This episode I return with Phil Tinline and Bernard Hughes. We continue discussing Phil’s article in the New Statesman on the London of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré and how it’s different from the London of today. Topics include t

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Shabby 70’s London Part 1

Nov 4th, 2023 44m 3s

This episode I’m excited to welcome Phil Tinline and Bernard Hughes to the show. We discuss Phil’s article in the New Statesman on the London of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré and how it’s different from the London of today. Topics

Adam Sisman on The Secret Life of John le Carré – Interview

Oct 21st, 2023 1h 2m

This episode I’m excited to welcome John le Carré’s biographer Adam Sisman to the show. We discuss his latest book The Secret Life of John le Carré which looks at le Carré affairs which Sisman left out of his previous biography. Topics include

A Private Spy: The letters of John le Carré Explored Part 3

Oct 6th, 2023 1h 1m

We continue our three part look at A Private Spy: The letters of John le Carré edited by Tim Cornwell. In part 3 we’ll be talking about what we learned about le Carré’s novels. Returning to discuss the book is Guillam groupie, Matthew Bradford.

A Private Spy: The letters of John le Carré Explored Part 2

Sep 22nd, 2023 48m 9s

We continue our three part look at A Private Spy: The letters of John le Carré edited by Tim Cornwell. In part 2 we’ll be talking about what we learned about le Carré’s professional life. Returning to discuss the book is Circus cognoscente, Mat

A Private Spy: The letters of John Carré Explored Part 1

Sep 8th, 2023 44m 59s

We’ll be taking a three part look at A Private Spy: The letters of John le Carré edited by Tim Cornwell. In this episode we’ll be talking about what we learned about le Carré’s personal life. Returning to the podcast to discuss the book is livi

Single and Single by John Carré Explored Part 2

Aug 27th, 2023 54m 23s

In this episode we continue our look at John le Carré’s 1999 novel, Single and Single. Returning to discuss the book is espionage and nonfiction author Adam Brookes. We discuss Adam’s interactions with shady Russians in the 90’s, why le Carré j

Single and Single by John Carré Explored Part 1

Aug 11th, 2023 1h 1m

In this episode we look at John le Carré’s 1999 novel, SIngle and Single. Joining me to discuss the book is espionage and nonfiction author Adam Brookes. We discuss Adam’s first encounters with le Carré, the British boarding school system and t

Secret And Beyond – Political Thrillers with Frank Sennett

Feb 27th, 2023

Frank Sennett joins the show to talk about political thrillers and Mick Herron and John le Carré. We talk about US versus UK spy novels, Matt Helm, and favorite Herron and le Carré novels. Plus we talk about how to write politics in fiction wit

Guillam Coffee and Abdelraham Fathalla – Interview

Feb 10th, 2023

We raised $1300 for Room to Read this holiday season. Thanks to everyone who donated. If you still wanted to donate, go here or share the link – http://tinyurl.com/spiesread We are back with a interview with founder of Guillam Coffee and le Car

Secret and Beyond – John le Carré’s battle with book titles

Jan 1st, 2023

Donate to Room to Read here or share the link – http://tinyurl.com/spiesread We are back with a look at some of John le Carré’s unused book titles. These have been gathered from Adam Sisman’s biography, John le Carré: A Life, as well as a few f

Top 5 letters in A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré

Dec 6th, 2022

Donate to Room to Read here or share the link – http://tinyurl.com/spiesread We are back with a look at the new release A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré. I’m pleased to welcome Steven Ritterman, one of the foremost collectors of le C

Dead Drop – Letters in Spy Fiction and Reality Part 2

Nov 14th, 2022

We are back with part 2 of our look at the letter in spy fiction and reality. Listen to part 1 here. We talk about the novel to read if you want to imagine you’re a CIA analyst, the first techno-thriller and learn about how real spies are commu

John le Carré’s London

Oct 31st, 2022

We talk with Richard Hutt the writer of the new map titled John le Carré’s London from Herb Lester Associates. We talk about his previous map, The Secret City, reading le Carré in lockdown, the difficulties and joys in finding locations le Carr

The Secret History of Spy Letters

Oct 16th, 2022

The book A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré has just been released in the UK. We’ll be taking a look at that book once it’s released in the US in December, but this is a perfect time to take a look at the usage of the humble letter in

A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré Explored Part 2

Sep 13th, 2022

In this episode we finish our look at A Small Town in Germany, John le Carré’s fifth novel. Returning to discuss the book is espionage author James Wolff. We discuss how his treatment of female characters, whether this is a Agatha Christie nove

A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré Explored Part 1

Aug 29th, 2022

In this episode we look at A Small Town in Germany, the novel that comes midway between John le Carré’s breakout success – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – and the novel that solidified his place as one of the world’s best spy novelists – Ti

Collecting John le Carré

Jun 28th, 2022 1h 13m

We talk with one of the foremost collectors of John le Carré novels, Steven Ritterman, whose collection of pristine le Carré editions numbers over 300 items. We learn about the Haycroft-Queen list, rare signed editions, and Steve’s undercover m

The Looking-Glass War by John le Carré Explored Part 2

May 24th, 2022

Find Part One Here. In this episode we continue to take a deep dive into the intricacies of one of John le Carré’s most unjustly overlooked novels – The Looking-Glass War. I’m again joined by critic and author Jeremy Duns. We talk class and Bri

The Looking-Glass War by John le Carré Explored Part 1

Apr 18th, 2022

In this episode we take a deep dive into the intricacies of one of John le Carré’s most unjustly overlooked novels – The Looking-Glass War. I’m joined by critic and author Jeremy Duns. We talk about weird relationships, how the book is a proto-

Laura Marsh on John le Carré – Episode 13

Mar 15th, 2022 58m 41s

In this episode I speak to Laura Marsh about her essay on le Carré and Silverview in the February 10th edition of The New York Review of Books. Laura is currently the literary editor at the The New Republic and previously wrote for and was an e

John le Carré in The Spy Writers Club – Episode 12

Feb 22nd, 2022 9m 10s

In this episode we explore what happens when you get a whole gaggle of Cold War spy novelists together in one room. This is an adaption of an earlier piece that can be found here with links to various sources. Also there is a photo of the atten

Silverview by John le Carré Explored Part 4 – Episode 11

Jan 27th, 2022 36m 32s

In the final episode of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. We discuss the climatic conclusion of Silverview! We also talk about where Silverview fits among le Carré

Silverview by John le Carré Explored Part 3 – Episode 10

Jan 20th, 2022 40m 41s

In Part three of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. In this third part we explore the plot and espionage in the novel. We discuss the way betrayal is different in t

Silverview by John le Carré Explored Part 2 – Episode 9

Jan 13th, 2022

In Part two of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. In our second part we talk about the settings of the novel. We discuss le Carré success in capturing life in a coa