The Spy and the Traitor

The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

By: Ben Macintyre

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The celebrated author of Double Cross and Rogue Heroes returns with 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.

©2018 Ben Macintyre (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes

“Readers seeking a page-turning spy story, look no further. The author of A Spy Among Friends and Agent Zigzag, among others, does it again, this time delivering a Cold War espionage story for the ages… another can’t miss account of intrigue and intelligence.” —Boston Globe

“The subtitle of Macintyre’s latest real-life spy thriller calls it ‘The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War.’ Like pretty much everything in this fine book, the description is accurate… Macintyre is fastidious about tradecraft details… [he] has become the preeminent popular chronicler of British intelligence history because he understands the essence of the business.” —Washington Post

Ben Macintyre true to form

Perhaps his best, maybe second to Agent Zigzag or A Spy Among Friends, British spy historian Ben Macintyre relates a deeply-researched and fully alive griping tale of real life intrigue, espionage, and escape, while also commenting on the utility of espionage and the moral equivalencies of both sides. Although I loved Macintyre's own reading of Rogue Heroes, glad John Lee is back to lend his voice to this wonderfully engaging story. Lee's excitement and enthusiasm, and his ability to convey Macintyre sly humor, are perfect for this story. I bought both the audiobook and kindle version, unsure of where/when I'd read it, but I found Lee's voice so captivating, that I've let him read the whole thing to me. Highly recommended, better than any spy fiction out there (save maybe Le Carre, Greene, Ambler, whose suspense, thrilling pacing, and literary prose Macintyre rivals or even bests).

Russian Bond

A masterful work of nonfiction that reads like a novel. Knowing the historic outcome doesn’t diminish the heart pounding suspense.

Wow!

Had to remind myself that these things really happened and I wasn’t listening to fiction! What an amazing and brave man! Thank you Mr. Macintyre for your detailed work on his life!

What a Story

Ben Macintyre brings the Cold War and its warriors to life in this fast-paced and dramatic spy tale. Listening to the exploits of MI6’s greatest agent is just the beginning. The end of the story is as good as its origins.

A Great Read!

The true details of complicated history require two things: time so the facts can be uncovered ; and a researcher diligent enough to find them and stitch them together to reveal the story. This is an amazing trip through spy craft and one incredible story!

The ultimate spy..

Beginning near the end of the Cold War and continuing into the 1980s, Oleg Gordievsky was the ultimate spy. Working as a double agent, he was a spy for the KGB assigned to London who, in reality, worked for Great Britain. He offered his services and his information on communist Russia, not for personal gain but rather based on moral conviction and his belief in democratic freedoms. He taught Britain about the inner workings of the KGB at a critical point in history. Helping them to understand not just what the KGB was planning, but how the government thought. “That is the essence of Oleg’s contribution,” said the M-I6 analyst. “Getting inside the minds of others, getting into their logic, their rationality.”

The book follows Gordievsky's life as a double spy and explains the elaborate efforts that Britain went to protect the greatest source of information that they had ever had. Britain shared the information sparingly, on a need-to-know basis. Their refusal to disclose the name of their contact to the CIA nearly brought down the arrangement as the CIA would not tolerate not knowing the contact’s name. Ultimately, it was a double agent working for the CIA - Aldrich Ames* - and selling secrets to Russia that nearly cost Gordievsky his life. "The spy was being spied upon by his fellow spies.”

The gripping story of how Gordievsky was secreted out of Russia, code named PIMLICO, will have you on the edge of your seat. A true spy thriller full of twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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A fascinating book

I seldom found a book so well written with carefully crafted stories in breath-taking pace. This is a top 3 audio book among the 25+ audio books I have purchased on Amazon.

Got me hooked from the beginning

Great story, clear pronunciation. I enjoyed the story but I learned about the cold war and espionage as well.

Extraordinary Story, Well Told

Ben Macintyre’s The Spy and the Traitor is completely engaging . The writing is grounded in research and context . Macintyre succeeds in portraying three dimensional people making hard choices within their environments and culture .
The suspense builds with every passing minute .

The narrator on the audible version is particularly good . His calm pacing helps the listener keep track of the Russian names and, counterintuitively . serves to amplify the suspense .

This book highlights a piece of Cold War history many of us may not know , or fully understand . It tells the tale of how a few individuals made a difference against all odds .

History comes to life!

Loved it! Such a great story, about a remarkably brave man. Well-researched, full of the perspectives of a variety of people surrounding the spy, and not too personal. I did feel bad for him when he was going through all the mental turmoil in Russia, but it was never dramatic enough to make me cry. Factual. Suspenseful. Amazing. I loved it.