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Article: Le Carre: The real Smiley hated me.
- Article from:
- The Mail on Sunday (London, England)
- Article date:
- July 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JASON LEWIS
SPY writer John le Carre has talked for the first time about his lifelong feud with the man who was the model for his most famous character, George Smiley.
Two years ago le Carre finally revealed the name of the real-life Smiley as MI5 officer John Bingham - ten years after his death.
The spymaster was immortalised by Sir Alec Guinness in the 1979 TV series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Now le Carre, himself a former intelligence officer whose real name is David Cornwell, says of the bitter dispute between the two former friends: 'If John had been able to hate anyone for long, he would have hated me.' The pair had met when both worked for ...