As we publish all of le Carre’s work for the first time, a special look for the books featuring his iconic character, George Smiley In 1963 John le Carre published his third book, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Written over a period of about five weeks in response to the fear and ugliness of the Berlin Wall, its bitter, devastating story crystallised the doubts and moral dilemmas of the time. It altered irrevocably our understanding of the Cold War, the shape of the spy novel, and John le Carre’s writing career, propelling him to international fame.