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A Very Dangerous Woman: The Lives, Loves and Lies of Russia’s Most Seductive Spy
In January 1918, the British adventurer, diplomat, and secret agent Robert Bruce Lockhart arrived in Revolutionary Russia. His official mission: Britain’s envoy to the new Bolshevik government. His true mission: to create a network of agents, plot the assassination of Lenin, and overthrow the Bolsheviks. A dashing charmer, he soon got to know the aristocratic socialite, hedonist, and notorious seductress Moura Zakrevskaya. The two fell in love and began a passionate affair. But what Lockhart didn’t know was that Moura was spying on him for the Bolsheviks. What Moura didn’t know was that, as Lockhart’s plot unraveled and he was seized, she would sell herself to save him from the firing squad. Fleeing to England, Moura discovered a life of exile, a string of new lovers — including Maxim Gorky and H. G. Wells — and playing off the Russian and British governments as she spied for both. Through all this she clung to the hope that Lockhart would finally be able to return to her. Deborah McDonald’s sensational retelling of Moura’s extraordinary life opens up a world of revolution and espionage where survival means sacrificing more than just love and loyalty.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2015
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1832 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 31, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to gain access to this title in 2015 because one of my reading goals was to read more spy books - anything from novels to biographies.
This is the story of Moura Zakrevskaya, aka the Baroness Budberg, who was born to an aristocrat before the Russian Revolution, but was able to keep herself alive by transforming from Revolutionary to Soviet to mother to lover to spy. Allegedly. Many of her documents were destroyed, so the authors of this book use source material that includes notes from previous authors hoping to write about her life, a recently declassified MI5 file, and some letters and journals.
It also provides some insight into what it was like to live in Russia, Estonia, Berlin, and the Ukraine between 1900 and 1970.
To my great delight, Moura's path ends up crossing with spies such as Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, even the author Graham Greene. One of the books I read earlier this year (and probably the best spy read of the year) was A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, and it was very interesting to see how her life intersects with his. While his actions were directly linked to political events, her strength was building relationships. Her many lovers were important men in highly connected positions - politicians, writers, journalists, ambassadors. There are many events that could easily link to her but for whatever reason they aren't 100% known. I like to believe that she knew exactly what she was doing.
I was excited to gain access to this title in 2015 because one of my reading goals was to read more spy books - anything from novels to biographies.
This is the story of Moura Zakrevskaya, aka the Baroness Budberg, who was born to an aristocrat before the Russian Revolution, but was able to keep herself alive by transforming from Revolutionary to Soviet to mother to lover to spy. Allegedly. Many of her documents were destroyed, so the authors of this book use source material that includes notes from previous authors hoping to write about her life, a recently declassified MI5 file, and some letters and journals.
It also provides some insight into what it was like to live in Russia, Estonia, Berlin, and the Ukraine between 1900 and 1970.
To my great delight, Moura's path ends up crossing with spies such as Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, even the author Graham Greene. One of the books I read earlier this year (and probably the best spy read of the year) was A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, and it was very interesting to see how her life intersects with his. While his actions were directly linked to political events, her strength was building relationships. Her many lovers were important men in highly connected positions - politicians, writers, journalists, ambassadors. There are many events that could easily link to her but for whatever reason they aren't 100% known. I like to believe that she knew exactly what she was doing.
March 5, 2016
A Fascinating, Insightful, Captivating Page Turner! A Great Read! I Loved It!
March 2, 2016
Due to the fact that Maria Zakrevsky destroyed a lot of papers pertaining to herself (potentially) and of important people she knew just before she died as well as there is purportedly an MI5 or MI6 file on her that has not been disclosed much that is in this book is conjecture. In the time of which she lived coincidence could be questioned. Unfortunately nowadays coincidences are seen just as that in the field of history. Certainly that's what some historians say when two countries separated by many, many miles of sea and land have similarities in their cultures. Simply dismissed as coincidences and nothing more. Although I won't deny that this book was a gripping read. In lieu of these papers and the supposed file on Moura not a great deal of information is given. The book is written like a diary, dates are given on the top of the page, however, it's not a day to day diary. Whatever Moura was as a person she was clearly a fascinating person and knew a lot of interesting people in her time. Whether it was Gorky, Wells, Ustinovs (he didn't have a very imaginary codename) or Burgess, Lockhart (a man that liked to claim he had no English blood in his veins, of course not!), Korda and many others beside, they were the movers and shakers or even destroyers of their time. There is also another slight part of this book that perplexes me. The frequent use of describing that her nose was broken as a young girl. In the photos that are included of her it doesn't look like to me her nose ever suffered from being broken or anything unnatural done to it. Well there is another little thing the author has a slight tendency to repeat himself, not obviously, more of a little rephrasing of words. Regardless well worth a read.
June 25, 2015
Love, Mystery, Espionage, Friendship, Family, History etc you name it...this book had elements of almost everything that could have been a part of biography.An enthralling one keeping the reader at the edge as to what will happen next.The entire novel is a mixture of accounts that were taken up from the past letters, Interviews with acquaintances etc.The author certainly managed to keep it interesting through the most of it revealing few bits as to what will come next now and then in the middle of the paragraphs.
A great book for anyone who love biography, History.One would thoroughly enjoy reading it although the later parts seemed somewhat dragging though ;) but overall an exciting account of an unknown woman still in many places but after reading you would certainly agree with author that she was indeed "A Very Dangerous Woman".
A great book for anyone who love biography, History.One would thoroughly enjoy reading it although the later parts seemed somewhat dragging though ;) but overall an exciting account of an unknown woman still in many places but after reading you would certainly agree with author that she was indeed "A Very Dangerous Woman".
May 29, 2016
As seems to frequently be the case, I think the author/publisher went a bit wild with the subtitle of this book. Maria (Moura) Budberg was born into an aristocratic Ukrainian family around 1891. She was very intelligent, reveled in being the center of attention, and was extremely charismatic, one of those people that others can't seem to help but like.
She certainly did some spying against Germany, set up as a bit of a double agent, during WWI, and did her share of whispering important tidbits down the line to the British throughout the years following the Russian revolution. However, facts about was she/wasn't she spying past the 1920s aren't really available. There was largely just an awful lot of rumor, some of which she created herself. Whatever hints we have, they are simply hints and there really isn't any hard evidence and there will likely never be any.
That being said, it was an interesting book because she was an interesting woman. While she destroyed all of her own papers, many letters she sent were kept and she was associated with many interesting people throughout her life, including Maxim Gorky and HG Wells. The book is well written and scrupulously end-noted. It took about a third of the way in to really grip me, but made for a good read if you go in with the right attitude.
She certainly did some spying against Germany, set up as a bit of a double agent, during WWI, and did her share of whispering important tidbits down the line to the British throughout the years following the Russian revolution. However, facts about was she/wasn't she spying past the 1920s aren't really available. There was largely just an awful lot of rumor, some of which she created herself. Whatever hints we have, they are simply hints and there really isn't any hard evidence and there will likely never be any.
That being said, it was an interesting book because she was an interesting woman. While she destroyed all of her own papers, many letters she sent were kept and she was associated with many interesting people throughout her life, including Maxim Gorky and HG Wells. The book is well written and scrupulously end-noted. It took about a third of the way in to really grip me, but made for a good read if you go in with the right attitude.
January 21, 2016
I received this as a first read. This was a very interesting book. I am very interested in this period of history and in Russia in general. So this was a great read for me. I loved reading this thrilling true story. The story is about Moura Zakrevskaya and her interesting love life. Also her dealings with espionage. Definitely I am glad I won this one.
August 30, 2015
Baroness Maria Budberg (nee Zakresvskaya) or Moura as she was more commonly known, was an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times. Born into privilege at a time when a woman’s place was in the home, Moura somehow survived the revolution and WWII and ended up working with some of the greatest literary figures of her time. She had little professional training, but relied on an innate sense of survival (which she put towards spying or seducing powerful men). It’s just a shame that there were few definitive facts of Moura’s life and rumored espionage. It was difficult at times to discern between fact and fiction. Gossip surrounded Moura all her life, indeed, she perpetuated many of the stories about herself. The authors also took a bit of poetic license (e.g. describing how Moura stared at her reflection in the mirror - how do the authors know that?).
Overall I really enjoyed the book and the insight it provided into the Russian Revolution and the fledgling Soviet government. It also overlapped nicely with Giles Milton’s Russian Roulette where a lot of the spies that Milton discusses Moura knew personally during her time in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and the insight it provided into the Russian Revolution and the fledgling Soviet government. It also overlapped nicely with Giles Milton’s Russian Roulette where a lot of the spies that Milton discusses Moura knew personally during her time in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
July 23, 2015
This book had a few weaknesses, especially in sometimes claiming it was "more" than it was. One annoyance--there are several times in the book that hinted at what Moura had "paid" to get her English lover out of prison in Moscow and save his life. But during that episode of the book---a few ideas are slightly hinted at, but no definite "She did this" was ever stated. The writing was also sometimes on the florid side. But still, this particular lady led a fascinating enough life that it would be hard for a book about her NOT to be fascinating.
May 15, 2017
This is the biography of Moura Zakrevskaya, one of the most dangerous and seductive Russian spies in history. The year is 1918 and Russia is ripe with international spies, all hell-bent on choosing sides. Little do these spies know that Russia has a secret weapon and her name is Moura. A riveting biography on a woman of power and influence in pre-revolutionary Russia. I, myself, love reading the true accounts of spies throughout history and this book was a page-turner. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
August 5, 2015
I found this book to be an intriguing read which gives great insight into the politics of the Russian Revolution, WWI and WWII. It highlights the fact that nothing really changes in this world - everyone has an agenda and when the chips are really down it is extraordinary to what lengths people will go in order to survive!
No matter how you may judge this woman - she was extraordinary.
No matter how you may judge this woman - she was extraordinary.
October 3, 2016
Read nearly half and gave up... Maybe, I will finish it one day but it just did not hold my attention enough.
July 6, 2020
The Baroness Moura Budberg (among her many other names) was a character and a half. In some ways, she reminds me of Sidney Reilly (who she associated with) in that she's somewhat self-created and intentionally obscure. Unlike Reilly, however, she managed to survive all the deadly games. Romantically involved with important figures in the Russian Revolution, from Robert Bruce Lockhart to Maxim Gorky, not to mention her long affair with H.G. Wells as well as plenty of other men of means and power, she managed to insinuate her way into world-changing events, while keeping herself alive in a storm of chaos. Several times, she was one step from death but through luck or profound cunning, she survived when so many didn't. Was she a spy? Yes. Definitely. Who was she working for, really? Other than herself, who can say?
Moura is a fascinating figure, a woman of tremendous personality who made herself a gravity well around which men and women who shaped the 20th century would orbit. She was in the mud with Lockhart, Reilly, and George Alexander Hill during the bloody days of the Revolution. She was involved with some of the men who famously betrayed England in the 40s & 50s. She was friends with Peter Ustinov's spy father (and later Peter, himself). She was involved with Alexander Korda and the production of one of my favorite films, "Things To Come."
A heavy drinker, a consummate liar, a master of manipulation, a powerful friend and a dangerous ally, she was a lot.
Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. Though Moura is someone I'm glad I know about, now, and this book connects to a great deal of the stuff I've been reading lately, expanding my perspective and understanding of a pivotal time in World History, there is a bit too much of the novel about it. Sections are written not as information but as speculated scenes, describing events in a way that smacks of fiction. It's not that I think the authors are making things up. It's a stylistic choice in how they present the information that I find off-putting. The book also drags at times. Occasional rabbit holes derail it. There are also a few times where it feels like there's an unreliable narrator, where you're suddenly given a piece of information that totally changes the optics of something you read a chapter ago.
While I think Moura Budberg and her involvement in early 20th Century events should be more widely known, I don't know if this is the book to tell the story...though it seems likely to remain the only one to attempt it.
Moura is a fascinating figure, a woman of tremendous personality who made herself a gravity well around which men and women who shaped the 20th century would orbit. She was in the mud with Lockhart, Reilly, and George Alexander Hill during the bloody days of the Revolution. She was involved with some of the men who famously betrayed England in the 40s & 50s. She was friends with Peter Ustinov's spy father (and later Peter, himself). She was involved with Alexander Korda and the production of one of my favorite films, "Things To Come."
A heavy drinker, a consummate liar, a master of manipulation, a powerful friend and a dangerous ally, she was a lot.
Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. Though Moura is someone I'm glad I know about, now, and this book connects to a great deal of the stuff I've been reading lately, expanding my perspective and understanding of a pivotal time in World History, there is a bit too much of the novel about it. Sections are written not as information but as speculated scenes, describing events in a way that smacks of fiction. It's not that I think the authors are making things up. It's a stylistic choice in how they present the information that I find off-putting. The book also drags at times. Occasional rabbit holes derail it. There are also a few times where it feels like there's an unreliable narrator, where you're suddenly given a piece of information that totally changes the optics of something you read a chapter ago.
While I think Moura Budberg and her involvement in early 20th Century events should be more widely known, I don't know if this is the book to tell the story...though it seems likely to remain the only one to attempt it.
May 12, 2025
This is a biography of Maria (Moura) Zakrevsky, 1892 – 1974, who was by marriage first Countess von Benckendorff and later Baroness von Budberg she was was a Russian adventuress and suspected double agent of the Soviet Union secret police (OGPU) and the British Intelligence Service. But the most important word is 'suspected'. Moura Budberg, as she is normally referred to, has attracted more colourful rumours and stories then almost anyone else from the shadowy world of the immediate post October revolution attempts by the British and others to overthrow the Bolsheviks. She crops up in diplomatic reports, in the early archives of various spy services, as well as countless memoirs and histories. Yet if you try and separate fact from, well speculation (often fantasy or lies), it is extremely difficult to find truth. So many books refer back and quote the same often dubious material (and 'intelligence' archives are full of more nonsense then any others) which often gains a spurious status as 'fact' when it is nothing of the sort.
Moura Budberg ensured no one would ever know the truth because she destroyed all her papers, which is a pity, but it was her right. Quite how complex her life was is impossible to know. If you read the chapter on H.G. Wells in 'The Immortalization Commission: Science and the Strange Quest to Cheat Death' by John Gray you will understand just how unknowable Moura Budgerg was even to those she was intimately involved with.
This is probably as good a biography as she is likely to get. The publishers hype is woefully inadequate. The authors are more restrained but still determined to provide answers to questions that can't be answered. Maybe locked away in Russian archives there is information that would solve many mysteries but, if it exists, we are unlikely to see it any time soon.
Moura Budberg ensured no one would ever know the truth because she destroyed all her papers, which is a pity, but it was her right. Quite how complex her life was is impossible to know. If you read the chapter on H.G. Wells in 'The Immortalization Commission: Science and the Strange Quest to Cheat Death' by John Gray you will understand just how unknowable Moura Budgerg was even to those she was intimately involved with.
This is probably as good a biography as she is likely to get. The publishers hype is woefully inadequate. The authors are more restrained but still determined to provide answers to questions that can't be answered. Maybe locked away in Russian archives there is information that would solve many mysteries but, if it exists, we are unlikely to see it any time soon.
January 14, 2022
This is an intriguing and fascinating glimpse of a woman who lived her life to the full during chaotic, dark times of Russia’s bloodiest and violent history. She was also adept in espionage and able to outlive not one not two but three lovers. Only one of whom was her hearts love. I did enjoy reading this as I haven’t ever really taken much interest in Russia’s past in the early 20th century, so for me this was fascinating… but I did have an issue with the style of writing and that is it felt too much like fiction, I understand that there are a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding her still but I don’t like too much fictional style to get in the way of facts. I enjoyed it but not sure if I am interested enough I reading more about that period.
November 25, 2019
Taková hrozně nudně napsaná kniha. Kdyby byla ve formě románu a příběhu o ženě, bylo by to skvělé a zajímavé. Tak to byl sice příběh o ženě, ale bylo to napsáno napůl odborným stylem. Nečetlo se to dobře. Bylo to suché, těžkopádné, usínala jsem u toho. Spousta věcí tam byla zbytečná. Zavádělo to. Sice se zjevně snažili o lepší vyobrazení, ale ten způsob podání považuji za nešťastný. Spousta dovětků pod čarou tomu taky nepřidala. Prostě to nemělo šťávu. A to ten začátek jako začal poměrně zajímavě. Jenže pak se to rozsypalo. Škoda.
June 22, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. What a life and what a woman?! Such an interesting read full of famous people living the dream...
September 2, 2019
Exhaustive narrative of the subject's life including a lot of the political events around her. This book is very detail-oriented.
October 27, 2019
This is a very readable nonfiction.
May 7, 2020
History,politics, love, sacrifice, this book has it all... Very interesting story about a very interesting and strong woman!
March 3, 2022
So much unknown history it was like an Aladdin's cave of facts and figures in history a must for history buffs
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February 9, 2016
I received a copy of A Very Dangerous Woman, by Deborah McDonald, through the Firstreads giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.
The Baroness Moura Budberg was born into Russian aristocracy prior to the Russian Revolution. She had a strong survival instinct and managed to navigate her way through several regimes through cunning, her network of connections and knowing when to use her feminine 'gifts'. She found herself in the midst of politics, espionage, literary circles and even in the British film industry. Baroness Budberg's life was a mystery even to those closest to her, her daughter included. Deborah McDonald and Jeremy Dronfield managed to piece together most of her life through correspondence and declassified secret service agency files. However, a shadow still casts over pieces of her history and her whereabouts.
A snippet on the cover claims that the book reads like a thriller. It was not a page turner, but Budberg's story was fascinating and the writing style was engaging and well-researched. The book would be a good read for those interested in Russian History, European history, espionage, stories with strong female protagonists, politics, romance, Maxim Gorky, H.G. Wells, and the early British film industry.
The Baroness Moura Budberg was born into Russian aristocracy prior to the Russian Revolution. She had a strong survival instinct and managed to navigate her way through several regimes through cunning, her network of connections and knowing when to use her feminine 'gifts'. She found herself in the midst of politics, espionage, literary circles and even in the British film industry. Baroness Budberg's life was a mystery even to those closest to her, her daughter included. Deborah McDonald and Jeremy Dronfield managed to piece together most of her life through correspondence and declassified secret service agency files. However, a shadow still casts over pieces of her history and her whereabouts.
A snippet on the cover claims that the book reads like a thriller. It was not a page turner, but Budberg's story was fascinating and the writing style was engaging and well-researched. The book would be a good read for those interested in Russian History, European history, espionage, stories with strong female protagonists, politics, romance, Maxim Gorky, H.G. Wells, and the early British film industry.
February 6, 2016
This is a really interesting biography about a fascinating woman that I had never heard of - Moura Badburg. She was born in Russia, and grew up during the time of the overthrowing of the Tsar and the establisment of the Bolsheviks. She becomes the lover of a British envoy/spy, and there is all the likelihood that she spied for the Russians and possibly the Germans. She then flees Russia, but she still is embroiled in possibly spying. She has a very interesting life other than that too. She becomes the lover of Russian author Maxim Gorky and British author H.G Wells. She ends up in England and becomes an influential woman within certain spheres. All with hints that she might still be spying for various governments. Unfortunately, the spying possibility is not completely uncovered because obviously it was secret information. However,, the authors have uncovered a lot of information about Moura's life - the book is very well researched. And they give hints of the possible truths behind her. She was a complicated woman, but one who survived a lot of things in her life.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
December 31, 2015
In this biography of Moura Budberg, you get a much better understanding of the world around her. She was not only a Baroness, but a spy and an adventurer. In this book, you experience a number of documents that show a greater understanding of who she was and what it is that she stood for. In the end it would be romance that would be her demise, but I think that she thought it was all worth it. A good book for people who enjoy history and are curious. While I was awarded this book on Good Reads, all opinions are my own.
December 27, 2015
An interesting piece of history, one of the "women with famous lovers" kind of stories with the addition of a spying career for the heroine. Not crazy exciting, but a good clear look inside the Russian revolution as it evolved and also the lives of some of the diplomats and rejected Russian aristocrats. Interesting.
March 14, 2016
The book starts with an emphasis on the context of Moura's life. It develops slowly into the fully fledged mystery of her life as spy, socialite and lover, alluding to her force of character and intellect. At the end it is a love story, one that leaves you with a sad fondness for this woman you never knew. An excellent read!
August 19, 2016
"Moura Budberg was a mystery to everyone who knew her." So starts the Preface. I found this a fascinating and intriguing biography. Truth is stranger than fiction and yet in this case there still much that apparently will never be known. Moura regularly dealt with people of whom one usually only reads about in history books.
July 31, 2015
Interesting but supper dense.
December 22, 2015
Really good, but focuses more on her personal life whereas the book jacket makes it sound like it's going to be more about espionage.
February 13, 2016
This biography is well written but it's not a page turner. The book was read for the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge 2016. "Read a biography. Not a memoir or autobiography.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews