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The Spy and the Traitor

The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

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The Spy and the Traitor

By: Ben Macintyre
Narrated by: Ben Macintyre
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

*The No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller*
*Shortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize*
*Bill Gates' Top 5 Books for 2020*

'THE BEST TRUE SPY STORY I HAVE EVER READ' JOHN LE CARRÉ

A thrilling Cold War story about a KGB double agent, by one of Britain's greatest historians - now with a new afterword

On a warm July evening in 1985, a middle-aged man stood on the pavement of a busy avenue in the heart of Moscow, holding a plastic carrier bag. In his grey suit and tie, he looked like any other Soviet citizen. The bag alone was mildly conspicuous, printed with the red logo of Safeway, the British supermarket.

The man was a spy. A senior KGB officer, for more than a decade he had supplied his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence machine. No spy had done more to damage the KGB. The Safeway bag was a signal: to activate his escape plan to be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. So began one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying. Ben Macintyre reveals a tale of espionage, betrayal and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War forever...



©2018 Ben MacIntyre (P)2018 Penguin Audio Historical Military Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Russian & Soviet World Espionage Russia War Soviet Union Cold War Thought-Provoking Imperialism

Critic Reviews

If any spy writer were to put it in a novel, it would not be believed. But, blow by blow, trick by trick, it is all in Macintyre's book (Fredrick Forsyth)
All stars
Most relevant  
Fascinating story, told in a very suitable way. Captivating listening to the very end. Makes us appreciate the freedoms we take to granted.

Drama and intrigue

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An excellent book very well written with extremely interesting and exciting content. Beautifuully presented in the audible context.
Would recommend to anybody interested in historical non-fiction material. Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Superb Book!

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Amazing and gripping story of how one man changed the world and helped end the cold war. Highly recommended and a must read.

You can't make this up

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Really grear and interesting read on the background of the cold war and espionage. Also interesting to explain why currently Russia is a very paranoid place. Excellent read.

Great synopsis of cold war espionage

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Difficult read at first, went into a lot of bavk ground incormation.But became thrilling as the story ptogressed. Great narrator

exciting story

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I really enjoyed this story. It was engaging, exciting, an interesting recap of spy history and very well narrated.

Great Listen

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A riveting true story focussing on the life of this amazing spy in the 1970s and 1980s and many leading political figures of the time .. some of whom have dark secrets laid bare by Gordesky's work. The author reads his own story with the same passion as the writing itself. Simply exceptional.

Exceptional

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Wow, beautifully told and an outstanding tale of cold war espionage at its very best. Ben Macintyre spills this amazing yarn superbly and whilst there are cold war books aplenty, none reach the fever pitch of Oleg's life in the former Soviet stronghold. I urge you to listen, it does not disappoint.

Ben Macintyre strikes again! One of his very best!

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Astonishing, moving, riveting and all true.
Ben Macintyre’s writing is concise, thrilling and perfectly narrated. Why bother with spy fiction. Perfect!

Can I give it 6 stars?

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Wow what a book - it is so incredible that this thrilling and at times impossible story was all true - i learnt an enormous amount about history, the KGB, MI6 and MI5 but mostly I remain in awe of the bravery and determination of the main hero Oleg and his British handlers.
I highly recommend this book

Outstanding

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