Alec Leamas

Alec Leamas is a career British agent. Except for a short period following World War II, Leamas' professional life is tied to the British intelligence community. Much of Leamas' work is in Germany creating spy networks in Communist East Berlin. Leamas does not have a very clear personal philosophy other than the conviction that his work is important and that it demands the sacrifice of individuals in the overall goal of fighting against the Communists.

After Leamas returns from West Berlin to report the death of his last agent in East Berlin, he is recruited for a secret mission in which he pretends to fall out with the British intelligence community. This plan is designed to gain the attention of the Communist agents and make them think that Leamas is open to changing sides and to giving them all the information he has about the British intelligence...