The plot interweaves the professional lives of both historical and fictional characters in the field of international espionage between June 1950 and August 1995.

The book was a New York Times bestseller and received wide critical acclaim.

[1] It is the basis of a 2007 miniseries starring Michael Keaton, Chris O'Donnell, and Alfred Molina.

The plot includes numerous characters based on historical persons, with varying degrees of verisimilitude.

The following is a list of the historical persons who speak or interact with other characters in the novel: In addition, William King Harvey does not appear by name, but the character "Harvey Torriti, a.k.a.