📖 About George Smiley

George Smiley is a series universe written by John Le Carre. The complete collection runs to 10 books across 2 series, published between 1961 and 2024.

The main series is Publication Order of George Smiley Books with 10 books. It opens with Call for the Dead (1961) and currently runs to Karla's Choice (2024).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with George Smiley

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Call for the Dead (1961), book 1 of Publication Order of George Smiley Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

If you would rather follow the story timeline instead of the release sequence, a chronological order is listed below. It begins with Call for the Dead (1961).

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 George Smiley Books in Order

Publication Order of George Smiley Books
10 books
1
Call for the Dead book cover1Call for the Dead1961Buy on Amazon
A Murder of Quality book cover2A Murder of Quality1962Buy on Amazon
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold book cover3The Spy Who Came in from the Cold1963Buy on Amazon
The Looking Glass War book cover4The Looking Glass War1965Buy on Amazon
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy book cover5Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy1974Buy on Amazon
The Honourable Schoolboy book cover6The Honourable Schoolboy1977Buy on Amazon
Smileys People book cover7Smileys People1979Buy on Amazon
The Secret Pilgrim book cover8The Secret Pilgrim1990Buy on Amazon
A Legacy of Spies book cover9A Legacy of Spies2017Buy on Amazon
Karla's Choice book cover10Karla's Choice2024Buy on Amazon
Chronological Order of George Smiley Books
10 books
2
Call for the Dead book cover1Call for the Dead1961Buy on Amazon
A Murder of Quality book cover2A Murder of Quality1962Buy on Amazon
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold book cover3The Spy Who Came in from the Cold1963Buy on Amazon
Karla's Choice book cover4Karla's Choice2024Buy on Amazon
The Looking Glass War book cover5The Looking Glass War1965Buy on Amazon
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy book cover6Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy1974Buy on Amazon
The Honourable Schoolboy book cover7The Honourable Schoolboy1977Buy on Amazon
Smileys People book cover8Smileys People1979Buy on Amazon
The Secret Pilgrim book cover9The Secret Pilgrim1990Buy on Amazon
A Legacy of Spies book cover10A Legacy of Spies2017Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many George Smiley books are there?
There are 10 books in the George Smiley collection, organised into 2 series and published between 1961 and 2024.
What is the first George Smiley book?
The first book is Call for the Dead, published in 1961.
What order should I read the George Smiley books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the George Smiley books?
The George Smiley books were written by John Le Carre.
Is the George Smiley series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of George Smiley Books, has 10 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the George Smiley series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1961, and the most recent in 2024.