Call for the Dead (1961) – John Le Carré Free Audiobook

Written by John Le Carré
Read by Ralph Cosham
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Smiley Series, Book 1
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Release date: November 9, 2004
Duration: 04:31:19

With the incomparable opening chapter of Call for the Dead, titled “A Brief History of George Smiley,” John le Carré introduces his legendary spy and immediately ensnares readers in the shadowy world Smiley inhabits.

Pulled back from overseas duty during World War II, George Smiley was redirected to face the threats of the Cold War. Investigating circumstances that make no sense to him, he meets a twisted former hero of the German underground, a once beautiful woman with a terrifying secret, a high-ranking pompous bureaucrat, and a suspect British civil servant. Smiley is bitter and weary––he has seen too much and done too much––yet he cannot refuse one last desperate call for his services. He gradually uncovers a spy ring and is led into a lethal duel of wits with the best of his wartime pupils.

In his first of many thrillers, John le CarrÄ introduces premier super spy George Smiley, the seemingly bland intelligence officer with the rapier-sharp mind and tiger-like instincts. Ralph Cosham is the perfect choice to guide listeners through a web of international intrigue that sprints from Nazi Germany to Cold War Russia and England. His understated eloquence calls to mind dashing heroes in smoking jackets and the terrifying consequences of picking the wrong side. Cosham’s impeccable elocution matches the author’s astounding presentation of details in such a way that, while listeners might not figure out the puzzle, they’ll enjoy the struggle to the end. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine