Other editions of book Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The inspiration for the major motion picture, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth The first novel in John le Carré's celebrated Karla trilogy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a heart-stopping tale of international intrigue.The man he knew as "Control" is dead, and the young Turks who forced him out now run the Circus. But George Smiley isn't quite ready for retirement-especially when a pretty, would-be defector surfaces with a shocking accusation: a Soviet mole has penetrated the highest level of British Intelligence. Relying only on his wits and a small, loyal cadre, Smiley recognizes the hand of Karla-his Moscow Centre nemesis-and sets a trap to catch the traitor.The feature film adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and features a cast that includes Gary Oldman as Smiley, Academy Award(r) winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), and Tom Hardy (Inception).

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre, 1974 First Edition Book. 1974 spy novel by British author John le Carré. It follows the endeavors of taciturn, aging spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. Since the time of its publication, the novel has received critical acclaim for its complex social commentary and lack of sensationalism, and remains a staple of the spy fiction genre.

John le Carré's classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage with unsurpassed skill and knowledge and have earned him -- and his hero, British Secret Service agent George Smiley -- unprecedented worldwide acclaim.A modern masterpiece in which le Carré expertly creates a total vision of a secret world, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy begins George Smiley's chess match of wills and wits with Karla, his Soviet counterpart.It is now beyond doubt that a mole, implanted decades ago by Moscow Centre, has burrowed his way into the highest echelons of British Intelligence. His treachery has already blown some of its most vital operations and its best networks. It is clear that the double agent is one of its own kind. But which one? George Smiley is assigned to identify him. And once identified, the traitor must be destroyed.

First published in 1974, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is very probably John le Carre's masterpiece. Like Grahame Greene, le Carre transcends the spy genre, writing novels that rank among the most critically acclaimed fiction of the late 20th Century. By no means a one-dimenional thriller, TINKER is a subtle, gripping novel that derives suspense from its moral and psychological complexity. Its spies are distinct individuals caught in a web of international Cold-War intrigue--from the protagonist Smiley, recalling his days as an agent "living with terror in his mouth, naked to every stranger's glance," to every spy, friend and enemy, whom Smiley encounters: all human casualties of a dangerous profession. This Folio Society edition of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is bound in buckram and blocked with a design by illustrator Tim Laing, whose atmospheric interior drawings brilliantly portray le Carre's shadowy world.

Smiley and his people are facing a remarkable challenge: a mole - a soviet double agent - who has burrowed his way in and up to the highest level of British Intelligence. His treachery has already blown some of their vital operations and their best networks. The mole is one of their own kind. But which one? "His people are full-bodied, believable individuals, the minor characters as vivid as the main cast ...a stunning story' The Wall Street Journal