The Sunday Times no. 1 Memoir

Chris:

The late John le Carré has written this biography in which he explains how his lifetime experiences are used in his fiction books. As readable as ever, le Carré recounts his meetings with some weird and wonderful characters and his experiences teaching at Eton College and his employment with MI6. However, it is his on-off association with his wayward father that seems to have had the most impact on him as a person. He invented the modern spy thriller with The Spy Who Came in from the Cold which changed his life. He studied German language and literature and travelled to Germany many times. He toured South East Asia, Russia and the Middle East to provide background to subsequent books, in doing so he met many controversial and sometimes unpleasant characters. All this provided him with the material for his wonderful collection of writing.

Other Reviews

Publisher Review: The Pigeon Tunnel, John le Carre's memoir and his first work of non-fiction, is a thrilling journey into the worlds of his 'secret sharers' - the men and women who inspired some of his most enthralling novels. From terrifying meetings with Yasser Arafat in war-torn Beirut to brilliantly observed encounters with the great figures of 20th century film, from Stanley Kubrick to Alec Guinness. The reader is swept along not just by the chilling winds of the Cold War or by the author's frightening journeys into places of terrible violence but, most importantly, by the author's inimitable voice. In this astonishing work we see our world, both public and private, through the eyes of one of the world's greatest writers.