Part of this book was written in Cornwell’s guest house in Tregiffian, and Cornwell himself is credited with suggesting the title. Cornwell and John Shakespeare, father of Nicholas, had known each other at Oxford and Cornwell at one stage tried to persuade him to take over when he was leaving Eton, but John chose instead to accept the offer of the job of Private Secretary to the British Ambassador in Paris (this from Nicholas Shakespeare in correspondence: the story is rather garbled in A Private Spy). Nicholas was later itching to leave The Daily Telegraph where he was the literary editor, and Cornwell not only encouraged him, but lent him the barn at Tregiffian as a “safe house”.
Sisman quotes Shakespeare on Cornwell: “In his company I felt exhilarated and engaged. I found him courageous, generous, complicated, competitive, touchy, watchful, suspicious, and incineratingly honest, although perhaps not in every single instance about himself, but then who is.”
From the library of David Cornwell aka John Le Carré.
Maggs Bros. Ltd., Catalogue 1526, John Le Carré: Books from The Library of Jane and David Cornwell at Tregiffian, Item 155.
