John le Carr and the Cold War

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Description

John le Carr and the Cold War explores the historical contexts and political implications of le Carrs major Cold-War novels. The first in-depth study of le Carr this century, this book analyses his work in light of key topics in 20th-century history, including containment of Communism, decolonization, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban missile crisis, the Cambridge spy-ring, the Vietnam War, the 70s oil crisis and Thatcherism. Examining The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), Smileys People (1979) and other novels, this book offers an illuminating picture of Cold-War Britain, while situating le Carrs work alongside that of George Orwell, Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. Providing a valuable contribution to contemporary understandings of both British spy fiction and post-war fiction, Toby Manning challenges the critical consensus to reveal a considerably less radical writer than is conventionally presented.

Reviews

An analysis inspired by venerated figures of 20th-century Marxist literary criticism. This reappraisal of the popular novelists oeuvre incorporates a fans enthusiasm with the literary scholars eye for ideological complexity. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *
John le Carre and the Cold War is highly informative and loaded with historical context. * Times Literary Supplement *
Mannings study proves to be an important contribution to le Carr scholarship and to criticism of espionage ction as a whole. Its signicance lies also in laying the foundations for future research. * Literature & History *
An important contribution to work on spy fiction and its contexts. * Rosie White, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature, Theory and Popular Culture, Northumbria University, UK *
Confidently in command of his materials, Toby Manning has produced a carefully compiled dossier on the historical and political valence of Le Carres central fiction. His finely nuanced interpretations radiate with an authority indicative of a keen grasp of the literary imagination and a judicious depth of learning. * Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, USA *

Author Bio

Toby Manning has taught at Queen Mary University, Brunel University and the University of Birmingham, UK. A former journalist, he is also the author of The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (2006).