Warehouse Stock Clearance Sale

Grab a bargain today!


Sign Up for Fishpond's Best Deals Delivered to You Every Day
Go
A Private Spy
The Letters of John le Carré 1945-2020

Rating
Format
Paperback, 752 pages
Other Formats Available

Paperback : £22.92

Published
United Kingdom, 1 June 2023

A collection of letters from John le Carre, one of the greatest British novelists of our time, and a fabulous letter writer, spanning decades from his childhood to his final years

A Private Spy spans seven decades and chronicles not only le Carre's own life but the turbulent times to which he was witness. Beginning with his 1940s childhood, it includes accounts of his National Service and his time at Oxford, and his days teaching the 'chinless, pointy-nosed gooseberry-eyed British lords' at Eton. It describes his entry into MI5 and the rise of the Iron Curtain, and the flowering of his career as a novelist in reaction to the building of the Berlin Wall. Through his letters we travel with him from the Second World War period to the immediate moment in which we live.

We find le Carre writing to Sir Alec Guinness to persuade him to take on the role of George Smiley, and later arguing the immorality of the War on Terror with the chief of the German internal security service. What emerges is a portrait not only of the writer, or of the global intellectual, but, in his own words, of the very private, very passionate and very real man behind the name.

Show more

Our Price
£12.29
Elsewhere
£14.99
Save £2.70 (18%)
Ships from UK Estimated delivery date: 22nd Jan - 24th Jan from UK

Buy Together
+
Buy together with A Legacy of Spies [Audio] at a great price!
Buy Together
£23.54
Elsewhere Price
£32.28
You Save £8.74 (27%)

Product Description

A collection of letters from John le Carre, one of the greatest British novelists of our time, and a fabulous letter writer, spanning decades from his childhood to his final years

A Private Spy spans seven decades and chronicles not only le Carre's own life but the turbulent times to which he was witness. Beginning with his 1940s childhood, it includes accounts of his National Service and his time at Oxford, and his days teaching the 'chinless, pointy-nosed gooseberry-eyed British lords' at Eton. It describes his entry into MI5 and the rise of the Iron Curtain, and the flowering of his career as a novelist in reaction to the building of the Berlin Wall. Through his letters we travel with him from the Second World War period to the immediate moment in which we live.

We find le Carre writing to Sir Alec Guinness to persuade him to take on the role of George Smiley, and later arguing the immorality of the War on Terror with the chief of the German internal security service. What emerges is a portrait not only of the writer, or of the global intellectual, but, in his own words, of the very private, very passionate and very real man behind the name.

Show more
Product Details
EAN
9780241994559
ISBN
0241994551
Dimensions
19.8 x 13 x 4.6 centimeters (0.50 kg)

About the Author

John le Carre was born in 1931. He published his debut novel, Call for the Dead, in 1961 while working in British Intelligence (MI5&6). His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, secured him a worldwide reputation, which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. He died on 12 December 2020. His posthumous novel Silverview was published in 2021.

Reviews

Each letter from John le Carré was a beautifully written miniature essay ... fascinating
*The Times*

A Private Spy testifies to le Carré's universally acknowledged gifts as a raconteur, mimic and caricaturist
*TLS  *

Unsurprisingly, he was a brilliant correspondent. Revelations tumble out...These engaging letters are edited with great fairness and sensitivity by a family member, his son Tim Cornwell
*Mail on Sunday*

The symbiosis of author and editor, father and son, has resulted in a brilliant book, le Carré's final masterpiece, 5*
*Sunday Telegraph*

The finest, wisest storyteller
*Richard Osman*

A towering writer
*Margaret Atwood*

[He had a] rare command of language and unique understanding of how the world really works
*Daily Telegraph on Silverview*

A literary giant
*Stephen King*

Show more
Review this Product
Ask a Question About this Product More...
 
Item ships from and is sold by Fishpond World Ltd.

Back to top
We use essential and some optional cookies to provide you the best shopping experience. Visit our cookies policy page for more information.