The Anti-Bond

He was a nameless figure in London, a city trying to put memories of World War II behind. The British capital was about to enter the modern era, and he was one of those millions who won't be given a second look, until his fellow Londoners found out that he was quite paranoid. He was a gourmet too, cooking his own food. This was something unheard of, but this chap would end up as an iconic figure in Spy fiction.

For Leonard Cyril Deighton, a (British) military historian, he would create a character that would rival James Bond. Ian Fleming's agent would end up as more famous, but literary aficionados would point out that Fleming was having another Walter Mitty moment when he penned an 007 novel. He was a Naval Intelligence Officer during World War II, a job that seemed to be too exciting for him. He wanted more of it, which he found in writing (after the war ended). In Bond, Fleming's upper-class background and his penchant for the finer things in life and beautiful women were seen. Deighton's spy, on the other hand, worked for the Military Intelligence for a few years before becoming a civilian employee of WOOC(P), one of the smallest Intelligence Units. But in "The IPCRESS File", it would be revealed to be the most important.

In "The IPCRESS File", this anonymous spy would be assigned to look into the disappearance of scientists, under mysterious circumstances. Our dear fellow didn't look forward to it, believing that his employers didn't think highly of his unit. But he was corrected, as it didn't take long for him to find out the baffling details about the case, such as the vanishing (of the scientists), which happened at the height of their career. Then there was the name of the case, which was an acronym. (Induction of Psychoneuroses by Conditioned Reflex under Stress.) He would disappear too, only to learn afterwards that the entire scheme was an attempt to brainwash him - and the scientists that were kidnapped.

Len Deighton, the author's pen name (of sort), created the anti-thesis of James Bond. He was so down to earth, such that he didn't travel to the continent at all. He hardly attracted attention, with his thick-rimmed glasses and his frequenting of London's shadier streets. He may not spend a lot of time between the sheets, which Bond did, but he knew how to seduce a lady, preparing her a hearty meal. (Deighton wasn't pulling a leg on this.) It may looked queer, if one would take note of the typical image of the British male during the 1960s. But the author seemed to foresee the future. This spy was also clever, which may be the reason why he was assigned to this dangerous mission. (To keep himself from being brainwashed, he had to pain himself, by slashing his arm a bit.)

Michael Caine would play this bloke on the big screen, when Sidney J. Furie adapted "The IPCRESS File". The actor would turn 81 this March 14. "The IPCRESS File" made him a star.