Ted Allbeury
Ted Allbeury was a British author and former Special Forces agent, born on October 24, 1917, in Stockport, England. Following the death of his father, he moved with his family to Birmingham, where he received his education at King Edward's Grammar School and later worked in a foundry. Allbeury served in the British Special Forces during World War II, showcasing his linguistic skills and achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. Notably, he is believed to be the only Special Forces agent to parachute into Nazi Germany during the conflict.
After the war, he transitioned to the advertising industry, founding a successful agency and briefly directing Radio 390, where he revitalized its format to attract a new audience. Allbeury began his writing career later in life, publishing his first novel, *A Choice of Enemies*, at the age of fifty-six. His works often explore the complexities of wartime experiences and human flaws on both sides of conflict, marking him as a significant figure in the spy thriller genre. In addition to thrillers, he wrote historically accurate novels set during World War II, such as *The Lantern Network*. Ted Allbeury passed away on December 4, 2005, leaving behind a legacy of rich and nuanced storytelling.
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Ted Allbeury
Writer
- Born: October 24, 1917
- Birthplace: Stockport, Chesire, England
- Died: December 4, 2005
Biography
Theodore Edward le Bouthillier Allbeury was born October 24, 1917, in Stockport, Chesire, England. His father died when Allbeury was five years old, resulting in the family’s relocation to Birmingham, England. Allbeury attended King Edward’s Grammar School in Aston, Birmingham, until his teen years. Once he was of working age, he worked in a foundry, spending half his time in the ironworks section and the other half working behind a draftsman’s table. He married his third wife, Grazyna Felinska, in 1971; they had four children: one son and three daughters.
Allbeury had a natural ear for languages and became a novice linguist. His ability to speak multiple languages, including French and German, attracted the attention of the British Special Forces, where he served undercover for the Intelligence Office from 1940 to 1947. He served in several countries, including Ethiopia, Italy, and Germany. It is believed that Allbeury was the only Special Forces agent to parachute into Nazi Germany, where he remained until the Allied forces arrived. Allbeury achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.
During the war, two of his children were kidnapped. There are few details surrounding the crime, but it is believed they were abducted by war-time enemies. Allbeury traveled to South America to retrieve the children, and he spoke little of the ordeal.
After the war, Allbeury started a successful advertising agency, J. W. Southcombe. In 1964, he received a phone call asking him to help rescue a dilapidated radio station. Allbeury agreed to the challenge and became the director of Radio 390. He changed the format to nostalgia, attracting a middle-class, middle-aged demographic previously ignored, and he sold the advertising himself. By 1967, power struggles began to arise within the station, and Allbeury resigned. He started another station, Radio 355, for a brief period, but ultimately left the radio business. Allbeury returned to advertising, heading up an agency in Tunbridge Wells until 1981.
It was not until later in life that Allbeury tried his hand at writing, publishing his first novel, A Choice of Enemies, in 1973, at the age of fifty-six. He set out to expand the war- time spy thriller genre by creating an intelligent and richly layered plot; he was enormously successful. Allbeury’s novels are unique in that both the hero and the enemy show human flaws, revealing the costs involved on both sides. By doing so, his novels have a realistic quality, and his characters have depth.
As his writing matured, Allbeury wrote less spy thrillers and focused more upon the lives of individuals entrenched in international affairs. His political ties provided him access to classified information and firsthand interviews. Show Me a Hero (1992), the story of the double life of Russian Andrei Aarons, was written after Allbeury received confidential information from a CIA agent. The book became one of the first novels to be published in limited addition by Scorpion Press.
Allbeury was also gifted at writing historically accurate novels, such as The Lantern Network (1978), and its sequel, As Time Goes By (1994). Both novels are set during the French resistance of World War II and are detailed with precision and care. Allbeury died on December 4, 2005.