"An explosive story of friendship and sacrifice in the depths of the Cold War era. Connoisseurs of the literary spy thriller rank Robert Littell with John le Carre, Graham Greene, and Alan Furst in the first tier of the genre's pantheon. Set against the backdrop of the 1968 Russian invasion of Prague, The October Circle is one of Littell's most riveting early works. Seven of Bulgaria's cultural elite -- close friends and all true communists -- find their beliefs shattered by the roar of Russian tanks thundering toward the defenseless Czechoslovakian capital. Driven by conscience, the group -- 'The October Circle' -- join forces with an American drifter to stage an extremely dangerous protest that will set off a wave of repression and threatens to repay their heroism with death"--P. [4] of cover.