SPY novelist John le Carré has died at the age of 89 after a short illness.
The legendary author - best-known for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - passed away at his home in Cornwall on Saturday.
Le Carré died of pneumonia. He had not been suffering with coronavirus.
His agent John Geller described him as "an undisputed giant of English literature",
Mr Geller added: "Our hearts go out to his four sons, their families and to his dear wife, Jane.
"For six decades, John le Carré dominated the bestseller lists and review pages with his monumental body of work.
"His dramatic launch onto the global scene began with the publication of his third novel in 1963, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and the public revelation of his secret life working with the British Intelligence Services.
"Devoting his life to writing, he went on to define the Cold War era with the help of his character, George Smiley, and through his complex plots and beautiful prose, beamed a harsh light at the injustices of our world.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy came in the 1970s and its accompanying landmark TV series with Alec Guinness.
"The 1980s brought the novel that is often heralded as his masterpiece: A Perfect Spy.
"With the fall of the Berlin Wall, David’s focus extended beyond the Soviet/UK/US relations to arms dealing with The Night Manager.
"The first decade of the new millennium brought us The Constant Gardener, a passionate critique of Big Pharma and this current decade brought back his favourite creation, George Smiley, in A Legacy of Spies.
"His last novel, Agent Running in the Field, was published in October 2019.
"David wrote twenty-five novels and one volume of memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel, and has sold more than sixty million copies of his work worldwide.
"His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition.
Le Carré's life was as interesting as those lived by his characters
Born as David Cornwell in 1931, he began working for the secret services while studying German in Switzerland at the end of the 1940s.
After teaching at Eton he joined the British Foreign Service as an intelligence officer.
In this role, he recruited, ran and looked after spies behind the Iron Curtain - all while working in a back office in London's Curzon Street.
This work inspired his novels - with George Smiley, one of his most enduring characters, appearing in debut Call for the Dead in 1961.
His success grew, most notably after his third novel was published, and over the years, stars including Richard Burton, Alec Guinness, Ralph Fiennes and Gary Oldman have appeared in adaptations.
Outside of his writing, he lived in Cornwall for four decades, married twice and had four sons.
"We have lost a great figure of English literature, a man of great wit, kindness, humour and intelligence. I have lost a friend, a mentor and an inspiration."
In a statement, the late author's family said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that David Cornwell – John le Carré – passed away from pneumonia last Saturday night after a short battle with the illness.
"David is survived by his beloved wife of almost fifty years, Jane, and his sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon.
"We all grieve deeply his passing.
"Our thanks go to the wonderful NHS team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for the care and compassion that he was shown throughout his stay.
"We know they share our sadness."
6,000.000+downloads/Free/Bengali/Version2.3.4
777 BDT IPL 2025 Sports First Deposit Bonus
