The Czar's Spy

William Le Queux was born in London on the 2nd of July 1864.

He began his career in journalism before publishing his first novel in 1891.

His early fame rested on his ability to create sensational invasion literature playing on the anxieties of a society becoming increasing fretful over events in pre-Great War Europe.

These thriller works heavily shaped British public opinion and directly contributed to the eventual creation of Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5.

Over his lifetime he wrote over 150 popular novels and was also highly regarded for his detective and mystery fiction.

Outside of his writing Le Queux was a passionate traveller, a wireless radio pioneer, and a diplomat for San Marino. He also claimed to have engaged in real-life espionage for the British government.

William Le Queux died in Lucerne, Switzerland. on the 13th October 1927. He was 63.