
The Man Who Was George Smiley
The Life of John Bingham
Michael Jago(Author)
Biteback Publishing
Published on 5. September 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-78590-297-0 (ISBN)
Description
Investigator, interrogator, intellectual hero, biographer Michael Jago traces the life of the remarkable and engaging John Bingham, the man behind John le Carre's George Smiley.
The heir to an Irish barony and a spirited young journalist, John Bingham joined MI5 in 1940; his quiet intellect, wry wit and knack for observation made him a natural. He took part in many of MI5's greatest wartime missions - from tracking Nazi agents in Britain to Operation Double Cross that ensured the success of D-Day - and later spent three decades running agents in Britain against the Communist target. Among his colleagues his skills were legendary and he soon became a mentor to many a novice spy - including one David
Cornwell, later le Carre.
Bingham, too, was an innovative writer; he perfected the psychological thriller, marrying cold objectivity with an explanation of the darkest reaches of human behaviour. His early novels were
applauded but, for all his success, Bingham struggled to match the fame of the man he had inspired.
Drawing on Bingham's published and unpublished writings, as well as interviews with his family, Michael Jago skilfully tells the riveting yet poignant tale of the man who was George Smiley.
The heir to an Irish barony and a spirited young journalist, John Bingham joined MI5 in 1940; his quiet intellect, wry wit and knack for observation made him a natural. He took part in many of MI5's greatest wartime missions - from tracking Nazi agents in Britain to Operation Double Cross that ensured the success of D-Day - and later spent three decades running agents in Britain against the Communist target. Among his colleagues his skills were legendary and he soon became a mentor to many a novice spy - including one David
Cornwell, later le Carre.
Bingham, too, was an innovative writer; he perfected the psychological thriller, marrying cold objectivity with an explanation of the darkest reaches of human behaviour. His early novels were
applauded but, for all his success, Bingham struggled to match the fame of the man he had inspired.
Drawing on Bingham's published and unpublished writings, as well as interviews with his family, Michael Jago skilfully tells the riveting yet poignant tale of the man who was George Smiley.
Reviews / Votes
"Michael Jago draws on family memories and Bingham's own papers to create an affectionate, and in places poignant account of a serious, conventional and ethical man." Stella Rimmington, The SpectatorMore details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78590-297-0 (9781785902970)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Michael Jago read Ancient History and Philosophy at University College, Oxford before settling in the USA in 1980. For fifteen years he ran an educational travel business, focusing on the battlefields of western Europe. Formerly a publisher and editor of a number of journals, he now specialises in biography. Previous publications include the acclaimed Clement Attlee: The Inevitable Prime Minister (shortlisted for the 2015 Paddy Power Political Biography of the Year Award) and Rab Butler: The Best Prime Minister We Never Had?