Gerald Westerby

{{Short description|Character by John le Carré}}

The Honourable Clive Gerald Westerby,John Le Carre and the Cold War, Toby Manning, Bloomsbury, 2018, p. 141Corridors of Deceit: The World of John le Carré, Peter Wolfe, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987, p. 225 or Jerry Westerby, is a fictional character created by spy novelist John le Carré. He first appeared in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), and is the titular figure in The Honourable Schoolboy (1977).

Son of ennobled newspaper magnate Samuel ("Sambo") Westerby, who died leaving little wealth,Understanding John Le Carré, John L. Cobbs, p. 130“No-Men in this No-Man’s Land”: British State, Nation and Political Enemy in John le Carre’s 1960s and 1970s Cold-War Novels, Toby Manning, 2015, p. 185 Westerby, a former cricketer and international sports journalist, is an "occasional" asset of British intelligence ("the Circus"). He was initially recruited by George Smiley, for whom he holds great respect. In Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he is approached by Smiley regarding information concerning the betrayal of Jim Prideaux on an assignment in Czechoslovakia. In The Honourable Schoolboy, Westerby is recalled from his semi-retirement in Italy and despatched to Hong Kong, in an effort to flush out a deep-cover Soviet spy in China.