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

Author:
Ben Macintyre
Read by:
John Lee
Read Read Own Own

Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
113
Narrator
31
Release Date
September 18, 2018
Duration
13 hours 21 minutes
Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the celebrated author of Operation Mincement and The Siege comes the 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 has crafted an electrifying account of an international hero. Like the greatest novels of John le Carré, The Spy and the Traitor 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.
Reviews
Profile Avatar Zahid F. Sep 2022

This was brilliantly written and perfectly narrated . A truly gripping non fiction book which people should read if they want to know what’s really going on in the world . I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar isn’t going on now in the midst of the Ukraine war.

Profile Avatar Jonathan E. May 2026

Supervly researched obviously.. Very expertly read aloud by Mr Lee.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Mar 2026

Too many names of European characters. It made it difficult to follow the flow of personnel.

Profile Avatar Adam H. Apr 2024

Very detailed. Exciting true story of espionage and escape

Profile Avatar Anonymous Feb 2024

Fascinating!

Profile Avatar Russ S. Feb 2024

Well researched. Well written. Compelling content. Well narrated. Loved it.

Profile Avatar Dan M. Aug 2023

Hard to “put down” once started.

Profile Avatar Suzanne N. Apr 2023

well done! recommending this story to everyone I know

Profile Avatar Jose S. Apr 2021

The story was great. I wasn’t aware that this happened and we (Americans) were getting information from our allies from this high level source. It was a great listen

Profile Avatar Sandra C. Mar 2019

Intriguing and informative. Loved it.

Profile Avatar Maynard B. Jan 2019

Excellent on all counts.

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

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

Author: Ben Macintyre
Read by: John Lee
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