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A Private Spy
The Letters of John le Carré 1945-2020
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A Private Spy
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Description
A collection of letters from John le Carré, 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 Carré'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 Carré 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.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
A Private Spy showcases John le Carré's impeccable writing through a series of beautifully crafted letters, praised for their engaging and revealing content. The letters highlight his talent as a raconteur and mimic, reflecting his universally acknowledged gifts. Edited with sensitivity by his son Tim Cornwell, the book is considered a final masterpiece, admired for its brilliance and the author's rare command of language.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241994559
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 June 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 50.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 620g
Pages: 752
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.
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