Episodes

  • Le Carre Cast Reads – My Family and Other Spies by Alistair Wood

    Le Carre Cast Reads – My Family and Other Spies by Alistair Wood
    May 11 2026
    This episode we have another episode of le Carré Cast Reads, where we look at a book that I think fellow le Carré fans will enjoy. This time it’s the nonfiction memoir My Family and Other Spies. I’m joined by it’s author Alistair Wood. Alistair grew up living in the Service’s training camp and his […]
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Naive and Sentimental Lover by John le Carre – Explored Part 2

    The Naive and Sentimental Lover by John le Carre – Explored Part 2
    Apr 27 2026
    This episode we are back with author James Wolff to continue to discuss John le Carré’s novel The Naïve and Sentimental Lover. We talk more about these characters, James Kennaway’s Some Gorgeous Accident, and the reality of marriage vs reality. What song by a well known band is based on the novel? What did le […]
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    38 mins
  • The Naive and Sentimental Lover – Explored Part 1

    The Naive and Sentimental Lover – Explored Part 1
    Apr 13 2026
    This episode I’m pleased to have returning guest, author James Wolff to the show. We discuss John le Carré’s novel The Naïve and Sentimental Lover. If you’ve never read the novel and aren’t really interested in doing so, this is the show for you! We talk about the strange love triangle at the heart of […]
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    42 mins
  • Talking Smiley and more with Matt Gourley

    Talking Smiley and more with Matt Gourley
    Mar 30 2026
    This episode I welcome podcaster Matt Gourley to the show for a wide ranging conversation about all things George Smiley. We talk about Matt’s work podcasting on James Bond, how he started reading le Carré, and the difference between Bond and Smiley. We make an attempt to cast Tinker, Tailor using only former James Bond […]
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    40 mins
  • Remembering Len Deighton – Spy Writers Club

    Remembering Len Deighton – Spy Writers Club
    Mar 19 2026
    This week had some sad news as we learned that Len Deighton passed away at the age of 97. He’s a huge part of how we think of modern espionage fiction and many of his works will stand the test of time. This seemed like a good moment to remember a singular moment in spy […]
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    9 mins
  • Interview – Dave Hutchinson on science fiction, spies and le Carre

    Interview – Dave Hutchinson on science fiction, spies and le Carre
    Mar 16 2026
    In this episode, I speak with author Dave Hutchinson about his science fiction writing, how that’s overlapped with espionage and his favorite le Carré novel. We talk about his book series set in a near future Europe that has splintered into tiny nation states, his latest novel The Essence which returns to the spy world […]
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    44 mins
  • Drinks and le Carré with Henry Jeffreys

    Drinks and le Carré with Henry Jeffreys
    Mar 2 2026
    In this episode, I talk with drinks writer Henry Jeffreys about how John le Carré used various alcoholic beverages in his work. We talk about Henry’s interactions with le Carré while he working in publishing, le Carré’s legacy and what goes into the drink called a White Lady. In addition, we explore different types of […]
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    57 mins
  • Matt Kindt on John le Carre and The Circus: Losing Control

    Matt Kindt on John le Carre and The Circus: Losing Control
    Feb 16 2026
    In this episode, I talk with the writer of the new comic book miniseries The Circus: Losing Control set in the world of John le Carré. We talk about Matt’s fascination with spies, his research for the comic and how he got the Circus out of Vauxhall Cross and back where it belongs. In addition, […]
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    33 mins