{"product_id":"john-le-carre-9781408849460","title":"John le Carre","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eThe definitive biography of the undisputed giant of English literature, a man whose own true history has long been hidden behind the fictional world of his books\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Compendious and compelling ... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eit is impossible to imagine this Life being bettered'' \u003c\/b\u003eWILLIAM BOYD, \u003ci\u003eNEW STATESMAN\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Smiley himself could not have done a better job'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003eLong after \u003ci\u003eThe Spy Who came in from the Cold \u003c\/i\u003emade John le Carré a worldwide, bestselling sensation, David Cornwell, the man behind the pseudonym, remained an enigma. In this definitive biography, written with unprecedented access to the man himself, Adam Sisman offers an illuminating portrait of a fascinating and enigmatic writer.In Cornwell''s lonely childhood, Adam Sisman uncovers the origins of the themes of love and abandonment which dominated le Carré''s fiction: the departure of his mother when he was five, followed by ''sixteen hugless years'' in the dubious care of his father, a man of ene\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUltimately it's about love ... this is a very emotional book. John le  Carré had an utterly heartbreaking childhood ... \u003cb\u003eThis is the best biography of 2015\u003c\/b\u003e - a rare achievement that invites rereading -- Edward Wilson * Independent *\u003cbr\u003eCompendious and compelling...Sisman is excellent at the nuts and bolts of writing and of being published...it must be difficult to write the life of a man who is still very much with us, and in the public eye, no matter how much liberty the biographer has been given to tell the story, warts and all. Sisman - a very fine and astute biographer - has done an excellent, not to say exemplary, job under the circumstances ... \u003cb\u003eit is impossible to imagine this Life being bettered\u003c\/b\u003e -- William Boyd * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is the way to do it.\u003c\/b\u003e Why this admirably balanced, patiently detailed biography of John le Carré is not on the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist beats me ... Sisman does full justice to [the] rawness at the heart of le Carré -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eAdmirable * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eBalanced, focused and compelling * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eThe spy novelist’s life is explored and explained with immaculate care and attention to detail * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is testament to Sisman’s skill and perseverance … With his excellent grasp of the wider history, Sisman is good at anchoring Cornwell in this shadowy environment, as he guides his readers through the models for various characters … Sisman brings admirable clarity to what could have been a meander in a wilderness of mirrors -- Andrew Lycett * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eA perceptive and elegant interpreter of complex lives -- Jonathan Dimbleby * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003eExcellent ... Shows how memory, fact and fiction have danced in Le Carré’s life ... [A] masterful biography * Catholic Morning Herald *\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbing new doorstopper * Western Morning News *\u003cbr\u003eSisman often came to know the reality of what happened in Cornwell’s life better than Cornwell himself did * Newsweek *\u003cbr\u003eRespectful though far from sycophantic - Best Books of 2015 -- Gaby Wood * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eThis riveting, thorough biography reveals the real world of Cornwell to be every bit as fascinating as his much-loved fiction. The perfect Christmas present for the le Carré fan in your life * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eCornwell has admitted that he can no longer separate many of the facts of his life from his lies and fictions. For Sisman this is like a red rag to a bull and you can feel the thrill of the chase throughout his terrific John le Carré * Independent *\u003cbr\u003eHowever gripping John le Carré’s novels … Hang onto your hats, because the author’s real life story is equally thrilling. Biographer Adam Sisman peels back layers of le Carré to reveal David Cornwall ... This is a masterpiece of storytelling and factual revelations * Compass *\u003cbr\u003eFascinating * Metro *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn le Carré\u003c\/i\u003e will not be the final word on this subject but it could hardly be bettered -- Robert McCrum * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eSisman pulls it off: this is a well-written and highly readable book which is neither hagiography nor hatchet job ... Within that world he [John le Carré] conveys some of the truths of human nature, endeavour and fallibility. This is a real and rare achievement and in Adam Sisman he has a biographer worthy of it -- Alan Judd * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbing … An insightful and highly readable portrait of a writer and a man who has often been classified as elusive and enigmatic as his fictional heroes -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003ePerceptive, entertaining * Guardian, 'Book of the Day' *\u003cbr\u003eA masterpiece * Irish Examiner, 'Books of the Year' *\u003cbr\u003eExtraordinary, absorbing … The most enthralling life of a writer I’ve read since I found myself riveted by Samuel Johnson’s \u003ci\u003eLife of Milton \u003c\/i\u003e40 odd years ago … [A] magnificent book about an extraordinary man … Nothing about him [John le Carré] is more shrewd and wise and self-revealing than this superb biography he has elicited from Sisman * Australian *\u003cbr\u003eExcellent * Choice magazine *\u003cbr\u003eMeticulous and illuminating … Thankfully, his biography stops well short of hagiography * Tablet *\u003cbr\u003e[Sisman's] revealing biography, written in blessedly readable prose, makes a three-dimensional figure of a subject who can come across as something of a superman * Daily Telegraph *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48866818949463,"sku":"9781408849460","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781408849460.jpg?v=1722280144","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/john-le-carre-9781408849460","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}