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A Legacy of Spies

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A Legacy of Spies

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Tom Hollander
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré, read by Tom Hollander.

Chosen as a Book of the Year in The Times Literary Supplement, the Evening Standard, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, The Times

'A brilliant novel of deception, love and trust to join his supreme cannon' Evening Standard

'Vintage le Carré. Immensely clever, breathtaking. Really, not since The Spy Who Came in from the Cold has le Carré exercised his gift as a storyteller so powerfully and to such thrilling effect' John Banville, Guardian


Peter Guillam, former disciple of George Smiley in the British Secret Service, has long retired to Brittany when a letter arrives, summoning him to London. The reason? Cold War ghosts have come back to haunt him. Intelligence operations that were once the toast of the Service are to be dissected by a generation with no memory of the Berlin Wall. Somebody must pay for innocent blood spilt in the name of the greater good . . .

'Utterly engrossing and perfectly pitched. There is only one le Carré. Eloquent, subtle, sublimely paced' Daily Mail

'Splendid, fast-paced, riveting' Andrew Marr, Sunday Times

'Remarkable. Vintage John le Carré. It gives the reader, at long last, pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that have been missing for 54 years. Like wine, le Carré's writing has got richer with age. Don't wait for the paperback' The Times

'Perhaps the most significant novelist of the second half of the 20th century in Britain. He's in the first rank' Ian McEwan

'One of those writers who will be read a century from now' Robert Harris

Espionage Fiction Psychological Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Crime England Law Thriller

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Critic reviews

He can communicate emotion, from sweating fear to despairing love, with terse and compassionate conviction. Above all, he can tell a tale. Formidable equipment for a rare and disturbing writer
I have re-read The Spy Who Came In From The Cold over and over again since I first encountered it in my teens, just to remind myself how extraordinary a work of fiction can be (Malcolm Gladwell)
He's one of those writers who will be read a century from now (Robert Harris)
The best spy story I have ever read (Graham Greene on The Spy Who Came In From The Cold)
Perhaps the most significant novelist of the second half of the 20th century in Britain. He will have charted our decline and recorded the nature of our bureaucracies like no one else has. He's in the first rank (Ian McEwan)
A literary master for a generation (Observer)
All stars
Most relevant
Another classic from the master. Fantastic references and interweaving of Smiley's and Guilliam's past but those stories were narrated and brought to life by Michael Jayston and his absence here took a little away from this listen. Saying that, I enjoyed the book tremendously.

Brilliant but I missed Michael Jayston

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A wonderful story enhanced by Tom Hollander 's insightful and entertaining narration of Peter Guillam's actual real memories and his reluctant response to an interrogation at the hands of the new high and mighty people in the Circus. . This book could serve two audiences. Those of us who have read and loved the Smiley stories and a new group of readers who may have been introduced to John Le Carre in the hit TV series The Night Manager . The latter group may enjoy this as a standalone novel but will undoubtedly be enticed to get reading the Smiley novels. What I enjoyed most about this book was the way it explained so many issues that escaped me in Call For The Dead and The Spy That Came In FromThe Cold. Furthermore, it provides us with the foundation for the Carla Trilogy. The narrative is presented in a well constructed manner, weaving the past and the present through Service records and interviews. The highlight for me was the eventual appearance of George and his revelation that it was all about Europe. Such a strong political statement and so relevant for today.

Truly Spooked<br />

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Have been reading Le Carre's work since I was a teenager, over 30 years ago. It was great to meet with old friends and get to know Peter Guillame better. Definitely worth listening to. Tom Hollander reads it beautifully.

Loved it..... Highly recommended.

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Excellence all round. Beautifully written and spun by a master. These characters are so familiar but always so intriguing.

They narration somehow adds to the writing. Can't recommend highly enough.

Excellent

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There is an elegiac quality to this book which brings about a sense of completion to previous novels surrounding George Smiley and co. It is not the easiest novel to perform,particularly early on ,but Tom Holland delivers it brilliantly.

A satisfying conclusion.

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