Our Man Down in Havana

"A lively and informative work. Hull wraps his literary, cinematic, and political history in a pocket-biography of Greene, tailored to set the author’s espionage story in context."

"A focused and entertaining account of the making of Greene’s novel of espionage, Our Man in Havana. Hull’s book is a delicious companion to the tale Greene confected from the incompetence of spooks and an island in turmoil."

"Hull minutely examines the plot, characters, context, creation, reception, filming, and afterlife of Greene's 1958 satirical novel, Our Man in Havana. Drawing on Greene's published and unpublished writings; studies and biographies of Greene; abundant archival material; and his own 17 visits to Cuba, Hull sets Greene's life amid Cuba's tumultuous history. A biography notable for its deep research."

"Hull tells a marvelous story. His research is, frankly, humbling: he has found many documents that no one has read before and many witnesses who have never been interviewed. The book is vivid and accurate in ways that most other works on Greene simply aren’t."

"Often insightful and always meticulous book. Those who relish every detail of Greene’s life will find Hull’s book rewarding. A stalwart and original contribution to Greeneology."

"Anybody interested in either Greene or Cuba will find this a splendid read, with a trainspotterly level of detail. The best thing about Hull’s book, however, is also the best thing about Greene’s novel: the resurrection of Batista’s Havana in all its delicious loucheness and horrific violence."

"Cuba meant a great deal to Greene. Hull’s Our Man Down in Havana conjures the Cuban capital in all its tatterdemalion glory and Afro-Caribbean collision of skin colors and cultures."

"A completely fascinating book, immaculately researched, full of insight and telling detail. A revelation and a delight."

"Meticulously researched, impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented."

"Richly detailed and packed with insight not just into the historical context of the novel and film, but also into the creative process itself."

"It is the kind of obsessive book I like best—a full-body immersion into Greeneland."

"‘Spying is eternal,’ opines George Smiley in one of John Le Carré’s thrillers. Fiction or not, he is right. While technical intelligence in today’s digital world floods agencies with too much intelligence, the need for ‘humint’—spies—remains as strong as ever. In the dirty, corrupt world of exploiting other human beings: traitors; idealists; or just plain greedy; reality offers a darker picture. Christopher Hull’s Our Man Down in Havana dissects Graham Greene’s classic satire on spies with forensic skill, exposing the rotten heart of the CIA's ‘wilderness of mirrors.' An excellent book for intelligence professionals and the general reader alike. Read it and ponder—sometimes fact is stranger than fiction."

"Our Man Down in Havana conjures the Cuban capital in all its pre-Castro glory."

"The data for this book was compiled from an extensive range of archival investigation and a thorough analysis of Greene’s biography and other works. Christopher Hull’s book can productively appeal to researchers and students working on Graham Greene’s life and works as well as to those studying British policies in Cuba."