Editions

Call for the Dead

  • Imprint: Penguin Classics

  • ISBN: 9780241521809

  • Length: 176  Pages

  • Dimensions: 222mm x 25mm x 138mm

  • Weight: 400g

  • RRP: £14.99

Call for the Dead

RELEASED 06/05/2021

A beautiful 60th anniversary special edition of the first George Smiley novel, now with a new introduction by John le Carré

After a routine security check by George Smiley, civil servant Samuel Fennan apparently kills himself. When Smiley finds Circus head Maston is trying to blame him for the man's death, he begins his own investigation, meeting with Fennan's widow to find out what could have led him to such desperation. But on the very day that Smiley is ordered off the enquiry he receives an urgent letter from the dead man. Do the East Germans - and their agents - know more about this man's death than the Circus previously imagined?

Le Carré's debut novel, Call for the Dead, introduced the tenacious and retiring George Smiley in a gripping tale of espionage and deceit.

'Intelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard' Sunday Telegraph

'Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense' Observer

  • Imprint: Penguin Classics

  • ISBN: 9780241521809

  • Length: 176  Pages

  • Dimensions: 222mm x 25mm x 138mm

  • Weight: 400g

  • RRP: £14.99

Reviews

  • Intelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard.

    Sunday Telegraph

  • Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense.

    Observer

More from this Author

View all View all
View all View all

About the Author

John le Carré

John le Carré was born in 1931 and died in 2020. He attended the universities of Bern and Oxford, and taught at Eton before serving in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For more than fifty years he lived by his pen.

John le Carré

Read more

/content/dam/prh/articles/adults/2020/december/John-le-carre-where-to-start.jpg

Recommendations

Where to start reading John le Carré books

His death this week marked the end of a career which produced internationally acclaimed novels in every decade from the 1960s onwards. Le Carré’s work was enjoyed by readers and critics alike and adapted multiple times for film and television, making him one of the most celebrated and influential authors of modern times. But where to start if you’re new to this work? Here is our starter for ten.
/content/dam/prh/articles/adults/2018/november/florence-pugh-reads-little-drummer-girl.jpg

Features

Florence Pugh reads The Little Drummer Girl

Alongside Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Shannon, Florence Pugh stars in The Little Drummer Girl, the latest adaptation of John le Carré’s thrilling novel of espionage and betrayal. Here she reads le Carré’s description of the character that she herself plays in the BBC series.
/content/dam/prh/articles/archive/the_pigeon_tunnel_extract_788x306.jpg

Extracts

The Pigeon Tunnel by John le Carre

In this extract from The Pigeon Tunnel, John le Carré describes the accusations of disloyalty he faced from former Secret Service colleagues - and how Alec Guinness used them in his portrayal of George Smiley

Our Use of Cookies

We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors’ experience. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here

Our Use of Cookies

We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors’ experience.

For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More.

Analytics

Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. See More.

Preferences & Features

Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. See More.

Targeting / Advertising

Targeting cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. See More.