Secret Servant: My Life with the KGB and the Soviet Elite

by Ilya Dzhirkvelov

English, Russian (translation)

Genres: History, Russia, Espionage, Nonfiction

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Ilya Dzhirkvelov was a KGB agent who moved up through the ranks faster than a typical agent, having joined the KGB as a teen during WWII, performing disturbing actions (and describing them in great detail) and covert operations to further the political plans of the Soviet Union. Dzhirkvelov is a great storyteller, and he explains the inner workings of the KGB and the Soviet system very well.

[Jennifer Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was interesting, I couldn't shake the feeling that the author was a bit too defensive about the KGB. Just about every third page contained something detailing how fair, friendly and harmless your neighborhood KGB is/was.

[Tony Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into the KGB