Inscribed by the author in blue ink to the dedication page ‘& for Peter [Simms] & Sandra with much love - David 14 May 89’, and additionally signed by the author to the title page.
Peter Simms was an English journalist, adventurer and spy. He spent many years in Southeast Asia pursuing various careers, including teaching at a university in Rangoon as well as journalism. While working as a foreign correspondent in the region, Simms also moonlighted as a British spy, and later in life he joined the intelligence branch of the Hong Kong police department when Hong Kong was still a British colony.
While Le Carré was in Southeast Asia researching for his book The Honourable Schoolboy (1977), he met Simms in Singapore - and Simms became the basis for Le Carré’s character of Jerry Westerby (also a journalist and sometimes spy).
The same character of Westerby made a cameo appearance in an earlier Le Carré work, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (1974). However, at this time Le Carré based the character on an acquaintance named Gordon. In his memoir The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life (2016), Le Carré describes how he made a preliminary sketch of the character for that novel, only to meet his fictional personage face-to-face in Simms, a real-life reporter who doubled as a spy, while visiting Singapore. When Le Carré met him, Simms was working both as a British foreign correspondent and secret agent. He fit the description of the fictional Westerby perfectly - not only in regards to career but also (amazingly) in appearance and character.
An excellent association copy to the authentic Jerry Westerby, Peter Simms.
A very good copy indeed, light creasing to extremities of jacket.
