The Looking Glass War
A George Smiley Novel
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3.8 • 168 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Legacy of Spies.
"You are either good or bad, and both are dangerous."
It would have been an easy job for the Circus: a can of film couriered from Helsinki to London. In the past the Circus handled all things political, while the Department dealt with matters military. But the Department has been moribund since the War, its resources siphoned away. Now, one of their agents is dead, and vital evidence verifying the presence of Soviet missiles near the West German border is gone. John Avery is the Department's younger member and its last hope. Charged with handling Fred Leiser, a German-speaking Pole left over from the War, Avery must infiltrate the East and restore his masters' former glory.
John le Carre's The Looking Glass War is a scorching portrayal of misplaced loyalties and innocence lost.
With an introduction by the author.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Acclaimed spy novelist John le Carré brings rich, operatic poetry to institutional dry rot in this story of a faltering English intelligence agency looking to reclaim its World War II glory. After learning that Soviet missiles are being hidden along the West German border, a ragtag quartet of spymasters initiate a reconnaissance mission. But the team's blunders and delusions cast a cynical pall on their nostalgia for the bygone days of high-stakes conflict. The Looking Glass War is a poignant, biting satire that examines questionable camaraderie and the toll that clandestine careers take on personal lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Le Carre 's fourth George Smiley novel is handsomely dramatized in this BBC Audio production. Early in the 1960s the cold war is in full swing, and the Department, a holdover from the WWII section of British intelligence, forms an uneasy alliance with its rival agency, the Circus, when it is suspected that Soviet missiles may be in the process of being placed along the West German border. Death, lies, betrayal, secrets, secrets, and more secrets all add up to the kind of rich espionage story fans have come to expect from le Carre . Though this production, by necessity of time, is forced to leave out much of the book on which it's based, the dramatization captures the essence of the material, and the actors expertly brings their characters to life and are supported with excellent production values.
Customer Reviews
Training a Spy
I knew when I started this book it was not considered one of Le Carre’s best but I enjoyed it quite a bit. What was different about this book was Le Carre’s focus on how a spy is trained. That the mission is ill conceived and doomed from the beginning adds pathos to the tale. Some of the writing is absolutely gorgeous.
The Looking Glass War
The characters were very hard to follow or identify with. The ending was the best part.
Joe Wallace