The Spy Who Came in From the Cold: A George Smiley Novel

John le Carré

Jan 2012 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Michael Jayston

About this audiobook

John le Carré’s third novel—A #1 New York Times bestseller for 34 weeks—and the book that launched his career worldwide

In the shadow of the newly erected Berlin Wall, Alec Leamas watches as his last agent is shot dead by East German sentries. For Leamas, the head of Berlin Station, the Cold War is over. As he faces the prospect of retirement or worse—a desk job—Control offers him a unique opportunity for revenge. Assuming the guise of an embittered and dissolute ex-agent, Leamas is set up to trap Mundt, the deputy director of the East German Intelligence Service—with himself as the bait. In the background is George Smiley, ready to make the game play out just as Control wants.

Setting a standard that has never been surpassed, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a devastating tale of duplicity and espionage.

About the author

John le Carré was born in 1931. After attending the universities of Bern and Oxford, he taught at Eton and spent five years in the British Foreign Service. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, his third book, secured him a worldwide reputation. He divides his time between England and the Continent.

Michael Jayston is an English actor, born in 1935. He has appeared in film and on television in many Shakespearian roles, as well as in Doctor Who, EastEnders, and the televised serial Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He is the narrator for all of John le Carré’s audiobook novels.