 First UK edition | |
| Author | John le Carré |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jerry Harpur[1] |
| Language | English |
| Series | |
| Genre | Spy fiction |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton (UK) |
Publication date | June 1974 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 355 |
| ISBN | 0-394-49219-6 |
| OCLC | 867935 |
| 823/.914 L456 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.L4526 L43 1974 |
| Followed by | The Honourable Schoolboy |
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 1974 spy novel by the author and former spy John le Carré. It follows the endeavours of the taciturn, ageing spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The novel has received critical acclaim for its complex social commentary—and, at the time, relevance, following the defection of Kim Philby. It was followed by The Honourable Schoolboy in 1977 and Smiley's People in 1979. The three novels together make up the "Karla Trilogy", named after Smiley's long-time nemesis Karla, the head of Soviet foreign intelligence and the trilogy's overarching antagonist.
The novel has been adapted into both a television series and a film, and remains a staple of the spy fiction genre.[2][3] In 2022, the novel was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[4]
- ^ Modern first editions – a set on Flickr
- ^ Locke, Richard (30 June 1974). "The Spy Who Spied on Spies". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ Bradford, Michael; Burridge, James (September 2012). "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: the Movie". Studies in Intelligence. 56 (3). Center for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ^ "The Big Jubilee Read: A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign". BBC. 17 April 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.