Maurice Chittenden
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JOHN LE CARRE, the espionage writer, has revealed that he was tempted to defect to the Soviet Union during the cold war.
The author, whose real name is David Cornwell, wrote his first novel while working for MI6 in 1961. He says he was not attracted to communism – he was just curious to find out what life was like behind the iron curtain in the 1960s.
His books, including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, portray a world of moral ambiguities.
In an interview in today’s News Review, le Carré says: “When you spy intensively and you get closer and closer to the border . . . it seems such a small step to jump . . . and, you know, find out the rest.” Asked if he was genuinely tempted, he said: “Yes, there was a time when I was, yes.”
Any such defection would have made him the target of the real-life equivalent of George Smiley, the hero of his best-loved work, who hunted down double agents.
Le Carré’s remarks are particularly intriguing because his own career as a secret agent was in effect destroyed by the treachery of Kim Philby, the double agent.
Philby was stripped of his OBE but feted in Moscow and awarded one of the highest Soviet accolades, the Order of the Red Banner.
In 1987 le Carré was offered the chance to dine with Philby by a shadowy Russian intermediary, but “I just couldn’t do it . . . he was responsible for sending countless British agents to their deaths, to be killed – 40 or more in Albania.”
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Jerrry has no idea of an open mind so typical of our Americam cousins
Dave GB
D Schofield, Manchester, England
Never too late, mate!
julia, london,
The fact that he did not defect, was his courageous discretion to make in the difficult arena of ideological warefare. Curiosity is a crucial ingredient of a sane and questioning person. As an agent it is mandatory and as a highly successful author paramount. A successful, sane and brave man.
Lionel, Windhoek, Namibia
I wish I had 10% of this man's talent.You could hardly call him "pro establishment" all of his recent books have a strong message.
To all of those snipers,try writing yourselves!!!
Bob Greenaway, Tamarin, Mauritius
So John Le Carre wanted to defect to the country of the Kronstadt rebellion, the collectivization, the Ukrainian famine, the Kirov murder, the great Purge of the thirties, the Gulags, the Katyn massacre, the Doctors' Plot? No wonder he wrote that absurd article on the USA in the Timers in 2003
Mladen Andrijasevic, be'er Sheva , Israel
How could Le Carre's MI6 have been wrecked by Kim Philby? he joined the organisationeight years after Philby had been fired.
Also, what evidence is there that Philby was responsible for anyone's death in Albania? He never knew the operational details to identify a single spy.
Nigel West
Nigel West, London, England
Stupid man !!!!
My mother-in-law could tell him all about Eastern Block at the time John Le Carre is talking about. She was living in Poland during Stalins rule & all she talks about his death & death again !!! Might be a whizz to people like Le Carre, but to my mother-in-law it was survival !!!
ian payne, WALSALL,
Wish he had done.
bill, brum,
No surprise. Cornwall is enthralled by sham and even his writing is a grand deception: pulp/genre stuff pretending to be serious and seriously informed literature.
Jody Rope, Key largo, USA
After all that childish 'moral equivalence' posturing nobody will be greatly surprised. This is the second fake in a couple of weeks to get a bit of attention by pretending he once thought of doing something. Still, it's a bit more plausible than Obama joining the army.
John B, Middlesbrough, UK
If he had gone, he'd not have been short of company what with Burgess, McLean, Philby, the Krogers, George Blake, and the rest
Richard, Chicago, USA
The brother of a friend of my Chinese grandfather-in-law in Singapore went to China in the 60s to see what life was like under Mao. He was never heard from again. Mr Le Carre made the right decision.
Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I doubt anybody is really surprized by this confession. The man is as pink as a flamingo.
Jerry, seattle, us
What a loss it would have been for your fans out in the world for they would have missed out on your writing. Good thing you didn't.
Prabhat, UK,