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> Anyone have any recommendations for other classic spy novels like le Carre’s?

Probably not comparable, but Frederick Forsyth's novels are great. He wrote The Day of the Jackal, The Fourth Protocol, etc. If you want a taste for his books, I would suggest The Devil's Alternative.

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I always recommend The Dogs of War as a first Forsyth novel, and No Comebacks as a first Forsyth reader.

No Comebacks:

1. Are all short stories, so good for the reader who is not yet invested in Forsyth

2. Starts with the titular story, which (IMO) is a pretty good capture of Forsyth plot and story-telling.

I find it hilarious how Dogs of War is different as the book and the movie. The movie is a classical '80s thing with big guns and explosions. The book on the other hand gets into great detail about the logistics of organizing a coup, holding accounts, export licenses for arms, etc. Forsyth would've probably preferred to write it as a non-fiction book, but making it a work of fiction vastly extended his life expectancy.

Very perceptive recommendation - I love Forsyth’s novels. I feel like they’re a little bit of a guilty pleasure, but damn, that guy can write a thriller.

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