Writing

Gérard de Villiers

Gérard de Villiers (8 December 1929 – 31 October 2013) was a French writer, journalist and publisher whose SAS series of spy novels have been major bestsellers. Born in Paris in 1929, Villiers was the son of playwright Jacques Adam de Villiers (known by his stage name of Jacques Deval) and his wife. His father was both prolific and a spendthrift. The younger Villiers attended high school and graduated from Sciences Po university in Paris. He also obtained a degree from the École supérieure de journalisme de Paris. He began writing in the 1950s for France Soir, a French daily, and became a foreign correspondent. He found "the blend of risk and cold calculation" in intelligence work to be "seductive". In 1964 Villiers began to write and publish spy novels. He continued to cultivate his connections among the military and intelligence services, who enjoyed helping Villiers portray them and their acts in fiction. He is the author of the spy novel series SAS, publishing his first volume in 1965. It tells the adventures of the Austrian prince and CIA agent Malko Linge, referred to in the first title as SAS. This is a play on initials and acronyms: Firstly, Son Altesse sérénissime (SAS) is the French version of "His Serene Highness" (HSH). Secondly, the British Special Air Service (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. Thirdly, the SAS series has always included product (airlines and spirits) placement from varying sponsors over the years. One of the first sponsors was Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), which flew the hero around in the beginning, although he later set his heart (and the author's wallet) on Air France.