Another book that I have read recently was Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB Officer, by Victor Cherkashin with Gregory Feifer.
This book interesting because it had all the excitement of a spy story, but in this one the "bad guys" win, twice. Victor (Cherkashin is way too hard to spell repeatedly) tells of his life as a bright up and comer in the KGB. He works his way through a series of assignments until getting station in the heart of the "Main Adversary," Washington DC. He lucks into having two of the biggest American spies volunteer to betray their country for money. He tells of their handling of the two biggest assets the KGB had, as well as several other intriguing side stories.
Victor is a true believer in communism, while still maintaining a soul. He truly loved his country but did not agree with its treatment of its citizens, even the treasonous Russians that his CIA and FBI sources exposed.
Spy Handler was a great read and gives you insight into both the espionage profession and the other side during the Cold War. It is 314 pages and reads very quickly. I would highly recommend it and if reading about Soviet successes rubs you the wrong way, you can take comfort that we won the Cold War and that his two big recruits are both rotting away in prison.
.JPG)
2 comments:
Hmmm... this does sound interesting. Maybe once I get through the reading list that Zach has for me I'll get to this one. And why the emphasis on the Cold War?
I used to work with a man who was born in East Germany. His family left before the wall, but it sparked my interest in the Berlin Wall, Iron Curtain and the Cold War in general. I have a hard time imagining living in the US during the Cold War, let alone behind the Iron Curtain or on the front lines of the espionage and propaganda war.
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