Le Carré, John (1931– )

English writer of thrillers. His low-key and realistic accounts of complex espionage, many of which were filmed, include The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963, filmed 1965); the trilogy Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974, filmed 1979), The Honourable Schoolboy (1977), Smiley's People (1980, filmed 1982), and The Russian House (1989, filmed 1990).He was a member of the Foreign Service 1960–64, and the majority of his novels are based on the Cold War.

Other novels include The Little Drummer Girl (1983, filmed 1984); Our Game (1995); The Tailor of Panama (1996, filmed 2001); The Constant Gardener (2000, filmed 2005), and The Mission Song (2006).