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The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Name: The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Rating: 5 (15 reviews)
Author: Ben Macintyre
ISBN: 9781101904213

Ben Macintyre · 2018 · 384 pages

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The celebrated author of Double Cross and Rogue Heroes returns with his greatest spy story yet, a thrilling Americans-era tale of Oleg Gordievsky, the Russian whose secret work helped hasten the end of the Cold War.

“The best true spy story I have ever read.”—JOHN LE CARRÉ

Named a Best Book of the Year by The Economist • Shortlisted for the Bailie Giffords Prize in Nonfiction

If anyone could be considered a Russian counterpart to the infamous British double-agent Kim Philby, it was Oleg Gordievsky. The son of two KGB agents and the product of the best Soviet institutions, the savvy, sophisticated Gordievsky grew to see his nation's communism as both criminal and philistine. He took his first posting for Russian intelligence in 1968 and eventually became the Soviet Union's top man in London, but from 1973 on he was secretly working for MI6. For nearly a decade, as the Cold War reached its twilight, Gordievsky helped the West turn the tables on the KGB, exposing Russian spies and helping to foil countless intelligence plots, as the Soviet leadership grew increasingly paranoid at the United States's nuclear first-strike capabilities and brought the world closer to the brink of war. Desperate to keep the circle of trust close, MI6 never revealed Gordievsky's name to its counterparts in the CIA, which in turn grew obsessed with figuring out the identity of Britain's obviously top-level source. Their obsession ultimately doomed Gordievsky: the CIA officer assigned to identify him was none other than Aldrich Ames, the man who would become infamous for secretly spying for the Soviets.

Unfolding the delicious three-way gamesmanship between America, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and culminating in the gripping cinematic beat-by-beat of Gordievsky's nail-biting escape from Moscow in 1985, Ben Macintyre's latest may be his best yet. Like the greatest novels of John le Carré, it brings readers deep into a world of treachery and betrayal, where the lines bleed between the personal and the professional, and one man's hatred of communism had the power to change the future of nations.

recommended by 15 people

sourced from public statements

Bill Gates
“This nonfiction account focuses on Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB officer who became a double agent for the British, and Aldrich Ames, the American turncoat who likely betrayed him. Macintyre’s retelling of their stories comes not only from Western sources (including Gordievsky himself) but also from the Russian perspective. It’s every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels.”↗
Casey Neistat
“just finished this yesterday. absolutely fantastic book. super recommend if you're into spycraft and espionage. bravo @BenMacintyre1”↗
Richard Dawkins
“"“The Spy & the Traitor” by Ben Macintyre. “The best true spy story I have ever read” (John Le Carré). I’d call it the best, most thrilling thriller I’ve ever read, with the bonus that it’s – astonishingly – true. Breathtaking courage, cliff-edge suspense, even black comedy."”↗
Tommy Vietor
“@dceiver @samstein Truly excellent books. Picked up The Spy and the Traitor randomly and it was so good that i did realize it was a true story until i googled.”↗
Steve Schale
“Book 16 on year: Spy and Traitor by Ben Macintyre - an absolutely riveting story of the life of a Russian double agent. Fascinating book about the craft, but the actual story of the Russian spy is really something.”↗
Isabel Hardman
“@holland_tom @BenMacintyre1 Oh it’s a brilliant book isn’t it. Another one I was sad to finish.”↗
Zitto Kabwe
“A very very good start of the year 2023. As January ends, I read 5 books, 3 of which on Angola. I feel Angolan Expert already 🤣🤣. Very thought-provoking books written by authors with deep knowledges and grasps of subject matter. Found the month ending fast!”↗
Oli Barrett
“Brilliant book by @BenMacintyre1 (The Spy and the Traitor), the true story of Oleg Gordievsky. Recommended. (cc @JonnyGeller)”↗
Marian Keyes
Richard Osman
Fiammetta Rocco
Daniel Petre
Brian Dean
John Sipher
Samir Arora