Our Man in Havana

Set in Havana on the eve of the communist revolution, 'Our Man in Havana' follows James Wormold, an English expatriate who sells vacuum cleaners.

Desperate for money to support his teenage daughter Milly's extravagant lifestyle, Wormold is recruited by the British Secret Service.

Lacking any real intelligence, he fabricates reports using newspaper articles and a country club directory, creating an elaborate deception.

However, his fictions start to take on a life of their own, leading to real-world consequences, including the targeting of innocent people.

The novel is a satire on the absurdities of espionage and the problems caused by the fabrication of intelligence.

It blends humor with a tragic undertone, reflecting Greene's critique of intelligence services based on his own experiences.