The Billion Dollar Spy

A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal

De: David E. Hoffman

Narrado por: Dan Woren

From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history The Dead Hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the Soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the CIA’s Moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the Cold War

While driving out of the American embassy in Moscow on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station heard a knock on his car window. A man on the curb handed him an envelope whose contents stunned U.S. intelligence: details of top-secret Soviet research and developments in military technology that were totally unknown to the United States. In the years that followed, the man, Adolf Tolkachev, an engineer in a Soviet military design bureau, used his high-level access to hand over tens of thousands of pages of technical secrets. His revelations allowed America to reshape its weapons systems to defeat Soviet radar on the ground and in the air, giving the United States near total superiority in the skies over Europe.
One of the most valuable spies to work for the United States in the four decades of global confrontation with the Soviet Union, Tolkachev took enormous personal risks—but so did the Americans. The CIA had long struggled to recruit and run agents in Moscow, and Tolkachev was a singular breakthrough. Using spy cameras and secret codes as well as face-to-face meetings in parks and on street corners, Tolkachev and his handlers succeeded for years in eluding the feared KGB in its own backyard, until the day came when a shocking betrayal put them all at risk.
Drawing on previously secret documents obtained from the CIA and on interviews with participants, David Hoffman has created an unprecedented and poignant portrait of Tolkachev, a man motivated by the depredations of the Soviet state to master the craft of spying against his own country. Stirring, unpredictable, and at times unbearably tense, The Billion Dollar Spy is a brilliant feat of reporting that unfolds like an espionage thriller.

Great book, horrible Russian accent

The book itself was really interesting and the narrator did a great job. The two star score is aimed at the producer, the director or whoever is responsible for the idea of reading all the comments from Russian people in a silly Russian accent.

Awesome

Telling the story of the CIA's best agent on the height of cold war and how it changes the american strategic defense planners.

Fascinating spy stories

Enjoyed the various insights about the spies mentioned, and Tolkachev parts were really interesting. Better book than I expected.

Very interesting true story

Very much enjoyed listening to this book. Loaded with lots of interesting detail and intrigue (literally). Very much recommend it.

Eye opening and fantastic

I loved this.
Memorable moments are the spy tech.
Didn't struggle to finish at all. Enthralled the entire time. No dull moments.
Narrator, as always with Dan Woren, was incredible, great inflections, and should voice for the major TV stations.

Outstanding!

Fantastic story, fantastic writing and kept the reader involved. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Cold War or espionage.

liked it a lot!

informational and revealing of child war espionage wars and all that goes along with it

Fascinating

Having just finished the beautifully written Gentleman in Moscow I was at first struck by the dry prose of this book. Soon thereafter I was hooked by the narrative of this incredible non fiction story. I am glad I read it.

Informative and entertaining

Not a story in the traditional sense. More of a post facto reporting of events. I really enjoyed learning a piece of history I knew very little about.

An amazing story

If you could sum up The Billion Dollar Spy in three words, what would they be?

Greatest Spy ever

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adolph Tokachev- he was indeed a soviet spy who saved the US billions and made our war planes more effective.

Which character – as performed by Dan Woren – was your favorite?

none

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was amazed at the amount and value of the information the spy gave the US.

Any additional comments?

The first and last thirds of the book were fast paced and very interesting. The middle third had a bit too much detail about the meetings with the spy.