The Case Of Richard Sorge

by Frederick William Dampier Deakin, George Richard Storry

Richard Sorge was a spy, a Russian spy, & an extraordinarily successful one. Two quotes illustrate this. The 1st is by Larry Collins, 'Richard Sorge's brilliant espionage work saved Stalin & the Soviet Union from defeat in the fall of 1941, probably prevented a Nazi victory in WWII & thereby assured the dimensions of the world we live in today.' The 2nd is by Frederick Forsyth, 'The spies in history who can say from their graves, the information I supplied to my masters, for better or worse, altered the history of our planet, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Richard Sorge was in that group.' Masquerading as a Nazi journalist, Richard Sorge worked undetected as head of a Red Army spy ring until he was arrested & executed in Japan during the WWII. Such an astonishing story as his is bound to attract attention but not only was this the 1st book to offer an authoritative account, it has, in many ways, not least in the quality of its writing, never been superseded. The authors rejected legend & found facts that were even stranger. They provide an account as reliable as it's enthralling of possibly the most successful spy who ever operated; a man who for eight years transmitted from Japan a continuous stream of valuable information, often derived from the highest quarters, culminating in precise advance information of Hitler's invasion of Russia, of Japan's decision not to attack Russia in '41 & of the near certainty of war against America that October or November instead. Jointly written books sometimes jar, but not this one. The authors had complementary skills, F.W. Deakin being an authority on 20th-century European history & G.R. Storry no less of an authority on 20th-century Japan. Together they do justice to 'the man whom I regard as the most formidable spy in history,'--Ian Fleming (edited)

Genres: Nonfiction

373 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Sir Frederick William Dampier Deakin DSO also known as F. W. Deakin, was a British historian, World War II veteran, literary assistant to Winston Churchill and the first warden of St Antony's College, Oxford.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Sorge has been credited as being the most successful spy in human history by, among others, Ian Fleming, a spy himself at one time. This book is an attempt to assemble what is known of this Soviet agent who, posing as a Nazi journalist, managed to keep the Russians informed of Japanese intentions before and during WWII. Most importantly, from the point of view of the USSR, he allowed the Russians to concentrate their forces on the German front, knowing that the Japanese would not attack.

Although an important book with an interesting topic, it is not a particularly well-written one. Perhaps it is owing to the dual authorship.