The Spy Story

　　As old as espionage is, it did not become a staple of popular entertainment until the twentieth century. Describing the spy story's evolution, Cawelti and Rosenburg show how the genre, changing in response to political and historical events, has become increasingly relevant to our time. They follow the spy from his earliest appearance as a clear-cut hero pitted against unmistakable evil to his more recent characterization as a confused innocent caught up in a morally ambiguous enterprise.