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Smiley's People Audiobook
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(4.00) - 10,522 listener ratings
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… the narrative is grand, the dialogue is even better, and best of all is the warm, sadly ironic intelligence that colors even the tiniest of encounters. —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
When General Vladimir, a Soviet defector, is brutally murdered in London's Hampstead Heath on his way to meet a junior Circus agent, George Smiley finds himself being pulled from retirement—again. As Vladimir's former case officer, Smiley has the privilege of cleaning up and burying the the mess.
But one last message from the general, sent just before he died, hints at a major operation led by spymaster Karla, Smiley's Soviet counterpart. Thrust back into the world of Cold War espionage in pursuit of his longtime nemesis, Smiley assembles a small team of trusted operatives to unearth the deceit and corruption that Karla has sown across Europe—from the shadowy streets of Paris and Hamburg to the corridors of power in London and Moscow.
Over the course of the investigation, Smiley discovers a piece of intelligence that has long eluded him: Karla's weakness. The price of using it, however, tests the limits of even Smiley's ruthlessness. As the game of cat-and-mouse approaches its finale, and with the geopolitical landscape of Europe hanging in the balance, Smiley will be forced to confront the darkest corners of his own soul.
The seventh George Smiley novel from lauded spy novelist John le Carré, one in which all his considerable skills are in evidence (The New York Times), Smiley's People follows Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy, marking the third and final installment in the Karla Trilogy. With le Carré's intricate compassion, the battle of wits between the two no-men of no-man's-land—fraught with questions about loyalty and betrayal, as well as the human cost of espionage—comes to its breathtaking conclusion.
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"I stayed up until early this morning finishing the third and final book in the Karla Trilogy, and now I really deeply miss reading about George Smiley and his issues. I know there's at least one more Smiley book after this one - not to mention all the Smiley books that are set before the Karla Trilogy - but it almost seems like not enough. This book was brilliant, thrilling, and a great conclusion to a legendary battle of the spies. Too bad there wasn't more Guillam, but this was Smiley's mission, after all. Can't wait to see the movie adaptation of this."
— Sarah (5 out of 5 stars)
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An achievement of subtlety and power of which few novelists would be capable.”
Smiley's People Listener Reviews
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" George Smiley is called out of retirement, again, to save the Circus from its own ineptitude, this time brought on by overweight bureaucracy. Two seemingly random events coalesce into the greatest manhunt in British Intelligence during the Cold War. "
— Jim, 2/10/2014 -
" A masterful story of suspense and political intrigue. Smiley is a memorable and strangely heart-wrenching character. "
— Cari, 2/7/2014 -
" Revenge is sweet. This is sweeter. "
— Juniar, 1/30/2014 -
" Very cool end to the series .. Not as disjointed it compared to "The Honourable Schoolboy" .. "
— Ash, 1/5/2014 -
" A classic. Doesn't have the fast pace of today's books but instead has depth, characters and feels like it's a real story. This is the sequel to 'Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy' and I recommend to read that one first (or rent the movie which is as good). "
— Gil, 12/26/2013 -
" The George Smiley series is among my favorite books of all time. The UK TV production is stellar as well. "
— Michael, 12/26/2013 -
" Best of the Karla trilogy books. "
— Pamela, 12/21/2013 -
" Outstanding, in every way. Moscow Rules, Vladi old friend. Moscow rules. "
— Jill, 12/15/2013 -
" For my money Le Carre is by far the master of the spy story. "
— Kalilah, 12/2/2013 -
" Sweet Merciful Crap this book is confusing. And I LOVE it. "
— Tiffany, 11/4/2013 -
" This is a much better sequel to Tinker Tailor than The Honorable Schoolboy. The focus is back on Smiley and the ethics of espionage, and it's good. Not as good as the first book, but still very solid and worth reading. "
— peaseblossom, 10/25/2013 -
" I would like to give this ten stars please! "
— Anna, 10/1/2013 -
" Another masterpiece about betrayal and loyalty. "
— Thomas, 9/3/2013 -
" A book about thinking and character as opposed to "I except you to die Mr Bond". Excellent. "
— Chris, 8/24/2013 -
" Quite satisfying conclusion to the search for Karla. Again, a tribute to civil servants who work without glory and flash. Quite cerebral spy novel! "
— Frances, 7/29/2013 -
" I almost felt like I would miss Smiley at the end of this one. A great examination of the morality of spying and the Cold War. "
— Eric, 6/29/2013 -
" No one can develop a character like Lecarre and George Smiley is suffering and persistent. "
— Gxh281, 5/22/2013 -
" Interesting but anticlimactic. "
— Micah, 4/27/2013 -
" Bloody brilliant, Smiley wall-to-wall and all the better for it. "
— Peter, 2/12/2013 -
" Tinker, tailor... is better. But this is good too "
— Akaki, 1/29/2013 -
" Tightly written, a fair amount of realistic spy craft, complex plotting, lots of moral doubt and a healthy dose of a fat blokes late-middle aged existential angst. That's probably not selling it to you but it's great, honest. "
— Brendan, 10/15/2012 -
" Fantastic narrative but the writing is just so excellent there are a number of paragraphs that I just have to re read again and again. "
— Peter, 9/1/2012 -
" George Smiley... what more do you need to know. Another superb tale by the master story teller "
— Lois, 8/10/2012
About John le Carré
John le Carré, the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (1931–2020), was an English author of espionage novels. Eight of his novels made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list between 1983 and 2017. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, his third book, secured him a worldwide reputation as one of the greatest spy novelists in history. Numerous major motion pictures have been made from his novels, as well as several television series. After attending the universities at Berne and Oxford, he taught at Eton and spent five years in the British Foreign Service, serving briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. Being a member of MI6 when he wrote his first novel, Call for the Dead in 1961 in Hamburg, it necessitated the use of a nom de plume, by which he continued to be known. His writing earned him several honorary doctorate degrees and the Somerset Maugham Award, the Goethe Medal, and the Olof Palme Prize.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.