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 communicating right now! All that and much more in this episode.

I’m pleased to welcome back to the show critic and author Jeremy Duns.

Plus listen in for Alma Katsu, former member of the NSA and CIA and now spy author, as she weighs in on the future of the letter in spy operations.

Get a letter of your own from me. Email your address to lecarrecast [at] gmail [dot] com and I will send a spy letter of your very own.

The book A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré has just been released in the UK and we’ll be taking a look at that book once it’s released in the US in December.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

Alma Katsu’s website is here.

Order her novel Red Widow here.

Pre-order her novel Red London here.

My interview with Alma for Spybrary is here.

Notes:

More on Eric Ambler’s novels here.

More on Charles Mccarry’s The Miernick Dossier here.

More on Riddle of the Sands here.

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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 Carré used in his novels and challenge the listener to find le Carré’s favorite bench. All that and more in this episode.

Show Notes:

John le Carré’s London Map at Herb Lester Associates

The Secret City map at Herb Lester Associates

Richard recreating le Carré’s sitting on Hampstead Heath –

Richard at a important Smiley’s People location –

Making an important call –

Spy Write’s trip to find le Carré locations – 

A Smiley Walk – a look at locations from the books with pictures

Mr. Smiley’s Neighborhood

Jeff Quest – Spy Write – https://spywrite.com/ 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Spywrite 

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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 espionage.

We talk about the history of the letter, Cicero’s letters, letterlocking, Cabinet Noirs and Cold War spy love letters. All that and much more in this episode.

I’m pleased to welcome back to the show critic and author Jeremy Duns.

We’ll return in a few weeks with part 2 and talk letters in spy fiction and the future of the letter in espionage.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

Notes:

The first spy letter? – History of letter writing From the earliest period to the fifth century by William Roberts

The Delivery and Confidentiality of Cicero’s Letters by John Nicholson

Vindolanda

To the Letter by Simon Garfield

Letterlocking – Nature.com

Cheri Ami – Smithsonian

Operation Columba by Gordon Corera

Robert Hanssen affidavit

Operation Lemon Aid

Mitrokhin Archive – Wikipedia

Vladimir Putin Pigeon GIFfrom Vladimir Putin GIFs

And of course, the debunking.

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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 novel in disguise and whether this could ever be adapted for television? Plus, what’s up with that epilogue?

All that and more in this episode.

Read James’ writing for the website Crime Reads here. Included is his article “Can contemporary spy novels ever live up to the Cold War classics?”

A quick look at why prosecutions of Nazis after the war fizzled out and how they then came back is here.

My previous essay on A Small Town in Germany is here.

James Wolff’s website – https://jameswolffauthor.com/

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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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 – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

I’m joined to discuss the novel by espionage author James Wolff.

We discuss how this novel is much darker than other le Carré work, whether le Carré hates all the characters he’s writing about and just how many interrogations can you squeeze into one novel? Plus, is Alan Turner really a spy?

All that and much more in this episode.

Read James’ writing for the website Crime Reads here. Included is his article “Can contemporary spy novels ever live up to the Cold War classics?”

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

James Wolff’s website – https://jameswolffauthor.com/

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

Essay Music by Dream-Protocol from Pixabay

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 mission to meet le Carré himself. 

All that plus talk on champagne toasts with Otto Penzler, meeting Eric Ambler, literal juggling balls, and a little Silverview talk from a couple of le Carré collectors.

Show Notes:

The Mysterious Bookshop – https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/ 

Profile of Otto Penzler – https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/otto-penzler-mystery-bookstore 

The Otto Penzler Espionage Auction – https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/auction-catalogs/THE-PENZLER-COLLECTION-OF-ESPIONAGE?saleno=2209&viewby=Lot_asc 

How to spot a true US first of The Spy Who – https://spywrite.com/2015/12/22/collecting-the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-by-john-le-carre/ 

In episode 14 of Spybrary Jeff talked with Shane about book collecting tips – https://spybrary.com/collecting-spy-books/ 

Spy Write Book Collecting tips – 

Part One – https://spywrite.com/2017/08/16/on-book-collecting-part-one/

Part Two – https://spywrite.com/2017/09/29/on-book-collecting-part-two/ 

Interact with Steven and other spy fans on the Spybrary Facebook discussion group – https://www.spybrary.com/facebook 

Jeff Quest – Spy Write – https://spywrite.com/ 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Spywrite 

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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 Britain’s role in the world, how the book could be adapted for television, and Jeff’s tin hatted theory connecting this novel to The Night Manager1?!

All that and much more in this episode.

Read Jeremy’s Times article for free here.

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

Le Carré’s Landscape by Tod Hoffman

More on Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books here.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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-Slow Horses, and get the first ever comparison of le Carré and the band Nirvana?!?

All that and much more in this episode.

Read Jeremy’s Times article for free here.

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

Le Carré’s Landscape by Tod Hoffman

More on Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books here.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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 editor at The New York Review of Books. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Dissent, Bookforum, The Times Literary Supplement and Literary Review.

We talk Chunk Smith, elastic waistbands, le Carrê’s abilities as a writer and more. You won’t want to miss it.

Laura’s essay – The Nonconformist

Laura’s Twitter – @lmlauramarsh

Laura’s Podcast – The Politics of Everything

The New Republic – https://newrepublic.com/

Find more podcasts like this in the Novel group of podcasts – Novel.Network

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 attendees.

Find more podcasts like this in the Novel group of podcasts – Novel.Network