The le Carré Cast - A podcast on John le Carré novels
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About the show
Latest episodes
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Ricki Tarr Declassifed Part 1
October 5, 2026 · 46 minThis episode I talk with writer Paul French about all things Ricki Tarr. We explore how Tarr’s backstory reflects the declining British Empire as much as the Cold War, how his past explains his the character we see in the novel and unwrap…
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After le Carre – Eric Ambler Bonus
September 28, 2026 · 14 minThis episode we close out our look at Eric Ambler with a special bonus – my conversation with legendary bookstore owner and editor Otto Penzler. We discuss his time meeting Eric Ambler and his attempt to get Ambler to sign his Ambler…
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After le Carre – Eric Ambler Part 2
September 22, 2026 · 38 minThis episode we continue to look at an author worth reading after you’ve finished looking at all of the works of le Carré – Eric Ambler. We discuss Ambler’s post WW2 work, his obsession with coups, and his somewhat unreliable…
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After le Carre – Eric Ambler Part 1
September 7, 2026 · 43 minThis episode we look at another author to explore once you’ve finished looking at all of the works of le Carré. This time it is the granddaddy of thrillers, Eric Amber. We discuss how Ambler’s political worldview influenced his writing…
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Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 2
August 5, 2026 · 46 minThis episode we are back from a summer break with part two of our discussion of John le Carré’s 1979 novel Smiley’s People with returning guest Charles Beaumont, a former undercover MI6 operative and author of A Spy Alone and A Spy at War…
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Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 1
June 22, 2026 · 45 minThis episode we discuss John le Carré’s 1979 novel Smiley’s People with guest Charles Beaumont, a former undercover MI6 operative and author of A Spy Alone and A Spy at War. Beaumont describes first discovering le Carré at university…
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Spy fiction as Travelogue with David Goodman
June 8, 2026 · 52 minThis episode I’m joined by author David Goodman, author of A Reluctant Spy and the new sequel Solitary Agents. We talk about reading John le Carré as a kind of travelogue and why place matters so much in spy fiction. David shares how his…
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John le Carre vs. Ian Fleming
May 25, 2026 · 1 hr 6 minThis episode I welcome back author and Bond expert Jeremy Duns to tackle the “le Carré or Fleming?” debate from a different angle: what they thought of each other. We talk generational differences (Fleming shaped by WWII, le Carré by Cold…