The Department has faded since the war, effectively mothballed, without agents or resources. But now, with intelligence of a possible missile threat, it again has a mission. This is a chance to prove its influence to those at the Circus, like George Smiley, who think the Department's time has passed. The opportunity to reclaim former glory cannot be missed - even though it means putting men's lives at desperate risk on foreign soil. THE LOOKING GLASS WAR ia a gripping story of the amorality of espionage -- unflinching in its depiction of the men involved, who are as much full of vanity and fear as of selflessness and courage.

約翰•勒卡雷John Le Carre

原名大衛•康威爾，1931年生於英國。18歲時，便被英國軍方情報單位招募，擔任對東柏林的間諜工作；退役後在牛津大學攻讀現代語言，之後於伊頓公學教授法文與德文。1959年，進入英國外交部工作，先後於英國駐波昂及漢堡的大使館服務，同時開始寫作。1963年，以第三本著作《冷戰諜魂》（The Spy who came in from the cold）一舉成名，被知名小說傢葛林盛讚說︰「這是我讀過最好的間諜小說！」從此奠定其文壇大師地位。勒卡雷一生得獎無數，包括1965年美國推理作傢協會的愛倫坡大獎、1964年獲得、英國毛姆獎、James Tait Black紀念獎等，1988年更獲頒CWA終身成就獎（另外分別在1963與1977年獲頒金匕首獎），以及義大利Malaparte Prize等等。至今已齣版的19部作品，不僅受到全球各大媒體的矚目與讀者的歡迎，更因充滿戲劇元素與張力，已有11部被改編為電影與電視劇。