Tradecraft

Name: Tradecraft
Price: 59.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9781851246489

Writers on John le Carré

Federico Varese

$59.95

Hardback

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English

Bodleian Library
01 February 2026

Biography: literary; Literature, Poetry & Criticism

John le Carre is one of the most significant political novelists in the English language. His early career in the secret service took him to West Germany at the height of the Cold War and subsequent novels prompted field trips all over the world, from Hong Kong to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He conducted hundreds of interviews with privileged observers, from freedom fighters to spies, bankers and gangsters.

In this book, collaborators and friends take us behind the scenes to give original insights into le Carre's extraordinary observational writing techniques, revealing his unique 'tradecraft' as a writer. His striving for artistic truth and historical precision is presented here through the words of those who worked alongside him, together with an analysis of the novels, which so often captured the zeitgeist. Illustrated with manuscript pages, family photographs, film stills and correspondence, this book provides a multifaceted portrait of the working life and legacy of a great writer.

Edited by: Federico Varese
Imprint: Bodleian Library
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781851246489
ISBN 10: 1851246487
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 01 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Federico Varese, close friend and collaborator with John le Carre, is Professeur des Universites at the Centre d'etudes europeennes et de politique comparee, Sciences Po, Paris, and a Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Reviews for Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré

An absorbing, illuminating read for students of le Carré, whose research methods and writing practices are examined by those who knew him well, or have walked in his footsteps. -- Mick Herron