John Le
John Le
firsts isolation problem
No problem exists in isolation, one must first reduce it to its basic components, then tackle each component in turn.
memories military book
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was the work of a wayward imagination brought to the end of its tether by political disgust and personal confusion. Fifty years on, I don't associate the book with anything that ever happened to me, save for one wordless encounter at London airport when a worn-out, middle-aged military kind of man in a stained raincoat slammed a handful of mixed foreign change on to the bar and in gritty Irish accents ordered himself as much Scotch as it would buy. In that moment, Alec Leamas was born. Or so my memory, not always a reliable informant, tells me.
unique mind limits
The good pupils are often brilliant, and they keep you on your toes and take you to the limits of your knowledge. The worst pupils provide a unique insight into the criminal mind.
bribery blackmail
Blackmail is more effective than bribery.
jobs book lines
In every operation there is an above the line and a below the line. Above the line is what you do by the book. Below the line is how you do the job.
strong book writing
I've never been able to write a book without one very strong character in my rucksack.
baby book home
Completing a book, it's a little like having a baby.... There's a feeling of relief and satisfaction when you get to the end. A feeling that you have brought your family, your characters, home. Then a sort of post-natal depression and then, very quickly, the horizon of a new book. The consolation that next time I will do it better.
writing thinking hands
Without a pen in my hand I can't think.
writing principles stories
It's a principle of mine to come into the story as late as possible, and to tell it as fast as you can.
soul language
To possess another language is to possess another soul.
artist agents assassins
Agents of disruption, subversion, sabotage and disinformation tunnelers and smugglers, listeners and forgers, trainers and recruiters and talent spotters and couriers and watchers and seducers, assassins and balloonists, lip readers and disguise artists.
destiny luck
Luck's just another word for destiny ... either you make your own or you're screwed.
light goes-on building
The one thing you can bet is that spying is never over. Spying is like the wiring in this building: It's just a question of who takes it over and switches on the lights. It will go on and on and on.
secret ends trade
Never trade a secret, you'll always get the short end of the bargain.