This episode we have returning guest Nick Harkaway to talk about his new Smiley novel The Taper Man.

We talk about what a “taper man” is, why Nick brought Smiley to 1965 Los Angeles (and also to Leningrad), and how the book plays with Britain’s post‑Suez decline and America’s rising power.

Plus, Nick shares how he researches a period he can’t visit, from capturing the feel of LA to technology’s shifting impact on espionage, and why real spy history can be too absurd for a Smiley story.

Finally, we discuss le Carré’s performed public persona, his fraught-but-devoted relationship with the US, the role of compassion in the Smiley books, and Roy Bland’s expanded role.

All that and much more in this episode.

Find more on my Substack.

Buy The Taper Man – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/865730/the-taper-man-by-nick-harkaway/