John le Carre, British spy thriller author, dead at 89
- The writer was best known for his Cold War novels ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ and ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’
- Le Carre, whose real name was David Cornwell, died from pneumonia, his family said
John le Carre, the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, has died aged 89, his agent and family said.
The author, a former British intelligence officer whose real name was David Cornwell, wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades, selling some 60 million books worldwide.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was adapted for television in 1979, with Alec Guinness starring as the enigmatic spycatcher George Smiley, and became a classic. Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film, winning an Oscar the following year.
Le Carre’s last novel, Agent Running in the Field, was published in October 2019.
His wife of nearly 50 years, Jane, and sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon, said in a statement that he died on Saturday night after a short battle with pneumonia.
“We all grieve deeply his passing,” they said, thanking staff at the hospital in Cornwall, southwest England, for their care. “We know they share our sadness,” they added.