The Looking Glass War is a spy novel by John le Carré, published in 1965. The spy fiction genre (sometimes called political thriller) first arose just before the First World War, at about the same time, the first organized intelligence agencies were being formed. ... John le Carré is the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born October 19, 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

The story concerns a British Intelligence agency known as 'The Department' and its attempts to infiltrate an agent into East Germany.

Le Carré's most famous character George Smiley does appear in the book but only in a supporting role. John le Carré has stated that this novel is his most realistic portrayal of the intelligence world as he knew it and that this was one reason for its relative lack of success. George Smiley is a fictional character created by John Le Carré. Smiley is an agent working for MI6, the British overseas intelligence agency. ...

'The Department', had much success running agents against the Nazis during the Second World War but has been resting on its laurels since. It seems to expend most of its energies on a bureaucratic turf war with the more professional "Circus".

After evidence comes The Department's way that Soviet Missiles are being emplaced near the West German border, the head of the Department, LeClerc decides to send an agent over the border to discover the truth. The Department reactivates one of their agents, a naturalised Pole known as Fred Leiser. Fred is retrained and infiltrated over the border into East Germany.

The novel was filmed in 1969, starring Christopher Jones as Leiser, Ralph Richardson as LeClerc and Anthony Hopkins as Avery. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 - 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ... Hopkins in The Worlds Fastest Indian Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs Sir Anthony Hopkins (IPA: ) CBE (born December 31, 1937) is a Welsh-born actor who was born Philip Anthony Hopkins in Margam, near Port Talbot, Wales. ...

External links

• The Looking Glass War at The Internet Movie Database