The Looking Glass War
by:
John le Carré (author)
John le Carré's classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage with unsurpassed skill and knowledge, and have earned him unprecedented worldwide acclaim. THE LOOKING GLASS WAR Once upon a time the distinction had been clear: the Circus...
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John le Carré's classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage with unsurpassed skill and knowledge, and have earned him unprecedented worldwide acclaim. THE LOOKING GLASS WAR Once upon a time the distinction had been clear: the Circus handled all things political while the Department dealt with matters military. But over the years, power shifted and the Circus elbowed the Department out. Now, suddenly, the Department has a job on its hands. Evidence suggests Soviet missiles are being positioned close to the German border. Vital film is missing and a courier is dead. Lacking active agents, but possessed of an outdated mandate to proceed, the Department has to find an old hand to prove its mettle. Fred Leiser, German-speaking Pole turned Englishman -- once a qualified radio operator, now involved in the motor trade -- must be called back to the colors and sent East....
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9780743431705 (0743431707)
Publish date: February 26th 2002
Publisher: Scribner
Pages no: 288
Edition language: English
Series: George Smiley (#4)
I enjoyed this book but it did confirm my opinion that le Carre is an overrated writer. I pretty much new how the book was going to turn out from almost the beginning. Le Carre, at least in the novels that I have read, perhaps it is different with his later stuff, becomes predictable once you are ...
Another excellent production by the BBC of a John le Carre Smiley novel. The question is, of course, who is the enemy? The other country or something else? Well acted audio production. Well worth a listen.
While the rebuke of bureaucratic squabbling and in-fighting is especially timely in today's world, the spy part of the novel suffers a bit. Yes, it was good to see an example of spies failing - not in a funny way but in a deadly way - but the book is probably 60 pages too long. Had it run the leng...
Tale of the Cold War and inter-agency rivalry. Started great but the middle bogged down a bit. Always a treat to listen to Frank Muller narrate.