The Looking Glass War
The Looking Glass War by John Le Carré is a Cold War thriller published by Penguin in 2011. This edition, comprising 288 pages, presents a narrative centered on the Department, which, having faded since the war, seeks to regain its political relevance amidst the tensions of the Cold War. When rumors of a missile base near the West German border arise, the Department seizes the opportunity to send deactivated agent Fred Leiser back into East Germany, where he faces the complexities of espionage and the looming threat of nuclear conflict.
Readers will find a story rich in themes of double-crosses and audacious bluffs, as Leiser’s mission intertwines with the Department’s desperate attempts to assert itself in the intelligence arena. The novel explores the psychological and moral dilemmas faced by its characters, set against the backdrop of espionage and suspense. As the narrative unfolds, the stakes rise, revealing the intricate dynamics of power and fear during a pivotal moment in history.
Official synopsis Publisher
A Cold War thriller from the master of spy fiction, John le Carré’s The Looking Glass War is a gripping novel of double-crosses, audacious bluffs and the ever-present threat of nuclear war, published in Penguin Modern Classics.
When the Department – faded since the war and busy only with bureaucratic battles – hears rumour of a missile base near the West German border, it seems like the perfect opportunity to regain some political standing in the Intelligence market place. The Cold War is at its height and the Department is dying for a piece of the action.
Swiftly becoming carried away by fear and pride, the Department and her officers send deactivated agent Fred Leiser back into East Germany, armed only with some schoolboy training and his memories of the war. In the land of eloquent silence that is Communist East Germany, Leiser’s fate becomes inseparable from the Department’s.
If you enjoyed The Looking Glass War, you might like le Carré’s The Secret Pilgrim, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.
‘A devastating and tragic record of human, not glamour, spies’
New York Herald Tribune
‘A book of rare and great power’
Financial Times
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