The real events and the story of Oleg Gordievsky, KGB officer and diplomat reads like something from a John LeCarre or Robert Ludlum story...except it's … This, then, is the story of ‘Operation Pimlico;’ an emergency escape plan by which MI6 planned to remove Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB officer, and British spy, from Russia and spirit him away to safety in England. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. REVIEWS: The Spy and the Traitor : The Guardian The Washington Post GoodReads Book Companion NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Because the story is true, it is better than even the best spy novel with made up characters and plot contrivances. More suspenseful than any spy novel. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Spy and the Traitor at Amazon.com. If you are interested in learning about espionage, The Spy and The Traitor is a great book. That isn't just publisher hype. Still, that's not really why I read Ben Macintyre: I read him for the pulse-pounding "you are there" writing, the amazing stranger-than-fiction details, and the brave actions of individuals in shaping the course of history. Still, that's not really why I read Ben Macintyre: I read him for the p. Macintyre's best yet! Here everything was real and in many instances Oleg's life depended on decisions made by his handlers. The Soviet Union was a hell hole from beginning to end. His decision to hand the KGB’s secrets over to Britain was a “righteous betrayal”. Refresh and try again. The real-life spy dramas are one of my favorite genres. Other reviewers have more than adequately outlined the content of this work. Another fascinating spy story from Ben Macintyre! You can still see all customer reviews for the product. The real events and the story of Oleg Gordievsky, KGB officer and diplomat reads like something from a John LeCarre or Robert Ludlum story...except it's … Because report is what he does...and he does it really well. If you are interested in learning about espionage, The Spy and The Traitor is a great book. We’d love your help. Ben Macintyre takes us back to the 1980’s and the Cold War, with his usual brand of, almost schoolboy, enthusiasm and ability to give the most important, political events, the human angle necessary to make you care about those involved. The Spy and the Traitor is a spellbinding work bringing to life a critical period in modern spy and espionage history. The Spy and The Traitor is touted in its subhead as "the greatest espionage story ever told." Outstanding, interesting read; masterfully told story, Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018. It is a fabulous, nail-biting read that flows like a fast-paced thriller especially as the author carefully unveils the details of Gordievsky’s exciting escape from Moscow in 1985. I wish I could bottle the feeling of exhilaration I had while reading this atmospheric, tense, unbelievable but true spy thriller. All well deserved for their meticulous attention to detail, and that detail, reported in really 'can't put it down style' but without the brash repetitive nonsense of today's modern TV documentaries, where the 'backstory/reasons we are here' get repeated each ten minutes- just in case we do have the attention span of the gnats the producers have assumed to their viewers. In addition it gives some insight into politics in the cold war era. The Spy and the Traitor tells the astonishing story of this extraordinary double agent. "The best true spy story I have ever read." I’ve been wanting to read more about the Cold War, and this was a perfect introduction to the world of KGB operatives, international spy-craft, and the dangerous politics of the era. Clearly well-researched, it refutes some of the erroneous claims made about the two men over the years and the prose is highly readable and never feels stodgy. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Buy The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War 1st Edition by MacIntyre, Ben (ISBN: 9780241186657) from Amazon's Book Store. Macintyre does it again - taking a wonderful story little known to the public, researching it thoroughly and writing it masterfully to create a suspenseful read that takes your breath away. Taking both well known and 'new to me' episodes and events of the past 100 years and retelling/reporting them in riveting style. In an era where relations with Russia are sinking lower and lower, Macintyre’s tale hits close to home. The most interesting part of the book is the PIMLICO operation or otherwise known as 'how we extracted Oleg Gordievsky from the Soviet Union using a completely insane plan (even Oleg thought so).' Save The story of MI6 mole Oleg Gordievsky (pictured) is told in Ben Macintyre's new book Credit: Rex Riveting story of Cold War espionage between MI6 and the KGB, centering around a KGB agent who defected to Britain. Crimes, wars, politics, people, espionage- I just checked out his list of titles and I would or have, given all of them well deserved five star reviews. If you think I spoiled the book, you are wrong! The author knows how to put together a nonfiction story so that it would be engaging and informative all at the same time. “Paranoia is born of propaganda, ignorance, secrecy and fear.”, If you want an insight into the weird world of real-life espionage, this book could be it. The true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB agent for the USSR who turned spy and provided information to the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1974 to 1985. Bill Gates, tech pioneer, co-founder of Microsoft, and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an avid reader who people follow... To see what your friends thought of this book. With the current state of affairs between Russian and the UK, this story is more relevant than ever, and I suspect it will always be of interest to those who enjoy this genre. The Spy and The Traitor is touted in its subhead as "the greatest espionage story ever told." His newest, and best, book perfectly captures the tedium of most spy work alleviated only the the heart-thumping terror of when things go wrong. On all of those metrics, this book delivers and delivers and delivers. “He risked his life to betray his country, and made the world a little safer.” The constant threat of exposure, leading a double life and withholding the truth from his family, and preparing for defection was a constant strain but the knowledge that he was helping eradicate communism was a greater motivator than fear for his own safety. Because he was a colonel in the KGB, Gordievsky was privy to highly secret information which he then passed on to MI6. One of the Most Enjoyable Books I Have Read, Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018. Not to be missed. Start by marking “The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. 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