Thomas Ross

Ross Thomas (19/02/1926, the [Oklahoma City] - 2000)

Popular American writer and mnogoizdavaemy. Twice winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award. Written more than 20 works. Espionage series combine 2 main characters - a professional scout Padilla and his friend - the owner of the prestigious bars Makkorklom. The complexity of the tasks they undertake (almost always against their will, . but under pressure from security services), . selection object, . which have an interest almost all the intelligence world, . intrigue, . had continued unabated to the finale (leaving hope to meet with the heroes in the next book) - distinguished novels of Thomas from the usual scheme of "spy novel",
. Other works of the author - a novel "action". The most famous - "Stuntman from Singapore - record reissues.

. With this writer, our reader, first met his alias: in 1965 in Moscow first book, Thomas Ross, published in Russia, "Prokeyna Diaries," but it was signed - Oliver Blick
. Nobody can understand why the popular author put under one of the novel's own name and under another - a nickname.

Maybe to share their main characters: "snuggery couple" Makkorkl-Padilla and "intermediary" Saint-Yves. It must be emphasized that the figure of a mediator between the perpetrator and the victim Ross Thomas introduced the detective genre first. Before him, this character did not exist. St. Ives has become the main protagonist of a series.

Hardly completing secondary education, Ross Thomas began to work in the local newspaper "Daily Oklahoma". Was a reporter, showing promise and probably would have grown in a good newspaper journalist, if not for the war ... The future writer was drafted into the navy and sent to defend against Japanese encroachment distant Philippines.

By Ross Thomas novels, you can easily make the geography of his travels, and he was able to visit many countries. All of them one way or another were reflected in the writer's work.

The Philippines in this sense are less fortunate - Ross Thomas, it seems, never touched on the details of the Pacific War. Although, of course, could have a lot to tell, for example, about a sea battle near the island of Leyte, where for three days of fighting killed more than two dozen American and Japanese ships: battleships, cruisers, destroyers, aircraft carriers ... The war is reflected in the writer's another trait: all his novels show that the person who wrote them, know how people die, and if you already have Ross Thomas of someone being killed, it's real.

. Returning after the war at home, Ross Thomas, unlike his colleagues can easily fit into a peaceful American reality, at once went to Oklahoma University and has successfully defended a diploma, a Bachelor of Arts.

. Unable to find work in the specialty line, Ross Thomas tried a variety of jobs and changed dozens of cities
. However, there has affected its inherent passion to change places - he changed the city and country without any regrets, even with some enthusiasm. In the United States, he reached the prestigious post of Press Secretary, National Union of farmers. Cool changing conditions of life, became a specialist in the organization of election campaigns. Subsequently, in this capacity, Ross Thomas interested even someone on the African continent, has been invited to Nigeria - he was offered the post of adviser to the tribal leader.

. It seems that African customs quickly bored with a restless adventurer, he returned to the United States
. But the journey to the African continent, . incident and adventure, . associated with it, . a long time are reflected in the books of the writer - the action novels of Ross Thomas, . usually, . takes place in those countries, . he visited, . many of the described he saw with his own eyes, . something fished out of journalistic folklore,
. Bonn, . West and East Berlin of the sixties with almost photographic accuracy are depicted in the novels "The exchange of the Cold War, . "The eighth dwarf"; novel "Election" reproduces the situation in some Alberti, . in which not even a very sophisticated reader can easily recognize Nigeria.,

. Ross Thomas has published more than two dozen novels, two of which won the highest award for writers of action-genre, established in the United States - Edgar Allan Poe Award.

. Stendhal once warned colleagues: "Any thought about politics in a literary work - is shot from a pistol during a concert"
. Ross Thomas, with his experience, believed that this prohibition does not apply to works of action -. At the same time, other laws establishing the latter, carefully formulated once Van Dyne, he tried not to violate. "Love is forbidden ...", . "Neither detective, . any other person professionally engaged in consequence can not be criminals ... ", . "The detective can not be missing detective, . who methodically looking for damning evidence, . the result that comes to "solving puzzles" ..,
. Of course, he followed these rules do not mindlessly. Heroes of Ross Thomas, . bold, . energetic, . usually, . hard drinking and for a moment do not think, . if their actions are contrary to law; recklessly love beautiful women, . often throw the responsibility on their shoulders and Sergeant, . and judges, . but to the "solution to the puzzle" come any ways, . than "teaching".,

. If speech has come about heroes Ross Thomas, then draw attention to one circumstance
. By essentially avoids the division, let's say, for "your" and "our" when "our" - angels in the flesh, but "your" - downright devils. Human flaws are equally inherent in both those characters who, in full accordance with the rules of intellectual game, given the sympathy of readers, and the fact that for some characteristics, neither the author nor the public did not like.

. Here we are dealing with a particular author's position - to the modern world by Ross Thomas is not idyllic, . life, . they depicted, . appears to the reader in a tangle of contradictions and controversies, . and the author does not dare to express a strictly straightforward proposition that, . that he accepts or rejects from their characters.,

. Giant Negro Conception Mbvato, . dazzlingly smiling, . charming, . European-or American-style business and courteous, . gay, . persistent, . looking for "a symbol of power Komporena - shestidesyativosmifuntovy shield, . because of which the United States killed one employee, . and in Africa - more than a million people ..,
. Almost until the very end of the book, we are confident, . that Mbvato - a romantic hero in the spirit of Wilkie Collins, . literally until, . when we learn, . that Komporene a huge black man is even nicknamed the Hangman, and that some time he headed the secret police of this country,
. And no longer wonder, seeing that Saint-Yves cruelly deceived.

Skepticism and at the same time, "the desire to understand people - what was once so keen on more Georges Simenon - is the main driving force in the creation of the writer.