THE SPY & THE TRAITOR

If you were captivated and astounded by the unfolding news of the disturbing Skripal murder attempt in Salisbury in 2018 then Ben MacIntyre’s The Spy and the Traitor is a historical and fascinating account about Soviet espionage during the Cold War. Now available in paperback this spy story details the workings of the KGB, its closed communist mind-set and the dangerous missions undertaken in the ‘analogue’ world, pre-millennium.  

 

Written by the respected journalist and author, Ben MacIntyre,
The Spy and the Traitor unravels Gordievsky’s story. A senior KGB officer, Colonel Gordievsky, was in fact spying for the MI6 and had been supplying his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence. No spy had done more damage to the KGB. And his escape plan to leave Russia, relied on a mildly conspicuous Safeway plastic bag, a Bond-esque high-speed exit and leaving his loved ones behind - even Le Carré's George Smilley would be impressed! Now living alone in a safe house in the UK, Ben MacIntyre had unique access to Gordievsky's double-life making this account even more gripping.  

 

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the National Book Awards The Spy and the Traitor is a thrilling read that sparked lots of discussion around our unsettling year of global politics and the enemy within. And it made a refreshing change for the Den’s leaning towards fiction and the allure of the novel.

 

An extraordinary account of betrayal, duplicity and raw courage.  

Definitely worth the plunge!  

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