The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, which won him global acclaim, with Our Man in Havana author Graham Greene calling it "the best spy story I ever read". Having worked during the 1950s and 1960s for British security service MI5, as well as secret intelligence service MI6, le Carre (born David Cornwell) was perfectly positioned to turn his hand to espionage novels. His books were later adapted for film and TV, with characters such as George Smiley becoming popular . John le Carre shown on dark rainy street in Hamburg in 1964. Getty Images John le Carre at home with his wife Alison and their three sons, Stephen, Simon and baby Timothy in 1964. Getty Images