The Spy and the Traitor
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The Spy and the Traitor

by Ben Macintyre

Freedom & Resistance Non-Fiction History Biography 2018

Summary

In 1985, a seemingly ordinary man walks through the streets of Moscow carrying a plastic shopping bag. Hidden in plain sight, he is Oleg Gordievsky, a senior KGB officer who has secretly been working for British intelligence for more than a decade. As one of Britain’s most valuable spies inside the Soviet Union, he has passed on critical information about Soviet intelligence operations, helping the West understand the Kremlin’s intentions during the final years of the Cold War.

But Gordievsky’s double life becomes increasingly dangerous. While MI6 struggles to protect its most important source, the CIA grows suspicious and launches its own investigation to identify the mysterious British informant. Unknown to Gordievsky, the hunt for him leads to Aldrich Ames, a CIA officer secretly betraying American intelligence to the Soviets. When Gordievsky is recalled to Moscow, he faces interrogation, surveillance, and the possibility of execution. His only hope lies in an extraordinary escape plan that must unfold under the watchful eyes of the KGB.

Drawing on extensive research and previously undisclosed details, Ben Macintyre reconstructs one of the Cold War’s most remarkable espionage stories. The Spy and the Traitor explores loyalty, ideological conviction, betrayal, and the extraordinary courage required to risk everything for one’s beliefs.

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About the author
Ben Macintyre
Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre is a British historian, journalist, and bestselling author known for his narrative histories of espionage, war, and secret intelligence operations. He is a writer-at-large and associate editor at The Times in London, where he has also worked as a correspondent in New York, Paris, and Washington. His journalism and historical research focus on the people behind some of the twentieth century’s most extraordinary covert operations. Macintyre has written numerous acclaimed books, including Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends, Rogue Heroes, and Agent Sonya. His work frequently combines archival research, interviews, and historical documentation with the pacing of a thriller. Published in 2018, The Spy and the Traitor was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and became an international bestseller. Several of his books have also been adapted for film and television, including A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes.

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Details
Published
2018
Author
Ben Macintyre