The Pigeon Tunnel cover art

The Pigeon Tunnel

Stories from My Life

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The Pigeon Tunnel

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: John le Carré
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About this listen

'Out of the secret world I once knew, I have tried to make a theatre for the larger worlds we inhabit. First comes the imagining, then the search for reality. Then back to the imagining, and to the desk where I'm sitting now.'

The Pigeon Tunnel, John le Carré's memoir and his first work of nonfiction, is a thrilling journey into the worlds of his 'secret sharers' - the men and women who inspired some of his most enthralling novels - and a testament to the author's extraordinary engagement with the last half century.

The listener is swept along not just by the chilling winds of the Cold War or by the author's frightening journeys into places of terrible violence but, most importantly, by the author's inimitable voice.

In this astonishing work, we see our world, both public and private, through the eyes of one of this country's greatest writers.

©2016 John le Carré (P)2016 Penguin Audio Art & Literature Authors Inspiring Heartfelt Imperialism

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Critic reviews

"No other writer has charted - pitilessly for politicians but thrillingly for readers - the public and secret histories of his times." (Guardian)

"John le Carré is as recognisable a writer as Dickens or Austen." (Financial Times)

"When I was under house arrest I was helped by the books of John le Carré...they were a journey into the wider world.... These were the journeys that made me feel that I was not really cut off from the rest of humankind." (Aung San Suu Kyi)

All stars
Most relevant  
Remarkable, even after Sisman's biography which covers of course many of the same events. As Cornwall explains in his introduction the nuance is everything. Listening to this read by the author not only made me reflect on the obvious autobiographical nature of A perfect spy but also how many of his own unanswered questions were explored in The secret pilgrim. Intellectual and passionate in equal measure, and asking more questions than it answers, just as George Smiley might have reflected after a long and complicated life..

A wonderful memoir, intelligent, nuanced and beautifully read

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What an amazing life led and the experiences used as basis for extraordinary tales I loved it

Amazing

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I purchased this some time ago on recommendation of a Le Carré fan. After the sad announcement of his death, I went back to the audiobook and was so glad that I had bought it.

David Cornwell’s deep sonorous voice is hypnotic. Imagine a dinner guest who (reluctantly) tells you of his meeting with Margaret Thatcher or the a retired (Old Etonian and camp) MI5 agent with all the seductive detail of what the food was like and the atmosphere in the room. Imagine that same storyteller keeping your attention with superb mimicry and an uncannily accurate recall of the actual words used. This book delivers that and more and is the best tribute I can think of to one of England’s finest storytellers.

RIP John Le Carré

In memory of a great raconteur

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Enjoyable read through stories from the authors life in its different guises - Intelligence, Author - and how life inspired fiction. And where it didn’t.

Written as a series of short - and not so short - chapters capturing a particular period or aspect of his life. This format worked quite well for me, and was easier to digest in small chunks.

The audiobook is read by the author. In this case it works as it sound like he is telling the listener about the particular episode in his life, and with his voice adds emphasis to the personal nature of the story.

Enjoyable and Interesting life story

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This is as engaging as his novels! What a life! Am listening to it for the second time!

Loved it!

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Have loved his novels for years, but had no idea what a fascinating life he’s lived. As a spy, to research new books in places like Palestine and Panama, and as a celeb author who ministers and others long to meet.

Amazing stories, beautifully told

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Apart from being a master prose technician, a polyglot, a debonaire and diffidently modest raconteur, and an astute commentator on European, East Asian and African history seen at first hand, Le Carre/Cornwell is also an expert reader of his own work: the best in fact.

It seems hardly fair that one can be both master of a literary genre and possessor of a fund of exciting anecdotes, hard won stories of a life fully lived, but there it is: he has them and wears them, like a shy Mont Blanc pen carried in the top pocket, as if they are nothing at all. Wry, funny, stark, shocking and a whole host of other adjectives, it throws into deep shadow the knee high musings of half-celebrities that clutter the bestseller lists.

A genuinely excellent memoir

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If you could sum up The Pigeon Tunnel in three words, what would they be?

Some astonishing revelations

What other book might you compare The Pigeon Tunnel to, and why?

None to compare

Have you listened to any of John le Carré’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Not yet

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh at times,but nothing in the secret services surprises me

Any additional comments?

A must of read,or a listen.

illuminating

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This is my fist experience of John le Carré's books and I loved it. A fascinating glimpse into an extraordinary life. It's left me hungry for more of his story telling.

An absorbing tale brilliantly told

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I enjoyed this tremendously. Beautifully read in David Cornwell's distinctive voice and the insight into his inspiration for his characters and plots was fascinating. I will listen to this again as there was almost too much to take in first time around.

Excellent on all levels

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