Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

A George Smiley Novel

By: John le Carré

Narrated by: Michael Jayston

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The inspiration for the major motion picture Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

The first novel in John le Carré's celebrated Karla trilogy, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a heart-stopping tale of international intrigue.

The man he knew as "Control" is dead, and the young Turks who forced him out now run the Circus. But George Smiley isn't quite ready for retirement - especially when a pretty, would-be defector surfaces with a shocking accusation: a Soviet mole has penetrated the highest level of British Intelligence. Relying only on his wits and a small, loyal cadre, Smiley recognizes the hand of Karla - his Moscow Centre nemesis - and sets a trap to catch the traitor.

The feature film adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and features a cast that includes Gary Oldman as Smiley, Academy Award-winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), and Tom Hardy (Inception).

©2011 John le Carre (P)2011 Penguin

the best

Can't get enough of this author. My favorite of the Smiley trilogy. Very good narration.

What a Ride!

If you could sum up Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, suspenseful, satisfying

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy?

Jim Predeaux's recounting of his experience in Czechoslovakia to Smiley.

Have you listened to any of Michael Jayston’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Haven't listened to any before

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, not until near the end.

One of the best audiobooks of all time

What can I say about John le Carré that hasn't already been said? He is infinitely subtle, elegant in his prose and his characterization, his older work is rarely dated and he remains sharp and perceptive to this day. What makes this version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy so superlative is the narration by Michael Jayston. Jayston was in the 1970s TV miniseries – he played Peter Guillam – and in my opinion you can hear it wonderfully, especially in his Smiley. This is one audiobook that I listen to over and over again, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

(P.S. Did you find the movie confusing? That's okay, it was! Listen to this instead!)

Absolutely love the book and the narrator!

I have seen the movie and felt ambivalent about the story. However when my daughter insisted on getting this audio book, I relented. I was hooked after 10 minutes!

The best.

Best of the George Smiley stories. Anytime I hear the narrator portraying George Smiley, I see Sir Alec Guinness polishing his glasses with his tie.

New media for a classic English thriller

le Carre's seminal work is done great justice by Michael Jayston. Few collaborations put the audiobook on the level of the hard copy. This is one.

CLASSIC.

TTSS earned it's place among the best spy novels.
This is a first-rate audio book, thanks to Michael Jayston's excellent reading.
Fans of the BBC production will be amazed at his Alec Guinness "impression."

Just incredible

Don’t miss this book. The plot is fascinating, and the narrator is the best I’ve ever heard. Le Carré nails it

Perhaps I'm inattentive

Very did spy story, you can see why other stories would be inspired by this. I felt like I had a hard time following along and couldn't keep the characters straight. It could be me, I might not have been paying close enough attention or the story wasn't clear enough. I'm going to give the story the benefit of the doubt.

Amazing story, wonderfully performed

John Le Carre's amazing novel of the dogged investigative powers of George Smiley is brought to vivid life by the wonderful performance of Michael Jayston who captures the tone of British 1970s Cold War tradecraft perfectly.