The Karla Trilogy Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honourable Schoolboy; Smiley s People - Signed - John le Carr 1974 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Editions A signed first edition set of John le Carré’s acclaimed espionage trilogy – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People – featuring legendary master spy George Smiley pitted against his elusive Cold War rival, Karla.

In addition to Le Carré signing each book to the title page,
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy includes a signed photograph of Sir Alec Guinness who played the part of Smiley in the original BBC adaptation, considered ‘one of the greatest performances ever seen on the small screen’ by the Guardian newspaper in 2019. The Honourable Schoolboy, includes a card with a typed quote signed by Le Carré.

First edition, first issue of
The Honourable Schoolboy with maps of Hong Kong for endpapers, these where not included in the second issue.

As a secret service agent, Le Carré moved from MI5 to MI6, and was in Berlin when the wall was erected. His experiences inspired him to write a novel which became '
Call For The Dead'; 'When I first began writing, Ian Fleming was riding high and the picture of the spy was that of a character who could have affairs with women, drive a fast car, who used gadgetry and gimmickry to escape.' Le Carré’s aim was to portray the intelligence world from a new view and he has earned a reputation for gritty, realistic, suspenseful spy novels based on a wide knowledge of international espionage or simply human behaviour. His famous recurring character, George Smiley, is an ageing, diffident, shadow-like member of the British foreign service, and the antithesis of James Bond; this trilogy of Smiley books is the author's masterwork, a thrilling elegy for post-imperial Britain. 'Tinker Tailor...' was the basis for the Oscar-nominated 2011 film starring Gary Oldman.

‘Simply the world’s greatest fictional spymaster’
– Newsweek.
  John le Carré is the nom de plume of David John Moore Cornwell (1931-2020), born in Poole, Dorset. He was a member of the British Foreign Service from 1959 to 1964, serving first as Second Secretary in the British Embassy in Bonn and subsequently as Political Consul in Hamburg.

References:
Penguin Books, web. John le Carré, web.

Three large octavo volumes (book size 22.3x14.2cm), pp. 349 [3]; viii [6] 15-532; 327 [1]. In publisher’s black, navy and blue cloth respectively, spine lettered in gilt,
Tinker with red tint to top edge and gilt vignette of Smiley to spine and upper board, Honourable Schoolboy with maps of Hong Kong for endpapers (second issue had blank endpapers). Dust jackets priced ‘£2.95 net in the UK’, ‘£4.95 net in UK’, and ‘£5.95 net in the UK’, to lower corner of front flaps.
  Condition: Tinker - fine in near fine dust jacket, no fading to spine, a little wear to head of spine; Honourable Schoolboy - very good, minor fading to spine, spotting to upper edge and slightly less so to foredge, in near fine dust jacket with light wear to spine ends and faint wrinkle to front flap, Smiley s People fine with the exception of very light spotting to edges, in fine dust jacket with light crease to front flap.   Ref: 111792   Price: HK$ 51,000