John le Carre has died

[Absalom]

On Saturday, one of the great authors of classic spy fiction, John le Carre, real name David Cornwell, passed at age 89.

His work covers a wide range of topics, but for me "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" will always be THE Cold War story par excellence.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VZCd1PoGZWc[/ame]

 

[old bear]

John, thank you for Hours of reading enjoyment. RIP sir.

 

[Onomea]

RIP. I was a huge fan of his back in the 1980s. None better at the Cold War espionage genre.

 

[Texas Star]

I read several of his books. A skilled author.

Did he write the Harry Palmer series, with Michael Caine in the movies?

 

[LVSteve]

Did he write the Harry Palmer series, with Michael Caine in the movies?

Nope, that was Len Deighton.

 

[LVSteve]

George Smiley was the most believable spy character ever written. It's a great shame that syndication demands screwed over the BBC original miniseries of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", because it is one of the best pieces of television ever made in its original form.

 

[Texas Star]

Steve-

Did you see the mess TV made of Modesty Blaise in the US? This was long before you moved here.

The books and comics strip were quite good, but the films and TV were pretty bad.

 

[Beemerguy53]

George Smiley was the most believable spy character ever written. It's a great shame that syndication demands screwed over the BBC original miniseries of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", because it is one of the best pieces of television ever made in its original form.

I have the DVD box set of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". It contains some of the most compelling acting I've ever seen. The moment when Alex Guinness explains to Ian Bannon that there is a mole inside British Intelligence...what a scene!

It's available on Amazon, and well-worth watching...

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Alec-Guinness/dp/B005DXCO94/ref=sr_1_3?crid=YJRH1HKM7NLH&dchild=1&keywords=tinker+tailor+soldier+spy&qid=1608036198&s=movies-tv&sprefix=tinker%2Caps%2C192&sr=1-3"]Amazon.com: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Alec Guinness, Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, George Sewell, Bernard Hepton, Michael Aldridge, Alec Sabin, John Standing, Siân Phillips, George Pravda, Timothy Stetson, Hilary Minster, Patrick Stewart, Sian Phillips, Anthony Bate, Hywel Bennett, Terence Rigby, Alexander Knox, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Frances Alcock, John Irvin, Jonathan Powell: Movies & TV[/ame]