約翰•勒卡雷（John le Carré ,1931—）

原名大衛•康威爾（David Cornwell），1931年生於英國。曾就讀於伯爾尼大學和牛津大學，在伊頓公學教授過兩年法文與德文。18歲被英國軍方情報單位招募，擔任對東柏林的間諜工作；1958年就職於英國安全局軍情五處，同時開始寫作。1963年，第三本著作《柏林諜影》問世，知名小說傢格雷厄姆•格林如此盛贊：“這是我讀過的最好的間諜小說！”由此奠定文壇大師地位，並轉為全職寫作。在過去的50年中，勒卡雷居留於倫敦與康沃爾郡，筆耕不輟，迄今共著書23部。

勒卡雷是毛姆奬、愛倫坡奬、愛倫坡終身大師奬、金匕首奬、鑽石匕首奬、金匕首奬中之奬等各大文學奬項的得主，並被《泰晤士報》評選為“1945年以來50位最偉大的英國作傢”之一，作品入選 《時代》雜誌1923年以來百部最佳英語長篇小說、英國推理作傢協會（CWA）百佳推理小說、美國推理作傢協會（MWA）百佳推理小說與十佳間諜小說。

With the incomparable opening chapter of "Call for the Dead," titled "A Brief History of George Smiley," John Le Carre introduces his legendary spy and immediately ensnares you in the shadowy world Smiley inhabits. Pulled back from overseas duty during World War II, Smiley was redirected to face the threats of the Cold War. He had been asked to interview Samuel Fennan of the Foreign Office after an anonymous letter accused Fennan of Communist Party membership. Smiley's report cleared him of the allegations, so he was stunned to learn that Fennan had died the day after the interview, leaving a suicide note that claimed his career had been ruined. Investigating circumstances that make no sense to him, Smiley gradually uncovers a spy ring and in so doing is led into a lethal duel of wits with the best of his war-time pupils. "Call for the Dead" marks the beginning of John Le Carre's brilliant literary career, just as it launches the life of one of the most memorable fictional characters of the twentieth century.