'The best spy story I have ever read' Graham Greene.

With this superb, now classic novel of suspense, le Carre changed the rules of the game. His story is of one last breathlessly perilous assignment for the agent who wants desperately to end his career of espionage - to come in from the cold.

Accolades

Winner of CWA Dagger of Daggers Award 2005.
Edgar Award Winner 1965.
CWA Gold Dagger Winner 1963.

Author Biography

John le Carre was born in 1931. He attended the universities of Bern and Oxford and later taught at Eton. He spent five years in the British Secret Service.

Critical Reviews

Kirkus Reviews UK The quintessential Cold War spy novel (a sub-genre of the thriller as close to the detective story as is possible), still packs in its climactic revelation one of the most powerful plot twists of modern times. The writing, atmosphere, and moral debate are all leanly, ambiguously and thrillingly effective. Only The Third Man and some of Eric Ambler's novels rival le Carre at his best. Spy Alec Leamas has left the Circus, and is loudly expressing his disenchantment with it. Picked up by the East Germans, it looks likely that he will defect, but nothing is quite what it seems, especially when George Smiley is involved. (Kirkus UK)