Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy book cover by John le Carré

Books like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

by John le Carré · 1974

Book 5 of George Smiley

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Genre

Spy stories

What it is about

George Smiley
Intelligence service
Cold war

Where it happens

Great Britain

Ages

Adult

Books like this one

Last checked: October 28, 2026

The Recruit
Robert Muchamore · Young adult

about 340 pages

Why: Both are spy books about intelligence service.
- Spy
- Intelligence service
What both books share
- spy
  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: "spy fiction" (WD genre); "Spy stories." (LoC 655)
  The Recruit: "Spies" (OL subject); "Spies, fiction" (OL subject); "Spy stories" (OL subject); "spy fiction" (WD genre)
- intelligence service
  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: "Intelligence service" (OL subject); "Intelligence service -- Great Britain -- Fiction." (LoC 650)
  The Recruit: "Intelligence service" (OL subject); "Intelligence service -- Great Britain -- Juvenile fiction." (LoC 650)
From each book's catalog record: Open Library and Wikidata for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Open Library and Wikidata for The Recruit.
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Books like the George Smiley series

About John le Carré

Born: Born in Poole, United Kingdom, in 1931. Source: Wikidata and the place's own entry, checked November 6, 2026.
Awards and honors: John le Carré received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1964, for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Source: Wikidata, citing academia-lab.com, checked November 6, 2026.
Awards and honors: John le Carré received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel in 1965, for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Source: Wikidata, citing edgarawards.com, checked November 6, 2026.

More about John le Carré

Where does Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy sit in its series? See the reading order.

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Common questions

What does the Why line mean?

It names what the two books have in common, using only facts found in both books' catalog records. Tap What both books share to see those facts and where they came from. When the shared facts are few, the line is short. It never quotes reviews, ratings or reader reactions.

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