Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "The Mask of Dimitrios" in English language version.
When Donald McCormick was researching his biography of Sir Basil Zaharoff, Pedlar of Death, he was convinced that Eric Ambler must have based some of The Mask of Dimitrios on first-hand knowledge of Zaharoff's early career, when that super-arms-salesman was a brothel tout in Istanbul. But a letter from...
... the assassination attempt involving Demetrios was an attempt on the life of Stambouliski, the agrarian radical Premier of Bulgaria who finally was assassinated in 1923.
Following an attempt on his life in 1923 by the Macedonian Revolutionary Party (IMRO), [Stambouliski] responded with fierce repressions against his political opponents.
The character of Dimitrios was inspired by the real-life figure of Sir Basil Zaharoff (1849–1936). Born in Turkey under the name of Basileios Zakharias and popularly known as 'Mystery Man of Europe,' Zaharoff was an international arms dealer, financier, intelligence agent and British knight. He was notorious for using doubles to cover for him and for refusing to allow himself to be photographed.
