Gérard de Villiers

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Gérard de Villiers (born Dec 8, 1929, Paris) is a French writer, journalist and editor.

1 Life
2 References
3 Bibliography
4 External links

[edit] 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, from 1965 which tells the adventures of the Austrian prince and CIA agent Malko Linge. 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); the principal special forces unit of the British Army. As of 2007 171 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). Miles O'Keefe played Malko in the 1983 film S.A.S. à San Salvador with Richard Young (actor) in the role in Eye of the Widow (1989) directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

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.

The author is an outspoken right-winger. He was criticized for expressing far right sympathies when he declared in 1981, in Minute, that he saw "excellent things in the Front National". As a result his works are banned from sale in book shops but sell at railway stations and airports^[1] published by De Villiers' own company.

In a Guardian article Bernard-Henri Lévy admitted reading SAS books was a guilty pleasure.^[2]