Arts & Ideas Night Waves - John le Carre special
Sep 13, 2013
John le Carré, celebrated British novelist of Cold War espionage, discusses his life and the origins of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. He explores Berlin spycraft, betrayals like Philby, the moral costs of intelligence work, Snowden and whistleblowers, outsourcing of security, corporate influence on politics, and how personal history shaped his fiction.
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Philby Era Betrayals Shaped His View Of Service
- Le Carré recalls the huge damage caused by double agents like Philby, Burgess, Maclean and George Blake during his service.
- He explains British traitors tended to be ideologues rather than financially motivated, worsening the betrayal's moral shock.
Espionage Portrayed As Small Brutal Business
- The Spy Who Came In From The Cold frames espionage as small-scale, brutal, and morally squalid rather than heroic.
- John Shrapnel's reading highlights characters who are 'traitors, pansies, sadists and drunkards' rather than saints.
Anti-Communism Became A Pretext For Wrongdoing
- Le Carré sees anti-communism morph into a justification for interventions and support for dictators, causing long-term harm.
- He cites the overthrow of Mossadegh in Iran and cynical alliances in the Middle East as consequences.
