John le Carré, born in October of 1931 as David John Moore Cornwell, was a British intelligence officer and and novelist during the latter half of the 20th century. After serving in British intelligence during the 1950s and 60s, le Carré‘s fame as a novelist in post-war Britain was established with his third novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Widely regarded as a sophisticated writer, his own experiences in espionage became the inspiration for his stories. Eventually his most notable novels were adapted to film with wide success.
First edition signed Copy of le Carré’s first book.
His first book, Call for The Dead, introduced the world to George Smiley, probably the greatest figure in all of spy fiction. Though technically classified as mystery fiction, le Carré proved himself adept at weaving political intrigue into commonplace scenes. The New York Times praised the novel as “[a] subtle and acute story of counter-espionage marked by restraint, indirection, and intelligence.” The book was adapted into a film entitled The Deadly Affair directed by Sidney Lumet starring James Mason as Smiley. The film received five BAFTA Awards nominations, including Best British Film and Best British Actor. This particular copy is signed by le Carré on the title page in a contemporary hand, “John le Carre David Cornwell.”
First Edition Signed copy of Le Carré’s classic spy novel.
Following Call for The Dead, le Carré published his classic The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, which went on to reinvigorate the spy genre. Le Carré combined the inside knowledge of his years in British intelligence with the skills of the best novelists to produce a story as taut as it is twisting, unlike any previously experienced. “In the tradition of Conrad, Maugham, and Greene, John Le Carré’s realist spy novel is a form which represents a genuine modern version of tragedy… The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is still Le Carré’s cleanest job: compact in structure, deftly deceptive in the unfolding of its triple-cross, and painfully human in the characterizations of two victims of ‘our’ side’s necessary but evil mission” (Reilly, 933-34). “In a covert war later immortalized in John Le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, [West and East German intelligence chiefs] conducted the battle of moles, infiltration, counter-infiltration, double agent and triple agent” (Volkman, Spies, 180).
Hailed by Graham Greene as “the best spy story I have ever read.” It was the basis for the 1965 film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, and Oskar Werner. It received several awards, including four BAFTA Awards for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. For his performance, Richard Burton also received the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor, the Golden Laurel Award, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Signed first edition of le Carré’s famous novel, which was adapted to film in 2011.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy garnered instant praise for le Carré as “[t]he premier spy novelist of his time. Perhaps of all time” (Time). “Le Carré is simply the world’s greatest fictional spymaster” (Newsweek). Le Carré’s inspiration drew from his experience of the revealing of the Cambridge Five traitors in the 1950s and ‘60s (Anthony, 2009), and the novel’s popularity can be seen in relation to those shocking events. In 2011, the novel was adapted into a successful film, starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth, and it received three nominations at the 84th Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Actor.
This successful production is but one of le Carré’s numerous accolades in espionage fiction. He was awarded both the Helmerich Award and the Goethe Medal, and, in 2008, The Times ranked le Carré 22nd on its list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945.” This particular copy is signed by le Carré on the title page, “with best wishes John le Carré” and by the author’s father, “and much love from his father Ronnie July 1974.” Ronald Cornwell was the father of le Carré and a known associate of the Kray twins.
First Edition Signed set of le Carre’s famous Karla Trilogy.
Though many know of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy as its own novel and later film, it actually was the first in the author’s acclaimed Karla Trilogy. This trilogy follows Smiley as he attempts to outwit his Soviet counterpart, codenamed “Karla.” First editions of all three books are pictured above, each volume signed by John Le Carré on a bookplate, with two signed “John le Carré aka David Cornwell.” Each are in fine condition with their own slipcases. A valuable and exceptional set.
Up to the end of his life, le Carré continued to write, his last novel being published posthumously. By the time of his death in December of 2020, he had accumulated 21 distinct awards and honors for over 25 different novels and other publications. To see more of Le Carré’s impact on 20th century political fiction, click here.
