Home Podcasts The le Carré Cast - A podcast on John le Carré novels
The le Carré Cast - A podcast on John le Carré novels

The le Carré Cast - A podcast on John le Carré novels

The le Carre Cast 96 Episodes Aug 5, 2026

This podcast delves into the novels of John le Carré, examining each book in detail. Episodes explore specific novels and lesser-known facets of his life and work. Listeners are taken on a deep dive into the espionage world that le Carré masterfully created.

Episodes

Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 2
Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 2 Aug 5, 2026 2732 This 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. We debate Connie Sachs repetitive return, talk Smiley and sex-clubs and […]
Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 1
Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 1 Jun 22, 2026 2727 This 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 through The Honorable Schoolboy and argues the Cold War novels still illuminate modern Russia’s state cruelty […]
Spy fiction as Travelogue with David Goodman
Spy fiction as Travelogue with David Goodman Jun 8, 2026 3134 This 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 dissertation on spy novels was a stepping stone to writing espionage […]
John le Carre vs. Ian Fleming
John le Carre vs. Ian Fleming May 25, 2026 3971 This 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 War service.) We read an Allen Dulles interview where Fleming praises The Spy Who […]
Le Carre Cast Reads – My Family and Other Spies by Alistair Wood
Le Carre Cast Reads – My Family and Other Spies by Alistair Wood May 11, 2026 3659 This episode we have another episode of le Carré Cast Reads, where we look at a book that I think fellow le Carré fans will enjoy. This time it’s the nonfiction memoir My Family and Other Spies. I’m joined by it’s author Alistair Wood. Alistair grew up living in the Service’s training camp and his […]
The Naive and Sentimental Lover by John le Carre – Explored Part 2
The Naive and Sentimental Lover by John le Carre – Explored Part 2 Apr 27, 2026 2304 This episode we are back with author James Wolff to continue to discuss John le Carré’s novel The Naïve and Sentimental Lover. We talk more about these characters, James Kennaway’s Some Gorgeous Accident, and the reality of marriage vs reality. What song by a well known band is based on the novel? What did le […]
The Naive and Sentimental Lover – Explored Part 1
The Naive and Sentimental Lover – Explored Part 1 Apr 13, 2026 2524 This episode I’m pleased to have returning guest, author James Wolff to the show. We discuss John le Carré’s novel The Naïve and Sentimental Lover. If you’ve never read the novel and aren’t really interested in doing so, this is the show for you! We talk about the strange love triangle at the heart of […]
Talking Smiley and more with Matt Gourley
Talking Smiley and more with Matt Gourley Mar 30, 2026 2406 This episode I welcome podcaster Matt Gourley to the show for a wide ranging conversation about all things George Smiley. We talk about Matt’s work podcasting on James Bond, how he started reading le Carré, and the difference between Bond and Smiley. We make an attempt to cast Tinker, Tailor using only former James Bond […]
Remembering Len Deighton – Spy Writers Club
Remembering Len Deighton – Spy Writers Club Mar 19, 2026 540 This week had some sad news as we learned that Len Deighton passed away at the age of 97. He’s a huge part of how we think of modern espionage fiction and many of his works will stand the test of time. This seemed like a good moment to remember a singular moment in spy […]
Interview – Dave Hutchinson on science fiction, spies and le Carre
Interview – Dave Hutchinson on science fiction, spies and le Carre Mar 16, 2026 2669 In this episode, I speak with author Dave Hutchinson about his science fiction writing, how that’s overlapped with espionage and his favorite le Carré novel. We talk about his book series set in a near future Europe that has splintered into tiny nation states, his latest novel The Essence which returns to the spy world […]
Drinks and le Carré with Henry Jeffreys
Drinks and le Carré with Henry Jeffreys Mar 2, 2026 3447 In this episode, I talk with drinks writer Henry Jeffreys about how John le Carré used various alcoholic beverages in his work. We talk about Henry’s interactions with le Carré while he working in publishing, le Carré’s legacy and what goes into the drink called a White Lady. In addition, we explore different types of […]
Matt Kindt on John le Carre and The Circus: Losing Control
Matt Kindt on John le Carre and The Circus: Losing Control Feb 16, 2026 1991 In this episode, I talk with the writer of the new comic book miniseries The Circus: Losing Control set in the world of John le Carré. We talk about Matt’s fascination with spies, his research for the comic and how he got the Circus out of Vauxhall Cross and back where it belongs. In addition, […]

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