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Title details for The Looking Glass War by John le Carré - Available

The Looking Glass War

#4 in series

by John le Carré
Full Cast
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
George Smiley is one of the most brilliantly realised characters in British fiction. Bespectacled, tubby, eternally middle-aged and deceptively ordinary, he has a mind like a steel trap and is said to possess 'the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin'. When word reaches 'The Department' - an ailing section of British intelligence - that Soviet missiles are being installed close to the West German border, it seems the perfect opportunity to show Control and Smiley, their rivals over at the Circus, that The Department still has value. Former spy Fred Leiser is lured back from retirement to investigate, and manages to cross the border into East Germany in a dangerous night-time operation. But the world has changed since The Department's glory days during the Second World War. The harsh realities of the Cold War now prevail, and there is no place for heroes... Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a distinguished cast including Ian McDiarmid and Philip Jackson, this compelling dramatisation perfectly captures the atmosphere of le Carré's chilling novel of deception and betrayal.

  • Creators

  • Series

    George Smiley

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    October 1, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781408439890
      • File size: 54851 KB
      • Duration: 01:54:16

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      A top-secret British operation is underway to uncover facts regarding Soviet missiles in Germany. The government lures a German-speaking Pole turned Englishman, Fred Leiser, back from retirement to reverse potential international upheaval. Michael Jayston accompanies the listener on a fascinating insider's tour of an international spy network and introduces the dedicated and complicated cast of characters who risk all to carry out their missions. Jayston exposes the unabashed greed of the government's motives as its members manipulate the rusty Leiser. The mission through Germany is elaborate and demanding, and Jayston's description of Leiser's dire predicament never loses momentum. The listener will experience an intelligent and powerful performance by a master! B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      If you want to know why le Carré's Cold War spy novels have become classics, all you need do is listen to this superb audio dramatization from the BBC. The stodgy British espionage agency, "the Department," nearly dormant and jealous of the more modern and dynamic "Circus," attempts to revive its stature by sending an operative into East Germany to investigate rumors of an arms build-up. The bumbling, craven motives of the Department/Circus rivalry crash heavily on the back of the idealistic Polish-born operative, stranding him behind the Iron Curtain. The adaptation and performances are resonant and exciting. This kind of stimulating adult mind-fodder is all too rare in contemporary audio drama. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 31, 2010
      Le Carré'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 Carré. 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.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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