History Literature / TheLookingGlassWar

** The only winner in the end is [[spoiler:The Circus, who uses Mayfly's failure to win their InterServiceRivalry with The Department once and for all]]. The broader British intelligence loses itself a skilled agent and has nothing to show for it other than a diplomatic embarrassment.

** There's no evidence that [[spoiler:Taylor's "murder" was anything more than a simple road accident]]

** There's no evidence that [[spoiler:Taylor's "murder" was a simple road accident]]

** Leiser's infiltration costs a young East German border guard his life, and culminates in a BolivianArmyEnding while gathering no intelligence.

* TheUnreveal: [[spoiler: The book never reveals whether Taylor's death was murder or accidental. For that matter, it's strongly implies that the Kalkstadt missile site is a hoax, but the details are never made clear]].

* {{Touche}}: [[Spoiler:Leclerc and Haldane both have variants of this when they realise that Mayfly's doomed and the Circus has been aware of what they're doing. Leclerc is the GracefulLoser, "impressed by the neatness of it". Haldane acknowledges it as well, but with rather more bitterness]].

* {{Touche}}: [[Spoiler:Leclerc and Haldane both have variants of this when they realise that Mayfly's doomed and the Circus has been aware of what they're doing. Leclerc is the GracefulLoser, "impressed by the neatness of it". Haldane acknowledges it with rather more bitterness.

It was adapted into a 1970 film, featuring Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Avery and Creator/RalphRichardson as [=LeClerc=].

It was adapted into a 1970 film, featuring Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Avery and Creator/RalphRichardson as LeClerc.

It was later adapted into a film, featuring Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Avery.

!!''The Looking Glass War'' contains the following tropes:

The novel is Le Carré's second attempt at "Do Not Do This Cool Thing" and is even more cynical than Literature/TheSpyWhoCameInFromTheCold, but this time with a satirical edge.

Although the focus of the book is on the Department, it shares its setting with the earlier novels about the Circus - George Smiley makes a brief appearance and several other pre-existing characters are mentioned.

* ContinuityNod: An early reference of the Circus mentions Smiley, Leamas and Guillam by name, establishing the book's shared setting. Smiley later makes an appearance, the other two are merely there for context.

* ContinuityNod: An early mention of the Circus mentions Smiley, Leamas and Guillam by name, establishing the book's shared setting. Smiley later makes an appearance, the other two are merely there for context.

The novel is Le Carré's second attempt at "Do Not Do This Cool Thing" and is even more cynical than Literature/TheSpyWhoCameInFromTheCold.

Leclerc, the Department's Director, describes John Avery as the brightest of their new stars. And so it's Avery who's given a key role in dealing with the death and handling the rest of the operation.

* CoverIdentityAnomaly: Avery, travelling under his own name, claims to be half-brother to the late Mr Malherbe, Wilf Taylor's cover. It's not until he's quizzed by the Finnish police that he realises he hasn't seen the fake passport details and doesn't know his supposed brother's age or date of birth.

The Department, a slowly declining British intelligence service that exists in an uneasy rivalry with the Circus, obtains evidence of secret military activity in East Germany.

The Department's initial attempt to investigate leaves one of their agents dead.

John Avery is described by Leclerc, the Department's Director, as the brightest of their new stars. And so it's John Avery who's given a key role in dealing with the death and handling the rest of the operation.

It was later adapted into a film, featuring Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Avery.

[[redirect:Creator/JohnLeCarre]]