John le Carre has earned worldwide acclaim with extraordinary spy novels, including "The Russia House," an unequivocal classic. Navigating readers through the shadow worlds of international espionage with critical knowledge culled from his years in British Intelligence, le Carre tracks the dark and devastating trail of a document that could profoundly alter the course of world events.In Moscow, a sheaf of military secrets changes hands. If it arrives at its destination, and if its import is understood, the consequences could be cataclysmic. Along the way it has an explosive impact on the lives of three people: a Soviet physicist burdened with secrets; a beautiful young Russian woman to whom the papers are entrusted; and Barley Blair, a bewildered English publisher pressed into service by British Intelligence to ferret out the document's source. A magnificent story of love, betrayal, and courage, "The Russia House" catches history in the act. For as the Iron Curtain begins to rust and crumble, Blair is left to sound a battle cry that may fall on deaf ears.

约翰•勒卡雷，原名大卫•康威尔（David Cornwell）。1931年生于英国。18岁便被英国军方情报单位招募，担任对东柏林的间谍工作；退役后在牛津大学攻读现代语言，之后于伊顿公学教授法文与德文。1959年进入英国外交部，同时开始写作。1963年以第三本著作《柏林谍影》一举成名，知名小说家格林如此盛赞：“这是我读过的最好的间谍小说！”从此奠定文坛大师地位。迄今共著书22部，有3部入选美国推理作家协会“十佳间谍小说”，4部入选“百佳犯罪推理小说”，获奖无数，是这个领域当之无愧的王者。

勒卡雷是塑造人物的大师，笔下的特工主角乔治•史迈利已成为英国文学史上与福尔摩斯相媲美的经典形象。此外，因其作品具备深沉的道德关怀、生动的人性刻画和高超的艺术手法，而被评论界称为“在世最好的英语小说家之一”。

勒卡雷既是“冷战时代的小说家”，也是当代一流的国际观察家，富有想像力的社会历史学者。曾是阿拉法特的座上宾，小布什的批评者，至今仍以他清醒的洞见对当今世界发挥着影响力。