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Master of the English Adventure Novel
Lionel Davidson (1922-2009) was an English writer best known for his popular, award-winning adventure novels, which today would be called thrillers.
Characterized by intricate plots, tongue-in-cheek humor, multiple protagonists with hidden motives and high-wire suspense, his novels were considered to be of high quality by his peers. Graham Greene compared his work to H. Rider Haggard's; Rebecca West was reminded of Kipling.
Davidson, the youngest of nine children, left school at 15 and took a job as an office boy at The Spectator, which published his first short story. During World War II, he served as a submarine wireless operator. After the war, he worked as a photojournalist in Czechoslovakia. His experiences there became the inspiration for his first thriller, The Night of Wenceslas (1960).
Over time, Davidson, who lost 37 relatives at Auschwitz, became increasingly interested in his Jewish heritage. After the 1967 war, he moved to Israel where he lived for about ten years before returning to London.
Awards
The Night of Wenceslas (1960)
WINNER! Gold Dagger Award 1960 WINNER! Authors' Club's First Novel Award 1960The Menorah Men (1966)
WINNER! Gold Dagger Award 1966Murder Games (1978)
WINNER! Gold Dagger Award 1978 
Above: Author Lionel Davidson
Lionel's Non-series Thrillers
The Rose of Tibet (1962)
Kolymsky Heights (1994)
Making Good Again (1968)
The Menorah Men (1966)
Murder Games (1978)
The Night of Wenceslas (1960)
The Sun Chemist (1976)
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