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).

An analysis inspired by venerated figures of 20th-century Marxist literary criticism. This reappraisal of the popular novelist’s oeuvre incorporates a fan’s enthusiasm with the literary scholar’s eye for ideological complexity. Summing Up: Recommended.

• DedicationAcknowledgementsIntroduction: ‘A Nation’s Political Health’The enemyThe stateThe nationCold-War consensus to critical consensusChapter 1. 'Murderers and Spies': The Communist Threat and Call for the Dead ‘Mass philosophy’: The Cold-War enemy 'A symbol of nothing at all': The British state ‘Deep love of England’: Imagining the nation‘Who was then the gentleman?’: Nation, state and enemy Chapter 2. ‘Breeze Blocks and Barbed Wire’: The Berlin Wall and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'Party Terms': The communist enemy ‘Not quite a gentleman’: Leamas and the classless British nation'We are defensive': English empiricism, ideology and the British stateChapter 3. ‘Looking at His Own Reflection’: The Establishment and The Looking Glass War'A sort of Cuba situation': Reflections of the enemy'Government hirings': The Department, the Circus and the British state‘The mystery of England’: The nation and class Chapter 4. ‘Holding the World Together’: The Cambridge Spies and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy‘The imminent collapse of the nation’: England and the establishment ‘Russians taken over the government’: The infiltrated British state‘Fanaticism’ and ‘mindless treason’: Enemy characterization ‘Haydon’s crooked deathmask’: State, nation and enemy Chapter 5. ‘All One Vanishing World’: The Honourable Schoolboy, Colonialism and Communism‘Her colonial grip’: Britain, the Empire and the special relationship‘A spreading plague’: Communism and Southeast AsiaChapter 6. 'Only People': Humanism, Populism, the Second Cold War and Smiley’s People'Deniable blessing': Smiley and the British state'British to the core': Smiley's tour of the nation'The danger is absolute”: Karla and communism 'Half-angels' and 'half-devils': Smiley, Karla and the Cold WarConclusion: ‘Man, Not the Mass’The enemyThe stateThe nationAppendix I: Plot SynopsesBibliographyIndex

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).

An analysis inspired by venerated figures of 20th-century Marxist literary criticism. This reappraisal of the popular novelist’s oeuvre incorporates a fan’s enthusiasm with the literary scholar’s eye for ideological complexity. Summing Up: Recommended.

• DedicationAcknowledgementsIntroduction: ‘A Nation’s Political Health’The enemyThe stateThe nationCold-War consensus to critical consensusChapter 1. 'Murderers and Spies': The Communist Threat and Call for the Dead ‘Mass philosophy’: The Cold-War enemy 'A symbol of nothing at all': The British state ‘Deep love of England’: Imagining the nation‘Who was then the gentleman?’: Nation, state and enemy Chapter 2. ‘Breeze Blocks and Barbed Wire’: The Berlin Wall and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'Party Terms': The communist enemy ‘Not quite a gentleman’: Leamas and the classless British nation'We are defensive': English empiricism, ideology and the British stateChapter 3. ‘Looking at His Own Reflection’: The Establishment and The Looking Glass War'A sort of Cuba situation': Reflections of the enemy'Government hirings': The Department, the Circus and the British state‘The mystery of England’: The nation and class Chapter 4. ‘Holding the World Together’: The Cambridge Spies and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy‘The imminent collapse of the nation’: England and the establishment ‘Russians taken over the government’: The infiltrated British state‘Fanaticism’ and ‘mindless treason’: Enemy characterization ‘Haydon’s crooked deathmask’: State, nation and enemy Chapter 5. ‘All One Vanishing World’: The Honourable Schoolboy, Colonialism and Communism‘Her colonial grip’: Britain, the Empire and the special relationship‘A spreading plague’: Communism and Southeast AsiaChapter 6. 'Only People': Humanism, Populism, the Second Cold War and Smiley’s People'Deniable blessing': Smiley and the British state'British to the core': Smiley's tour of the nation'The danger is absolute”: Karla and communism 'Half-angels' and 'half-devils': Smiley, Karla and the Cold WarConclusion: ‘Man, Not the Mass’The enemyThe stateThe nationAppendix I: Plot SynopsesBibliographyIndex

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).

An analysis inspired by venerated figures of 20th-century Marxist literary criticism. This reappraisal of the popular novelist’s oeuvre incorporates a fan’s enthusiasm with the literary scholar’s eye for ideological complexity. Summing Up: Recommended.

• DedicationAcknowledgementsIntroduction: ‘A Nation’s Political Health’The enemyThe stateThe nationCold-War consensus to critical consensusChapter 1. 'Murderers and Spies': The Communist Threat and Call for the Dead ‘Mass philosophy’: The Cold-War enemy 'A symbol of nothing at all': The British state ‘Deep love of England’: Imagining the nation‘Who was then the gentleman?’: Nation, state and enemy Chapter 2. ‘Breeze Blocks and Barbed Wire’: The Berlin Wall and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'Party Terms': The communist enemy ‘Not quite a gentleman’: Leamas and the classless British nation'We are defensive': English empiricism, ideology and the British stateChapter 3. ‘Looking at His Own Reflection’: The Establishment and The Looking Glass War'A sort of Cuba situation': Reflections of the enemy'Government hirings': The Department, the Circus and the British state‘The mystery of England’: The nation and class Chapter 4. ‘Holding the World Together’: The Cambridge Spies and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy‘The imminent collapse of the nation’: England and the establishment ‘Russians taken over the government’: The infiltrated British state‘Fanaticism’ and ‘mindless treason’: Enemy characterization ‘Haydon’s crooked deathmask’: State, nation and enemy Chapter 5. ‘All One Vanishing World’: The Honourable Schoolboy, Colonialism and Communism‘Her colonial grip’: Britain, the Empire and the special relationship‘A spreading plague’: Communism and Southeast AsiaChapter 6. 'Only People': Humanism, Populism, the Second Cold War and Smiley’s People'Deniable blessing': Smiley and the British state'British to the core': Smiley's tour of the nation'The danger is absolute”: Karla and communism 'Half-angels' and 'half-devils': Smiley, Karla and the Cold WarConclusion: ‘Man, Not the Mass’The enemyThe stateThe nationAppendix I: Plot SynopsesBibliographyIndex