E
Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers, the author of the influential novel The Riddle of the Sands and an Irish nationalist who smuggled guns to Ireland in his sailing yacht Asgard (Wikipedia).
The Riddle of the Sands
Synopsis
Considered the first modern spy thriller, this masterpiece follows a brilliant narrative with fine characterization and an authentic background of inshore sailing. Set in the late 1890s, it evokes an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and intrigue that foreshadows impending war. This classic is a forerunner to the realism found in works by Graham Greene and John le Carre.