begin to imagine the shocking outcome waiting for him in the Swiss Frontier.

5 Responses to “Alex Gerlis”

1. Tom Norton: 6 days ago

   Just recently came across this series . Since we have cycled across a bit of Europe on 4 or 5 trips it is interesting that we have been to a number of these places.

   Reply
2. Maryann: 3 years ago

   I’m addicted to these wonderful spy books which I download in audio format. The huge advantage is that I can listen to it virtually all day – helps the ironing go quickly. The disadvantage is I get through them at a rate of knots. As a lady of certain years but too young to know a lot about the war years I have learned so much and the stories had me clamouring for more details. Thanks for helping keep me sane over the madness of the last 2 years.

   Reply
3. Michael Rose: 3 years ago

   Brilliant is a slight understatement. Addicting better describes books by Alex Gerlis. Enough on-the-ground description to satisfy the most critical reader. And then there’s the not so subtle appearances of black cats — much appreciated by this black cat Aficionado — ours is named Dolly.

   Reply
4. James Bracken: 3 years ago

   I would love to get my Hands on all
   of Alex Gerlis Books. Though I have
   Not Read Any of Them. Most of the Spy
   Novels I’ve Read have been Brilliant.
   It is with this Anticipation of
   Enjoying them that I eagerly look forward
   to enjoying reading them.

   Reply
   • F maddaford: 3 years ago

     Are you the James Bracken who lived in Saskatoon?

     Reply