170:, and Haydon. To save his agent, Karla engineers the professional ruin of Control and Smiley whom he reckons to be the most likely to unmask Haydon. Karla is aware of Smiley's one personal weakness — his unreciprocated love for his wife Ann, who is a habitual adulteress — and orders Haydon to have an affair with her to cloud Smiley's judgment further. As Control is about to discover the truth, Karla lures him into ordering a doomed operation in
187:. Smiley is recalled from retirement to investigate and ultimately unmasks Haydon after a tortuous, soul-searching quest. Under interrogation, Haydon reveals much of his secret past to Smiley and plans are set in motion to exchange Haydon for Western agents held in the Eastern Bloc, but before this happens he is killed while still in Circus custody. It is strongly implied, though never stated, that the killer was Prideaux.
1092:
234:
According to Le Carré, Philby's career illustrates the "capacity of the
British ruling class for reluctant betrayal and polite self-preservation," and that the British secret services are "microcosms of the British condition, of our social attitudes and vanities. In describing Philby, Le Carre wrote
242:
The novel is set against a period of waning
British influence on the world stage, with USA and USSR emerging as the dominant superpowers, albeit with conflicting ideologies. This forms the basis for Haydon's betrayal. He claims that, although he was recruited by Soviet intelligence at university in
179:
the full extent of
Control's knowledge of the mole to Karla before being repatriated to Britain and discharged from the Circus. Control is dismissed and dies soon afterwards, Smiley is forced into retirement, and Alleline becomes Chief. Haydon assumes control of London Station, in control of all
247:
when it became clear to him that
Britain was no longer a world power and, in his view, was subservient to America. This perceived inferiority leads to Haydon developing a deep hatred for America, resolving him to damage them as much as possible by spying for the Soviets.
82:
in 1937. He comes from an eminent family with connections throughout
British high society; his father is a high court judge, and two of his several sisters married into the aristocracy. He is a cousin of Ann Smiley. A
174:
to learn the identity of the mole from a (fake) Czech defector. Control picks Jim
Prideaux for the operation and Haydon chooses to sacrifice his close friend to save himself. Prideaux is captured and reveals under
87:
of sorts with a brilliant and charming personality, he excels as a student, takes up remote languages with ease, and proves a somewhat gifted painter while at Oxford. He is identified for recruitment in the Circus
155:
with no holds barred.' In 1961, he formally receives Soviet citizenship, then achieves the rank of Soviet intelligence colonel and is awarded further Soviet decorations over the next ten years.
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1146:
513:
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235:
that "to the very end, he expected and received the indulgence owing to his moderation, good breeding and boyish, flirtatious charm." American film theorist
199:
whose defection to the USSR in 1963, and the consequent compromising of
British agents, was a factor in the 1964 termination of Le Carré's own career in the
183:
In 1973, an indiscretion by a Soviet operative in Hong Kong confirms the existence of the mole to Oliver Lacon, the Civil
Service overseer of the Circus in
616:
863:
264:
986:
954:
162:
deep in the organization. By 1972, alone in this belief, he has ruled out all but his five senior lieutenants: Percy
Alleline, Roy Bland,
147:
activities to 'selected gifts of intelligence' that advance the Soviet cause over the
American one without harming British interests. The
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of 1956 convinces him that Britain has lost all influence as a world power and leads him to become a 'full-time Soviet
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Bill Haydon, with his easy charm and strong social connections, bears a close resemblance to real-life double agent
978:
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139:, and eventually rises to the senior staff of Control, the unnamed Chief of the Circus. In the early years of the
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After the war, Haydon holds positions of increasing importance in the Circus, becomes its premier expert on the
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Haydon was born around 1917; no specific year is given but he is known to have been an undergraduate at
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58:'s endeavours to uncover the mole. The character is partly modelled after the real-life double agent
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514:"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Starring Bernard Hepton as George Smiley (BBC Radio Collection)"
220:
159:
152:
89:
51:
34:
120:. Unbeknown to the British, Haydon is also recruited as a Soviet agent around that time by
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462:
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227:. While in an earlier draft of the novel, there were reportedly greater similarities to
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foreign operations, effectively giving him unfettered access to intelligence worldwide.
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and acts in turn as a talent-spotter among his classmates, most notably
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the 1930s, he only became a serious agent for them following the
109:
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48:
598:
333:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John le Carré, Sceptre, 2011, p. 177
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notes that the description might be applied to Haydon as well.
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John le Carré, Sceptre, 2011, p. 82
261:
93:
310:"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: John Le Carre and reality"
231:, the final character is closely aligned with Philby.
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1005:
946:
855:
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573:
458:"The real-life spies of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
1117:Characters in British novels of the 20th century
223:in Britain which later came to be known as the
610:
8:
354:"John le Carré: A man of great intelligence"
158:Control has come to suspect that there is a
617:
603:
595:
432:"TINKER TAILOR: A guide for the perplexed"
66:spy ring in Britain, who defected to the
1147:Fictional LGBTQ characters in literature
116:, such that he elicits comparisons with
43:. He is a senior officer in the British
380:"What does John Le Carre have to hide?"
295:
1137:Literary characters introduced in 1974
482:
480:
37:who features in le Carré's 1974 novel
456:Ascherson, Neal (10 September 2011).
303:
301:
299:
287:, he was portrayed by Michael Feast.
7:
308:Gordon, Corera (11 September 2011).
265:television serial based on the novel
92:'s lightly fictionalised version of
54:. The novel follows aging spymaster
33:is a fictional character created by
16:Fictional character by John le Carré
108:, Haydon builds a superb record in
19:For the Australian politician, see
436:David Bordwell's website on cinema
14:
864:The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
661:The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
352:Anthony, Andrew (November 2009).
104:, who also becomes his lover. In
23:. For the American inventor, see
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1090:
219:, was part of a group of Soviet
685:The NaĂŻve and Sentimental Lover
283:. In the 2011 Radio 4 series,
1:
378:Brennan, Zoe (2 April 2011).
576:Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
406:"The Spy Who Spied on Spies"
45:Secret Intelligence Service
1163:
837:Agent Running in the Field
580:. Hodder & Stoughton.
410:The New York Times Archive
18:
1086:
955:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
920:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
693:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
488:"Bill Haydon (Character)"
271:series, he was played by
112:-occupied Europe and the
40:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
701:The Honourable Schoolboy
128:'s crafty and legendary
62:, part of the notorious
1122:Fictional British spies
995:The Little Drummer Girl
888:The Little Drummer Girl
717:The Little Drummer Girl
677:A Small Town in Germany
572:le Carré, John (1974).
1142:Fictional bisexual men
912:The Constant Gardener
880:The Looking Glass War
781:The Constant Gardener
669:The Looking Glass War
540:"The Complete Smiley"
256:Haydon was played by
203:. Philby, along with
1127:Fictional KGB agents
904:The Tailor of Panama
765:The Tailor of Panama
277:2011 film adaptation
1077:Smiley Versus Karla
1070:The Incongruous Spy
979:A Murder of Quality
936:Our Kind of Traitor
813:Our Kind of Traitor
773:Single & Single
653:A Murder of Quality
285:The Complete Smiley
279:, he was played by
741:The Secret Pilgrim
118:Lawrence of Arabia
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1103:
987:The Night Manager
928:A Most Wanted Man
872:The Deadly Affair
829:A Legacy of Spies
805:A Most Wanted Man
749:The Night Manager
645:Call for the Dead
550:. 6 December 2009
430:Bordwell, David.
80:Oxford University
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896:The Russia House
821:A Delicate Truth
797:The Mission Song
789:Absolute Friends
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267:. In the 1988
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225:Cambridge Five
209:Donald Maclean
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1043:Connie Sachs
1038:Jim Prideaux
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552:. Retrieved
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467:. Retrieved
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439:. Retrieved
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413:. Retrieved
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387:. Retrieved
383:
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361:. Retrieved
358:The Guardian
357:
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329:
317:. Retrieved
313:
284:
260:in the 1979
255:
241:
233:
194:
182:
157:
137:Soviet Union
134:
106:World War II
102:Jim Prideaux
77:
38:
30:
29:
25:A. W. Haydon
1028:Bill Haydon
281:Colin Firth
269:BBC Radio 4
245:Suez crisis
205:Guy Burgess
149:Suez crisis
114:Middle East
31:Bill Haydon
21:Bill Hayden
1111:Categories
1006:Characters
947:Television
845:Silverview
291:References
252:Portrayals
197:Kim Philby
191:Background
60:Kim Philby
275:. In the
185:Whitehall
145:espionage
130:spymaster
96:) by his
74:Biography
70:in 1963.
1096:Category
757:Our Game
554:15 April
524:15 April
520:. Amazon
497:15 April
389:15 April
314:BBC News
141:Cold War
85:polymath
1013:Control
998:(2018)
990:(2016)
982:(1991)
974:(1987)
966:(1982)
958:(1979)
939:(2016)
931:(2014)
923:(2011)
915:(2005)
907:(2001)
899:(1990)
891:(1984)
883:(1970)
875:(1967)
867:(1965)
848:(2021)
840:(2019)
832:(2017)
824:(2013)
816:(2010)
808:(2008)
800:(2006)
792:(2003)
784:(2001)
776:(1999)
768:(1996)
760:(1995)
752:(1993)
744:(1990)
736:(1989)
728:(1986)
720:(1983)
712:(1979)
704:(1977)
696:(1974)
688:(1971)
680:(1968)
672:(1965)
664:(1963)
656:(1962)
648:(1961)
637:Novels
584:
469:13 May
441:13 May
415:13 May
363:13 May
319:13 May
215:, and
177:duress
49:Soviet
1033:Karla
856:Films
626:Works
221:moles
122:Karla
98:tutor
582:ISBN
556:2013
526:2013
499:2013
492:IMdB
471:2018
443:2018
417:2018
391:2013
365:2018
321:2018
160:mole
153:mole
110:Nazi
68:USSR
52:mole
628:by
548:BBC
262:BBC
201:SIS
94:MI6
1113::
546:.
542:.
516:.
490:.
479:^
460:.
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