The Karla Trilogy: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; The Honourable Schoolboy; Smiley’s People.

LE CARRE, John. [David Cornwell].

$2,500.00

Item Number: 137034

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1974-1980.

First editions of each title in the author’s acclaimed Karla Trilogy. Octavo, 3 volumes, original cloth. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper of Smiley’s People, “For Victor Ross with best wishes from John Le Carre – & with fraternal greetings! Hampstead 11 April 80.” Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a first edition. The Honourable Schoolboy is a fourth impression and Smiley’s People is a second impression. Each volume is fine to near fine in a fine to near fine dust jacket. Ownership name to Tinker Tailor. Rare and desirable with such a lengthy inscription from Le Carre.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy garnered instant praise for Le Carre as "[t]he premier spy novelist of his time. Perhaps of all time" (Time). "Le Carre is simply the world's greatest fictional spymaster" (Newsweek). Le Carre’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 Carre’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."