Great listen.

The audible equivalent of a book you can’t put down.
Gripping story. Well researched. The first book for a long time that I couldn’t wait to continue. Narrator does a great job with the Russian pronunciation as well. Simply enjoyable whilst informative.

8 people found this helpful

Leave a beer capsule under the bench in the park

This book is as good as it gets when it comes to spy stories. It starts out strong – diving straight into the story – and then it just keeps going. I can be a drifter, but it was impossible to drift away while reading this book. It keeps the reader engaged at all times.

The protagonist is Oleg Gordievsky. A real person! Indeed, an actual former KGB spy who defected and joined MI6, becoming one of the most important spies in the cold war. If you like the show “The Americans” then you are almost guaranteed to enjoy this book as well. I particularly appreciated the descriptions of how spies communicate with one another. It can go something like this: If spy X leaves an orange peel under the right side of a bench in the southwest corner of some park, then that means that someone is onto him. But if instead, he leaves a blue chalk mark on a light pole on street Y in SOHO, that means that he wants to meet.

The descriptions of spy communication are both fascinating and humorous. Indeed, as one would expect it can sometimes become confusing such as when one spy was supposed to drop a beer capsule instead dropped a ginger beer capsule. After a lengthy discussion it was decided that the spy probably did not distinguish between ginger beer and real beer.

Nevertheless, there is a lot more to this book. You get insight into the political atmosphere in the 1980s, You will encounter politicians as well as spies. Yet, first and foremost, you get a top-notch cat and mouse spy chase. And the best thing is that the story is, as far as I can tell, entirely factual. The author makes it clear when he is speculating, which I appreciate. If you are at all into these types of books, then you can’t go wrong with this book

6 people found this helpful

Exciting and brilliant.

Excellent well written, capturing a story so important to recent modern history. How brave all the characters are, irrespective of where they stand politically. The fear and limited choices were well described and real. How fortunate to be born and raised in the west.

2 people found this helpful

Cracking story

Fascinating and fantastical spy story made all the more gripping for being true! Made being stuck in motorway traffic a pleasure!

1 person found this helpful

The penultimate spy story!

This is by far the most thrilling tale of espionsge and treachery probably written! It’s almost incredulous in it’s absurd twists and turns. A true documentary masterpiece!

Russian James Bond

I really enjoyed this account of a part of the Cold War I’d never heard before. It was well written, very captivating & very well narrated.

Brave man, who gave a lot, but lost out on family

Shows the influence , one man can have on East/West relations.
A more recent, well placed individual, could have had a positive effect on the current Ukrainian situation.

Classic

I have listened to this in it’s entirety three times. A brilliant Cold War espionage tale, brilliantly researched and never stops you being enthralled. If it was fiction, you simply wouldn’t believe it. As for the narration, the author Ben Macintyre knocks this one out of the park. I could listen to him reading the phone book ! Highly recommend !!!!

Probably the most interesting book I ever read

Superbly narrated, exciting story full of details about the KGB and MI6, must read! A+

Great book!

The thread of the story is easy to follow and the book is well structured. It doesn't get bogged down in useless minutiae, the level of detail is just right.