The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Author: Ben Macintyre
This is not the author’s first time writing a thrilling true-life spy book – and once again he delivers a phenomenal story full of intrigue, insight, spycraft the all-important details.
Set against the backdrop of the cold war, the story revolves around KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky. Born into a KGB family where his father and brother both loyally served the state, he joined the bureaucracy and began diligently working to build a career. Like the lyrics to Eminem song Guilty Conscience, “he has a sudden change of heart, and suddenly his conscience comes into play” when he witnesses the Soviet Union put down the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia.
He had an ideological break with the Soviet Union, and left himself open for recruitment by the west. MI6 took the opportunity and over a long period of time cultivated him as a double-agent.
Gordievsky was eventually posted to the Londen rezidentura (KGB office within the consulate) where he delivered some of the most impactful and high-level intelligence of the Cold War.
If you like spy stories, this book is a must read. Also check out author Ben Macintyre’s other excellent work about a British officer who spied for the Soviets: A Spy Among Friends.