Gérard de Villiers (born Dec 8 1929, Paris) is a French writer, journalist and editor.
Life
De Villiers is the son of Jacques Adam de Villiers and a graduate of the ESJ Paris (Superior School of Journalism in Paris). He is the author of the spy novel series SAS, which tells the adventures of the Austrian prince and CIA agent Malko Linge. As of 2007 169 novels of the franchise have been penned, with usually the locale of the story featuring in the title (like Les amazones de Pyongyang' or Putsch à Ouagadougou). SAS is a play on initials: Son Altesse Sérénissime (SAS) is the French version of "His Royal Highness" (HRH); and the British Special Air Service (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. He began publishing the series in the early 1970s. De Villiers is well-known for writing novels in tune with contemporary events, such as conflicts or terrorist threats of the moment, and for visiting theatres of operation. He was criticized for expressing far right sympathies when he declared in 1981, in Minute, that he saw "excellent things in the Front National".
Bibliography
- Christophe Deloire, « Gérard de Villiers : Le mercenaire du polar », Le Point, January 13, 2005
