Andrew Britton, spy novelist, 27
La N
Famous Spy Novelist Dies Suddenly
PHOTO
Author Andrew Britton with one of his best-selling novels in Raleigh.
The Raleigh Chronicle 21.MAR.08
DURHAM - Friends, family, and fans mourn the loss of 27 year old spy
novelist and military veteran Andrew Britton. Described as "the next Tom
Clancy" by some literary critics, his New York Times best-seller books were
translated into many languages around the world and his popularity was such
that his untimely death was announced on the BBC evening newscast.
According to his family, Andrew was found at his apartment in Durham on
Tuesday, after he had apparently passed away from a heart condition that was
previously undiagnosed. Britton passed peacably in his sleep, said his
mother Annie Nice.
"He just went to sleep and never woke up," she said.
Andrew Britton leaves behind his brother Christopher, his sister Roxanne,
his mother Annie Nice, and his girlfriend Valerie, all of whom live in the
Raleigh and Durham areas. He also leaves behind many family members in
Ireland and Great Britain including his aunt, uncle, grandmother, and two
nieces, whom he adored says his family.
A special memorial service will be held at the Unity Church (Longview
Center) on Hargett Street next to Moore Square at 2pm on Tuesday March 25th.
The family says that there will be a service with a video showing photos,
bag-pipes, traditional music, and a celebration of the young man's life.
MILITARY CAREER
Before he was known to readers around the world, Andrew's experiences
growing up would later contribute to his writing.
Although he was born in Peterborough, England, Andrew grew up in the United
States and graduated from Leesville High School in Raleigh.
Right out of high school, Britton joined the United States Army, serving
three years with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Devil Brigade of the 1st
Infantry Division (mechanized).
"He was so proud to wear the uniform," said his mother. "You could tell that
just by looking at him."
During his tour of duty, Britton served at Fort Riley in Kansas and also in
Korea. During his military service, Britton developed a camraderie with his
fellow soldiers and had unique experiences that helped to contribute to the
realism of his books which he would write later, said his mother.
After earning awards for outstanding behavior, Britton was honorably
discharged but was on reserve status until 2006.
"He told me he would have gladly gone back [to serve] if they recalled him,"
said his mother, Ms. Nice.
A STRUGGLING WRITER
Although still a young man, Britton knew he wanted to write books for quite
some time.
While growing up, his mother introduced him to such fiction writers as Jack
Higgins, who wrote "The Eagle Has Landed." The novel, later made into a
movie, was set in World War II and was a spy-thriller where German agents
were trying to infiltrate Great Britain.
"After that, you couldn't feed him enough books," said his mother. "That was
his first bite."
After his US Army service and before he started attending classes at UNC,
Andrew worked blue collar jobs to make ends meet, but never complained and
thought of others before himself, says his family. Ms. Nice said that even
while her son was making $6.50 an hour at a gas station in Durham, he still
sent members of his family checks to help them make ends meet.
SUCCESS IN SPY NOVELS
However, with his love of books and writing, it didn't take long for Andrew
to land his first book deal. His first book "The American" was signed in a
publishing deal when Andrew was only 21.
The novel about international espionage received good reviews and has now
quite literally been printed around the world, translated into Japanese,
Arabic, Russian, and other languages. The book was originally a hardback,
but has now been published in paperback form as well.
On the heels of that success, Andrew wrote two more books, "The Assassin"
and his most recent book "The Invisible." He was working on a fourth novel
when he passed away, his family said.
His second book, "The Assassin" was first released in hardback last year and
was recently printed in paperback, allowing it to climb all the way into the
top 25 books on the New York Times bestseller list. Only a couple of weeks
ago, the book was still on the list at number 32.
Critics hailed Andrew as a new face in the espionage-thriller genre,
following in the footsteps as such greats as Tom Clancy and even Ian
Fleming.
"Like Tom Clancy, [Britton] has produced a thriller that makes current
terrorist threats all too real," said the Library Journal in a review of
"The Assassin" last year.
"I'm looking forward to more from Britton...he has a knack for incorporating
technical detail, from performing makeshift surgery to carrying out a
nighttime ambush. And in this age of terrorism, his plots seem to jump
straight out of the headlines," said a reviewer for the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch newspaper. "He may well give Tom Clancy a run for the money."
His novels thrilled readers with a sense of realism and Andrew took great
pains to research details. He wanted to make sure that his novels seemed to
jump off the pages into real life for his readers.
"Nothing annoys me more than reading a book that obviously hasn't been
researched at all, especially when the book in question...requires, by its
very nature, a thorough understanding of the content," said Andrew in a
posted interview on his website.
To gain knowledge for his books, Andrew often traveled to interview people
across the globe.
"He loved to read and he loved to travel," said his mother, who said that he
especially loved travelling to Ireland where his mother is from and where he
still has relatives.
For research on his novels, Andrew also interviewed local law enforcement
officers in Raleigh and Wake County, including members of the Wake County
Sheriff's Office, who he thanked in one of his forewords. His dedication to
his craft made many fans who eagerly awaited his new novels.
"Andrew was a rising star on the literary scene and there was talk of making
one of his novels into a movie," said a friend of the family. "He had a
knack for putting you there and he had a tremendous talent."
A MINIMALIST
Although his novels had brought Andrew fame and monetary success at early
age, people who knew him said he was more of a minimalist, choosing to focus
on his family and his love of books. Unlike some young adults who find early
success, Andrew didn't go overboard with spending and in fact, his family
said he was quite the opposite.
"He hardly had any furniture in his apartment," said Ms. Nice. "It was wall
to wall books."
His mother added that Andrew liked nothing better than spending the evening
with a book or a movie or hanging out with his brother, sister, mother, and
his girlfriend with whom he was all quite close.
"He was always a wonderful son," said his mother. "He was never too old, too
manly, or too proud to give you a hug and say 'I love you.'"
Although a quiet man, Andrew also had a sense of humor that everyone in his
family seemed to enjoy.
"He had a very dry wit, he was always the story teller," said his mother.
Once his mother asked him while he was on a deadline if he was too busy for
her to bring over some sausage rolls, which he loved. He texted back that he
was not busy anymore.
Andrew was also a very good listener, say his friends, which allowed him to
collect people's various experiences and interesting details and use them
later in his novels.
ANDREW THE MAN
Beyond his literary success, everyone who knew Andrew seems to convey that
he was, above all, a conscientious man who was always thinking of others.
Friends and family say that he always was very concerned with the well-boing
of those around him, sometimes even to a fault, and as a result, he was
always thought of highly by everyone.
As a testament to the respect for this young man, many people who knew him
were flying in from around the United States and even overseas to be with
his family and to attend the memorial service next week. The British
Broadcasting Company (BBC) even made an announcement on its world-wide
newscast that Andrew had passed away, to mourn the loss of the prominent
author.
For his immediate family, it was not the loss of Andrew, the world-wide
author that hurt them but the passing of the young man behind the novels.
It has been very hard for them to lose Andrew Britton, the young,
outstanding gentleman, the quiet warrior who loved those dearly around him.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," said his mother, about
having to tell her other children of Andrew's death.
Although Andrew died at a young age, his family takes solace that they were
blessed to know him for 27 years and that he was able to accomplish much
during his life.
"He did a lot in his life," said his mother. "He fit a lot in."
For his part, Andrew not only leaves behind his family, friends and fans,
but also the characters in his books. Created in Andrew's creative genius,
he endowed them with their own existence as they live on in his reader's own
imaginations.
"For me, the best part about writing is developing characters; creating life
out of thin air. Even if it's just on paper, it's an amazing thing,
indescribable, almost," said Andrew in an interview on his website.
"I also enjoy incorporating fiction and real life. I'm always searching for
ways to blend fiction and fact, and when it works well, it turns out
seamlessly, adding a sense of realism to all aspects of the story. In short,
the fiction very nearly becomes fact."
ON THE WEB: Andrew Britton's website
http://www.andrewbrittonbooks.com
PHOTO: Andrew Britton celebrated the paperback debut of one of his books
with family and friends just last week in Raleigh. Photo by The Raleigh
Chronicle.
PHOTO: Andrew Britton serving as a comat engineer. Photo from Britton
family.