SpyTalk

SpyTalk

Le Carré: The Spy Who Saw Into Our Eyes

James Grady remembers the master of human intrigue, foibles, ideals and cruelty

James Grady's avatar
James Grady
Dec 15, 2020
∙ Paid

Share

John Le Carré was the spy who came into our capital "L" Literature.

He started silent and deep. Wrote much of his first novel with pen and paper while on midnight watch for MI6 in Hamburg, Germany, back in 1960 when flesh and blood spies, not the covert clicks of distant hackers, told the Lords Of Power the way things were and manipulated changes.

Most fi…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Jeff Stein.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Jeff Stein · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture