most realistic spy novel

I think 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' by John le Carré is also a great example. It presents a gritty and realistic view of the world of spying. The protagonist is a weary, disillusioned spy, and the story shows the political games, double - crosses, and the toll that the spy life takes on individuals. It doesn't glamorize spying but rather shows it as a dirty and often tragic business.

Realistic spy novels usually feature a lot of political intrigue. They are often set against a backdrop of international relations, like the Cold War in many classic spy novels. The characters have to navigate through a web of politics. There is also a sense of secrecy and paranoia. The spies are constantly looking over their shoulders, as in 'Moscow Rules'. And the use of real - world spy techniques, such as surveillance and code - breaking, makes the novels more believable.

Spy School isn't strictly realistic fiction. It takes inspiration from real-world spy elements but builds a fictional world around them with heightened drama and adventure.

Spy dramas were usually based on fictional stories, but some spy dramas used real historical events or characters as backgrounds to try to restore history more truthfully. These spy dramas were usually called "historical dramas" or "dramas", which were different from those spy dramas that were mainly for entertainment. However, it should be noted that historical dramas and dramas are different from historical documentaries. They usually don't present historical events in a completely accurate way. Therefore, if you are interested in historical events or characters, you are advised to check the official historical information to understand these events more comprehensively and accurately.

One of the great pre - WW2 spy novels is 'The Riddle of the Sands' by Erskine Childers. It was published in 1903 and is considered a classic in the spy genre. It's about two friends who stumble upon a German plot while on a sailing holiday in the North Sea. Another is 'The Thirty - Nine Steps' by John Buchan. Published in 1915, it features an ordinary man, Richard Hannay, who gets caught up in a web of espionage and must outwit his enemies.