As the American version of, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” is currently running in theaters across the country, I thought it might be fun to skip ahead two novels and post the BBC miniseries, “Smiley’s People.” I’ll put up a chapter on Sundays over the next month and a half. I have not seen the American version of the Fist novel in the Karla series yet, but years ago, while attending Ohio State, I along with a room mate in my dorm watched for 7 consecutive Sundays the BBC version. “Smiley’s People,” represents the 7th novel featuring George Smiley, and the 3rd involving his life long nemesis, Karla Ostrakov.
During Chapter 4, Smiley travels to Hamburg in order to collect the remainder of evidence collected by Otto Leipzig. Having been forced into retirement twice by bumbling bureaucrats and seeing both times the destruction of MI6 by the non professionals put in charge of running the service afterwords, and further, being blamed by those same bureaucrats for the aftermath of the actions taken, Smiley decides to launch his own operation to once again do battle with his life long nemesis, Karla Ostrakov. What we can deduce from the first 3 chapters is that Karla has chosen the exiled Lady Ostrakova, who by happy coincidence shared a last name with Karla, and had been forced to abandon her own daughter some years earlier, to be duped into being an adoptive mother for his own daughter, who was suffering from schizophrenia, a disease for which Soviet Medical practice was woefully inadequate. Smiley takes his operation to the furthest extent that he can, without his former agency’s involvement. It is at that point that he reluctantly involves them. We also get to see the utter contempt that the ambassadorial staff has for the intelligence service personnel and vice versa. A happy piece of luck for Smiley is that Peter Guillam, former head of the Scalp Hunters during George’s day in charge is now head of Paris Station in the British Embassy. Guillam, even after learning that George is flying solo follows Smiley’s instructions, as Smiley has earned his respect many times over.
Faces you might recognize. Michael Byrne, who appeared in this as Peter Guillam, was General Vogel in the third Indiana Jones Movie, Grandewalt in the last Harry Potter installment, and Smythe in, “Braveheart.” Tusse Silberg who appeared in this as Tatiana (Alexandra) Ostrakova, was Natasha in the movie, “Gorky Park,” one of my personal all time favorites. Bill Patterson, who was Lauder Strikland in Smiley’s People also played the role of Dr. MacEntire in, “The Killing Fields.”
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Agent – A spy recruited by a foreign government to spy on their own country. This term should not be confused with a case officer, the intelligence service member who recruited and then handled the spy.
Babysitters – Bodyguards
Circus – MI6, the British intelligence service.
The Competition – MI5, British counter espionage service. Also referred to as the, “security mob.”
The Cousins – The CIA or any American intelligence service.
Distress Rocket – An emergency signal to a logistical support structure that a crash meeting or other prearranged measures are necessary, often involving new identities and emergency legends.
Ferrets – Tech people who find and remove bugs, cameras, or an attempt to spy on the good guys.
Honey Trap – A sexual trap intended for black mail or murder.
Housekeepers – Internal auditors or accountants who are used to insure discipline within the service.
Inquisitors – Interrogators who debrief agents or defectors.
Janitors – Headquarters staff and guards of internal secure areas.
Lamplighters – Watchers, surveillance staff, couriers.
Legend – A false biography and accompanying documents for a covert operative, be they a control officer or a mole.
Mole – A recruited agent who does not begin spying on his target for a long period of time. Usually they have worked their way up through an organization until such time as a preset target has been reached, and then activated after a period of years. In, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” for instance, Gerald was recruited in 1955 and not activated until 1972.
Mothers – Secretaries, researchers, clerical staff, most trusted by case officers.
Nuts and Bolts – Logistical support.
Pavement Artists – Specialized surveillance teams who can follow without getting caught.
Priests – The Legislative overseers of MI6. (Intelligence oversight committees etc.)
Scalp hunters – Professional thugs, handling assassinations, bribery, break ins, beatings, kidnappings etc.
Shoemakers – Forgers, they provide false identities in the form of passports, drivers licenses, etc.
Wranglers – Intelligence analysts, cryptographers, the people who look at raw reports, documents, photos, etc., and pass on authenticity, meaning, scope, etc.
Cross Posted at Musings of a Mad Conservative.
