The definitive biography of the internationally adored author of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and A Perfect Spy—arguably one of the most important and influential writers of the post-World War II period—by the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning biographer Adam Sisman.
In this definitive biography–blessed by John le Carré himself–Adam Sisman reveals the man behind the bestselling persona. In John le Carré, Sisman shines a spotlight on David Cornwell, an expert at hiding in plain sight–“born to lying,” he wrote in 2002, “bred to it, trained to it by an industry that lies for a living, practiced in it as a novelist.”
Of course, the pseudonym “John le Carré” has helped to keep the public at a distance. Sisman probes Cornwell’s unusual upbringing, abandoned by his mother at the age of only five and raised by his con man father (when not in prison), and explores his background in British intelligence, as well as his struggle to become a writer, and his personal life. Sisman has benefited from unfettered access to le Carré’s private archive, talked to the most important people in his life, and interviewed the man himself at length.
Who is John le Carré? Intriguing, thorough, and packed with entertaining detail, this biography will be a treat for the legions of le Carré fans.
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“For listeners of le Carré’s spy novels, this biography is an intriguing look at the author whose art imitates his life. Listeners will be intrigued to hear about le Carré’s (David Cornwell) life in post-War Berlin, his service for the British intelligence services, and the endless schemes of his con-man father. Narrator Michael Page convinces listeners that we’re hearing directly from the biographer. Page’s British accent is clear, efficient, and appropriate for the characters. His handling of quotations is excellent and without artifice, and the footnotes, which can be devilish in audiobooks, are similarly dispatched…Page moves through the eight decades of Cornwell’s life with the right balance of energy and erudition. An audiobook biography to savor.’
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AudioFile