Coq Rouge (novel)
Encyclopedia
Coq Rouge is a 1986 spy novel by Swedish
author Jan Guillou
, the first book featuring the fictional spy
Carl Hamilton
.
- for exposing an illegal spy organization inside the Swedish military (see the IB affair). His aim with the Hamilton books was to write what he knew about the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence
, even though he was forbidden to tell.
The codename "Coq Rouge", comes from a chat between Neslund and his Israelii counterpart after a meeting in France
between the security services
in Europe
. Neslund say that Hamilton is as proud as a rooster and a communist. The Israeli then says: "Why don`t the call him the red rooster, "coq rouge?".
A friend of Guillou, Gabriel Oxenstierna, was the inspiration to Hamilton. Oxenstierna was a count and socialist. The reason for the name "Hamilton" is because there are many nobles with the name Hamilton in Sweden and not so many Oxenstierna.
and Vietnam
activist. He entered compulsory military service with the intent to infiltrate the system, in order to strengthen it. While training to be an attack diver, he is given an offer by "DG" (an acronym for Den Gamle, "The Old"), a retired boss in Swedish intelligence still active in the intelligence world). The state would pay for a double education for him in the United States
: he would study computers openly and special operations
secretly (training with the Navy SEALs) for five years. He accepted, and so he became Sweden's latest weapon for (counter)intelligence.
After returning from the United States as a lieutenant
(Navy reserve) and count
, there is no place for him in military intelligence
because of political changes in Sweden. He is temporarily assigned to the Swedish Security Police SÄPO
, under director Henrik P.Neslund, whom Hamilton hates.
Together with two other SÄPO-policemen, he gets the job of investigating the murder and assassination of a higher SÄPO-officer. The murder has been done very professionally, with few clues and only a loose description of the murderer. Palestinian terrorists are suspected since the victim was working on a case with the Black September
, and maybe had information on a coming terror attack. In Oslo
the police are following a man with the same description. The investigation is taking Hamilton from Stockholm to Oslo, Beirut
, the Red Sea
coast of Israel
and back to Stockholm for a grand finale at the unofficial Palestinian
embassy.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
author Jan Guillou
Jan Guillou
Jan Oskar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou is a Swedish author and journalist. Among his books are a series of spy fiction novels about a spy named Carl Hamilton, and a trilogy of historical fiction novels about a Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson...
, the first book featuring the fictional spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
Carl Hamilton
Carl Hamilton (fictional character)
Count Carl Hamilton is a fictional spy created by Jan Guillou and appearing in a number of Guillou's spy novels, as well as film and TV adaptations.-Hamilton's life:...
.
Background
Carl Hamilton was created by Jan Guillou after he had been sentenced to prison for espionageEspionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
- for exposing an illegal spy organization inside the Swedish military (see the IB affair). His aim with the Hamilton books was to write what he knew about the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
, even though he was forbidden to tell.
The codename "Coq Rouge", comes from a chat between Neslund and his Israelii counterpart after a meeting in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between the security services
Security agency
A security agency is a governmental organization which conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a nation. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Neslund say that Hamilton is as proud as a rooster and a communist. The Israeli then says: "Why don`t the call him the red rooster, "coq rouge?".
A friend of Guillou, Gabriel Oxenstierna, was the inspiration to Hamilton. Oxenstierna was a count and socialist. The reason for the name "Hamilton" is because there are many nobles with the name Hamilton in Sweden and not so many Oxenstierna.
Plot
Carl Gustaf Gilbert Hamilton was born as a Swedish noble, but he rejected his family values and became a member of ClartéClarté
Clarté is a non-partisan socialist students' organisation in Sweden. It publishes a periodical with the same name. Clarté was established in 1921, and was in its first years notable for its resolute opposition to Fascism...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
activist. He entered compulsory military service with the intent to infiltrate the system, in order to strengthen it. While training to be an attack diver, he is given an offer by "DG" (an acronym for Den Gamle, "The Old"), a retired boss in Swedish intelligence still active in the intelligence world). The state would pay for a double education for him in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: he would study computers openly and special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
secretly (training with the Navy SEALs) for five years. He accepted, and so he became Sweden's latest weapon for (counter)intelligence.
After returning from the United States as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
(Navy reserve) and count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
, there is no place for him in military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
because of political changes in Sweden. He is temporarily assigned to the Swedish Security Police SÄPO
SAPO
SAPO , Servidor de Apontadores Portugueses, is a brand and subsidiary company of the Portugal Telecom Group...
, under director Henrik P.Neslund, whom Hamilton hates.
Together with two other SÄPO-policemen, he gets the job of investigating the murder and assassination of a higher SÄPO-officer. The murder has been done very professionally, with few clues and only a loose description of the murderer. Palestinian terrorists are suspected since the victim was working on a case with the Black September
Black September (group)
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian paramilitary group, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event...
, and maybe had information on a coming terror attack. In Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
the police are following a man with the same description. The investigation is taking Hamilton from Stockholm to Oslo, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
coast of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and back to Stockholm for a grand finale at the unofficial Palestinian
State of Palestine
Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
embassy.