| The Billion Dollar Brain
(1966)
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| Front Cover |
Book Details |
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| Author |
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| Selling Price |
$6.00
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| Genre |
Fiction |
| Publication Date |
1966 |
| Format |
Hardcover |
| Publisher |
G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket |
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| Plot |
THE BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN is as topical as tomorrow's headlines, as authentic as income taxes. The late President Kennedy read lan Fleming for relaxation, but one feels that the Kremlin and Mao Tse-tung may very well read Len Deighton to find out what's happening.
The man with The Billion Dollar Brain is (almost naturally) a Texan who has constructed a huge private international espionage network, the machinations of which constitute a threat to all governments of whatever political persuasion. The heart'of the menace is a computer as big as the Ritz - the horrifyingly plausible end-prodnct of an automated society hell-bound for self-destruction through the twisted circuits of the double and triple cross.
Within the pages of THE BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN you will meet some old friends, including the tough insubordinate spy from Burnley who fought, fumbled and outwitted his way through THE IPCRESS FILE and FUNERAL IN BERLIN; Dawlish, his bumbling superior; Colonel Stok, the friendly enemy who is, like our hero, a cynically pragmatic professional, and Harvey Newbegin, the opportunistic and neurotic American agent. You will also encounter some unforgettable new characters - notably Signe Laine, a Finnish nymph who likes champagne, Sibelius, very expensive underwear, and one-upmenship (with the emphasis on the men), and General Midwinter, a truly original creation who dominates the tale like an absurd maniacal Napoleon.
The plot screams across the roof of the world from the bone-freezing core of winter in Leningrad, to Helsinki, to London, New York, and the stifling damp heat of Texas. The authenticity of the technical detail makes science fiction seem oddly homely, and one believes the hero when he says, "It's only a matter of time before machines are pressing buttons to call people." as well as Comrade Colonel Stok of Red Army Intelligence who agrees, "Two, not very clever men will have to decide"whether to extend a hand or pull a trigger."
Superbly constructed, relevant, filled with brilliantly realized characters and vibrant scenes, THE BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN has all the stylistic glitter and sheen we have come to expect from Len Deighton. It could be described as a riveting Space Age spy thriller were it not for the strange feeling that it all really happened.
from DUST JACKET
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| Personal Details |
| Condition |
Good |
| Owner |
FamilyHistorySites |
| FHS ItemID |
20040931 |
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| Product Details |
| Dewey |
813. |
| ISBN |
1299807887 |
| Edition |
Book Club Edition |
| Nr of Pages |
312 |
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| Notes |
| Dust Jacket is in very very poor shape with pieces missing and pieces ripped. |
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