The cold war was a state of political and military tension after world war ii led by the united states and the western bloc and the soviet union and the eastern bloc. During the cold war, information was the key commodity. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The secret history of the cia and the bush administration.
This period is replete with stories of spies, agents and assassins, operating undercover and living double lives to infiltrate enemy. Best cold war spy books best novels about spies operating during the soviet era. What role did espionage play during the cold war by. The secret life of cia spymaster james jesus angleton by jefferson morley james jesus angleton, the man who nearly destroyed the cia. Bbc culture how the end of the cold war changed spy. During the cold war, specialized tactics were taught to spies in order to teach them ways to elicit information. Cia, fbi employed at least 1,000 exnazis as spies during the cold war, book claims one such spy was involved in the lithuanian massacre of tens of thousands of jews during the holocaust. It was vital to know what the enemy was up to, and we did not have the option of using hitech surveill learn more about cold war spies and espionage. The attack on americas intellectual property espionage. Sean connery as james bond, a fictional character from cold war literature.
In april 1954, australia and asio found itself in the frame of the cold war with the public announcement by prime minister menzies that vladimir mikhailovitcvh petrov, a soviet intelligence officer based in canberra, had. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. And there are still plenty of mysteries around this time. During the cold war the cias premier agent in the soviet union was a highlevel intelligence officer named oleg penkovsky. That was true even back in the cold war, when two unlikely and, apparently, unpatriotic friends discovered how easy it was to sell american secrets to the soviet union. Missionary stew cocaine, the cia, and a central american revolution.
When the berlin wall came down, spy fiction would never be the same again. Espionage was a key tool of the cold war and helped both superpowers the united states and the soviet union in their policies to expand their influence. Cold war espionage was a nightmare of errors, seen darkly in a wilderness of mirrors, raining desperate deceptions in a climate of treason, with assassins trading in treachery using hidden hands running invisible governments. Spy novels need to come in from the cold war the business. Top 10 books about the cold war books the guardian.
But the subject is fascinating reading, at times more incredible than fiction, imo this was one of the most interesting aspects of the cold war. The book narrates the astonishing tale of how britains secret intelligence service recruited a kgb officer named oleg gordievsky in 1974 and. The cambridge five and philby in particular influenced a lot of famous espionage fiction such as john lecarres tinker tailer soldier spy. Sulicks timely and valuable book, spying in america. Historians talked about espionage tactics used from the cold war to today.
The untold secrets of russias master spy in america after the end of the cold war. The singapore wink an engaging novel of crime and espionage set in 1960s singapore. The espionage trials that shaped american politics. For two years in the early 1960s he supplied the cia with highly classified information on soviet rocket strength and strat. Allen dulles, the cia, and the rise of americas secret government, by david talbotwhen americas secret government ran amok the ghost. I read a great cold war spy story back in the late 1980s, but i cant remember the name.
This link has generated nostalgia for the cold war with many people perceiving the era as relatively safe with the intelligence game making the world more secure than it is today with the asymmetric. There are probably four really notable examples of cold war espionage from the usuk side. The implosion of the worlds second superpower and the forces of globalization, however, have only so much explanatory power. Mar 28, 2020 the atmosphere of the cold war and its spies.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The greatest espionage story of the cold war ben macintyre. The techniques varied from subtle urging to full blackmail. These countries conducted espionage against each other and other countries to get information on subjects such as military secrets, government secrets. Describes the intelligence gathering activities during the cold war between nato and the warsaw pact.
Cast a yellow shadow a novel about assassination thats lots of fun. Authoritatively ranked lists of books sold in the united states, sorted by format and genre. Richard burton as alec leamas in the film version of the spy who. Encyclopedia of cold war espionage, spies, and secret. A competent author can do this regardless of the allegiance of his antagonist. Cold war espionage has been fictionally depicted in works. Our man in havana by graham greene the cold war as comedy. Both are experts in the history of the communist party of the united states cpusa and in two books, the secret world of american communism 1995 and the soviet world of american communism 1998, they used material from newlyopened soviet archives not only to. We think of espionage as a highly specialized, professional field. Books about cold war espionage the devils chessboard.
Red sparrow by jason matthews, slow horses by mick herron, palace of treason by jason matthews, the confessor by daniel silva. Much of todays espionage is sigint and related intelligence gathering, with. Az entries provide a fascinating glimpse into the subterranean world, events, people and operations of the cold war. The greatest espionage story of the cold war kindle edition. The magnitude and nature of this espionage is also placing new strains on the conduct of diplomacy and statecraft, especially among western nations and former allies. During the cold war, armies never fought each other in direct combat but instead engaged in a variety of espionage techniques, which have paved the way for modern day tactics. Look, for instance, at john le carres novels of the postcold war. What i find shocking about these examples is how much they got away with when it was right in front of their face that they were spies. By gordon corera bbc security correspondent british spy kim philby handed over secrets to the soviets. They discuss techniques of both soviet and american spies as well as the shift in methods after the september 11 terrorist.
Because each side was preparing to fight the other, intelligence on the opposing sides intentions, military, and technology was of paramount importance. Previously unknown operations and new names continue to surface in the encyclopedia of cold war espionage, spies, and secret operations. Since the end of the cold war, a variety of leaked diplomatic cables, captured operatives and acts of espionage, like this summers hacking of the democratic national committee, have served as. The story of the most important cold war spy most people. Greene called this novel an entertainment, but like all the best jokes it has a serious side. The untold story of cold war submarine espionage new ed by drew, christopher, sontag, sherry isbn. The petrovs and countering cold war espionage australian. The cold war also saw the increased use of a particular, and effective, means of gaining information. It was filmed a couple of years later with james mason as smiley, renamed dobbs. This new edition contains updated information on cold war spying, with over 350 az main entries over thirty of them new biographical sketches, and an updated bibliography. Cia, fbi employed at least 1,000 exnazis as spies during. John le carre, call for the dead 1961 you may very well think it perverse of me not to pick the spy who came in from the cold, but this is the book that introduces smiley. The world of espionage lies at the heart of the mythology of the cold war. Espionage books best sellers april 10, 2016 the new.
Cold war espionage has been fictionally depicted in works such as the james bond and matt helm books and movies. A washington post notable book of the year it was the height of the cold war, and a dangerous time to be stationed in the soviet union. A crackling cold war espionage story, betrayal in berlin takes you to the peaks of spying ambition and the depths of betrayal. Espionage in the cold war e spionage is a very serious matter for some, a deadly serious business. But as modernday leakers show us, anyone can be a spy.
From the red gold, keep thy finger something about russian gold that was tainted or radioactive or something about red. Parallels in the 1980s, the fbi and nsa dug a tunnel for espionage purposes beneath the. The main forces during the cold war were the united states and russiait was a conflict of the free world versus communism. Discover the best espionage true accounts in best sellers. Cold war espionage when looking at the morass and moral and. Can anyone recommend some good nonfiction spy books. What are some of the most notable examples of cold war. A cold war by definition is an intense conflict that stops short of fullscale war. The greatest espionage story of the cold war 30 may 2019.
In the cold war between the us and ussr, the superpow ers and their allies relied heavily on intelligence to avert a fullscale war, which, in. Spy stuff from the cold war learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Wormald, a vacuum cleaner salesman and inadvertent spy, sends british intelligence into a spin with his scale drawings of the parts of the atomic pile cleaner. Espionage from the revolutionary war to the dawn of the cold war, should have been required reading before those ladies and gentlemen of the us house of representatives judiciary committee ever sought national office, because in its succinct, wellwritten chapters, the author lays out. The story of the most important cold war spy most people have never heard of. Graham greene was one of the few writers to notice that in the deadly seriousness of the contest, in its absurd thirst for the smallest scrap of intelligence, and in the humorlessness and fallibility of those who. The updated edition covers the postcold war period too. Hoffman is a contributing editor at the washington post and a. In the two decades since the end of the cold war, advances in technology have played a significant role in transforming the world of intel. In 2011, the website collected the views of spynovel writers and qualified readers on the genres postcold war development. Both sides in the cold war used spies as a way of acquiring knowledge of what the other was doing or to spread.
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