Spy novelist John Le Carré established his reputation with 1963’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Set at the height of the Cold War, it describes washed-up British spy Alec Leamas’ attempt to infiltrate East German intelligence as a double agent. It’s a grim tale of hidden identities, uncertain alliances and spymasters prepared to sacrifice their own men in pursuit of bigger game. According to Le Carré — who worked for Britain’s MI6 in Germany while writing the book — the modern world of espionage is unpleasant, unglamourous and devoid of loyalty. Unhappy endings are inevitable.
