He worked for 12 years for the British secret services, MI5 and MI6 - until Kim Philby’s betrayal gave his name up (among many others) to the KGB. Postwar events gave him the rest of his experience and material, as well as the stage on which to display his gifts. Ronnie Cornwell became the model for Magnus Pym’s father, Rick Pym, in “A Perfect Spy.” Born David Cornwell in 1931, he was the son of the kind of hypocritical con man Le Carré grew up to loathe. 12, and it’s safe to say the world will never see his like again, because his powers arose from unique, irreplaceable circumstances. Not only was he adept at mimicry, especially of the English upper class he knew why and how to use it to decimate hypocrisy. John le Carré, the acknowledged sage of espionage fiction, had the literary equivalent of perfect pitch. If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from, whose fees support independent bookstores.
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