The espionage writer — best known for his books The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and most recently, The Night Manager — died on 12. Dec., at the age of 89. "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that David Cornwell — John le Carré - passed away from pneumonia last Saturday night after a short battle with the illness," his family shared in a statement."David is survived by his beloved wife of almost 50 years, Jane, and his sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen, and Simon. We all grieve deeply his passing. Our thanks go to the wonderful NHS team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for the care and compassion that he was shown throughout his stay. We know they share our sadness."
Before turning to writing, Le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell, started as an MI5 officer in 1958 before being transferred to MI6. It was whilst working for the British foreign-intelligence service that he first began to pursue his passion for writing, basing many of his characters on his real-life fellow spies.