The Greatest British Books of All Time on Intelligence

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
633 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy John le Carré 1974 British English
966 The Ipcress File Len Deighton 1962 British English
1310 Our Man In Havana Graham Greene 1958 British English
1346 Matilda Roald Dahl 1988 British English
2284 Smiley's People John le Carré 1979 British English
2839 Ashenden, Or, The British Agent W. Somerset Maugham 1928 British English
7588 Enigma Robert Harris 1995 British English
7600 The Labyrinth Makers Anthony Price 1970 British English
7609 Running Blind Desmond Bagley 1970 British English
7710 The Honourable Schoolboy John le Carré 1977 British English
8265 Berlin Game Len Deighton 1983 British English
8744 The Key To Rebecca Ken Follett 1980 British English
9217 Game, Set & Match Len Deighton 1983 British English
10288 Ruby Redford Look Into My Eyes Lauren Child 2011 British English
10499 The Second Oldest Profession Phillip Knightley 1986 British English
11073 London Rules Mick Herron 2018 British English
13359 The Descent Of Man Charles Darwin 1871 British English
14176 The Spy And The Traitor Ben Macintyre 2018 British English
14212 Jim Grant Peter Adamson 2001 British Unknown
15833 Bodyguard Of Lies Anthony Cave Brown 1975 British English
17120 Operation Mincemeat Ben Macintyre 2010 British English
17120 My Silent War Kim Philby 1968 British English
17120 The Anthropic Cosmological Principle John D. Barrow, Frank J. Tipler 1986 British English
17120 A Spy Among Friends Ben Macintyre 2014 British English
17120 His Last Bow Arthur Conan Doyle 1917 British English
17120 The Poison Oracle Peter Dickinson 1974 British English
17120 The Secret Hours Mick Herron 2023 British English