RIP George Smiley

It is with great regret that the death of George Smiley is announced.

He died at the age of 104 after a short illness in his adopted home of Tubingen (South West Germany). He had lived there since his final retirement from the British civil service; studying and teaching early German literature.

In literary circles he was best known for a series of essays on renaissance German literature especially Grimmelhausen's “Simplicissimus”.

To the wider world he was known as the author of a series of popular fiction, published under the pen name John le Carre. A number of these were semi biographical, including the best known “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” this series started with “The Looking Glass War” and ended with “A Legacy of Spies”. The others covered a wide range of popular topics starting with “The Little Drummer Girl” and ending last year with “Agent Running in the Field”. Some now appear outdated however the themes of his books remain constant and arose from his experiences teaching in Germany in the 1930’s and his wartime experiences working for the British Government.

He was married to Lady Anne Sercombe for many years; although much of that time they were estranged and lived apart. She predeceased him and there were no children

He was a passionate European, hence his choice of retirement home, and was probably most satisfied with his work on early German literature.