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SpyCast

The Man Behind John le Carré

SpyCast

SpyCast

Education, History, News

4.41.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

John le Carré, born David Cornwell in 1931, was a British novelist renowned for his morally complex spy fiction. Writing under a pen name gave him the freedom to publish while he worked in both MI5 and MI6, but after the breakthrough success of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, he left the intel community world for good. Le Carré’s work spanned the globe, covering terrorism and drug networks, private banking and pharmaceutical exploitation, arms trades and resource plundering- often drawing on the people and places he knew firsthand. Le Carré’s vast personal archive is all on display in the new John le Carré: Tradecraft exhibition at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Historian and curator Jessica Douthwaite joins Sasha to talk about the exhibition and what it reveals about his life and work. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ For more information about the International Spy Museum, visit:  https://www.spymuseum.org/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic,  you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org,  This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. This episode was produced by Flora Warshaw and the team at Goat Rodeo. At the International Spy Museum, Mike Mincey and Memphis Vaughan III are our video editors. Emily Rens is our graphic designer. Joshua Troemel runs our SPY social media. Amanda Ohlke is our Director of Adult Education and Mira Cohen is the Vice President of Programs.

Transcript

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0:00.0

If you care about your digital safety, you should know what's happening behind the headlines.

0:05.2

Hi, it's Leo Lipport here. And each week on Security Now, Steve Gibson and I explain what's happening in the world of digital security.

0:12.7

Threats, reaches, clever hacks, and the policies that affect all of us.

0:17.0

We take the complex and make it understandable. If you want to stay safe and informed,

0:22.6

this is your show. Every Tuesday at twit.tv slash SN.

0:27.6

Hi, Leo Laporte here. And if you're interested in AI, robotics, and all those smart do-dads all around us,

0:35.6

you'll want to watch intelligent machines

0:37.8

is where Jeff Jarvis, Paris, Martin, O, and I

0:40.0

sort out the fast-moving world of AI.

0:43.5

What's real, what's hype, and what's worth your attention?

0:46.6

We bring interviews, sharp analysis,

0:48.9

and honest conversation about the future we are building.

0:52.2

You can subscribe at twit.tv slash I am.

1:00.2

Welcome to Spycast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum.

1:06.2

I'm your host, Sasha Ingber, and each week I take you into the shadows of espionage, intelligence,

1:13.1

and covert operations across the globe. John Le Carre, born David Cornwell in 1931, was a British

1:21.8

novelist renowned for his morally complex spy fiction. The pen name afforded him creative liberties while he worked in both

1:30.3

MI5 and MI6, and his breakthrough novel, The Spy, who came in from the Cold, led him to leave the

1:37.7

Intel community altogether. La Carre's work spanned the globe, covering terrorism and drug networks, private banking and pharmaceutical exploitation, arms trades, and resource plundering. Much of it was taken from people and places he knew. It's all on display at the new tradecraft exhibition on John LaCareay at the University of Oxford's Bodley and Library.

2:04.3

Historian and curator Jessica Douthwaite joins me from London.

2:09.5

Jessica, welcome to Spycast and also welcome to my home because we're snowed in here in D.C.

2:16.7

This morning. I hope you don't mind. No, not at all. It sounds

...

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