"From his years serving in British Intelligence during the Cold War to a career as a writer that took him from war-torn Cambodia to Beirut on the cusp of the 1982 Israeli invasion to Russia before and after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, John Le Carré has always written from the heart of modern times. In this, his highly anticipated memoir, Le Carré is as funny as he is incisive, reading into the events he witnesses the same moral ambiguity with which he imbues his novels."-- Dust jacket.

Don't be beastly to your Secret Service --Dr Globke's laws -- Official visit -- Fingers on the trigger -- To whomsoever it may concern -- Wheels of British justice -- Ivan Serov's defection -- A legacy -- The innocence of Murat Kurnaz -- Going out into the field -- Bumping into Jerry Westerby -- Lonely in Vientiane -- Theatre of the Real : dances with Arafat -- Theatre of the Real : the Villa Brigitte -- Theatre of the Real : a question of guilt -- Theatre of the Real : terms of endearment -- The Soviet knight is dying inside his armour -- The Wild East : Moscow 1993 -- Blood and treasure -- The biggest bears in the garden -- Among the Ingush -- Joseph Brodsky's prize -- The wrong horse's mouth -- His brother's keeper -- Quel Panama! -- Under deep cover -- Hunting for warlords -- Richard Burton needs me -- Alec Guinness -- Lost masterpieces -- Bernard Pivot's necktie -- Lunching with prisoners -- Son of the author's father -- To Reggie with thanks -- The most wanted man -- Stephen Spender's credit card -- Advice to an aspiring novelist -- The last official secret.