The Loss of a Moral Compass David Cornwell, the man behind the penname John le Carré has died, aged 89. His novels, which explore the struggle for humanity in a world driven by profit and ideology, feel as relevant and necessary as ever. When I woke this morning to the news of John le Carré’s death, I felt sick in my stomach with grief. At the age of 89, it can hardly be called a shock; and I had never met the reclusive writer in person. But the writer, whose real name was David Cornwell, had provided a complex moral compass during my entire adult life.