The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War in Espionage Aficionados

Dec 22, 2018 Michael Martz rated it really liked it

The old adage that 'truth is stranger than fiction' is certainly proven out by Ben MacIntyre's "The Spy and the Traitor". It's the true story of the man who may have been the most impactful and important spy of the cold war era, Oleg Gordievsky. Mr. Gordievsky, a KGB agent who rose to the position of chief-of-station at the Russian embassy in London, spied for Britain and, in effect, the rest of the free world over a number of years. His motivation, as expressed multiple times throughout, was pr The old adage that 'truth is stranger than fiction' is certainly proven out by Ben MacIntyre's "The Spy and the Traitor". It's the true story of the man who may have been the most impactful and important spy of the cold war era, Oleg Gordievsky. Mr. Gordievsky, a KGB agent who rose to the position of chief-of-station at the Russian embassy in London, spied for Britain and, in effect, the rest of the free world over a number of years. His motivation, as expressed multiple times throughout, was principle, not money. He succeeded in not only identifying Russian agents, providing documents, and performing the other tasks you'd expect a highly-placed master spy to do, but to more importantly provide insights and context into the thinking of Russian leadership at a time when a misstep or misinterpretation could lead to nuclear war.

Sadly, truth often doesn't read quite as well as fiction, though. McIntyre's prose is OK, rather dry, and focuses a lot on the mundane stuff diplomats do and the climbing through the ranks that Gordievsky had to effect in order to reach his ultimate level. It really picks up in the final third, though, after the KGB somehow catches wind of a traitor in their British outpost, calls him back to Moscow for interviews (and potentially a bullet in the back of the neck), and the exfiltration plan is executed. The story is incredibly interesting and tension-filled and MacIntyre does well to keep it flowing.

Although I read fiction almost exclusively, I'm a soft touch for non-fiction spy stuff and one thing that's always struck me is how 'messy' real life activities are compared to similar action in a novel. For example (mini-spoiler alert....), during exfiltration Oleg goes through an extremely complicated and dangerous trip to find himself a couple hours early at the clandestine pick-up point near a border. He decides to walk into a nearby town, has a beer with his lunch, falls asleep and nearly blows a plan that had been in place (and tested religiously) for several years.

If you're a Le Carre fan or otherwise a consumer of spy novels, or just interested in the Cold War, The Spy and the Traitor is an excellent choice to pick up. It's a bit dry but the story is absolutely riveting. ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Lindsay Mouat rated it it was amazing

Fascinating story of a real-life KGB Colonel Oleg Gordievsky who was the most significant British agent of the cold war. Having become disenchanted with the brutality and bleakness of the Soviet regime while on his first overseas placement in Denmark, Goridevsky spied for MI6 for more than ten years, somehow deceiving his KGB colleagues, with the threat of torture and death a constant companion.

The intelligence he provided was unique, not least by explaining the paranoia and fantastical thinking ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Paul Grant rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ben Macintyre's excellent The Spy and the Traitor follows the dramatic story Oleg Gordievsky - KGB spy recruited by MI6. I won't so too much for those who haven't yet read it but my favourite line from the book related to Finland's fine balancing act between the Soviet Union and the West described by Finnish cartoonist Kari Soumalainen as 'the art of bowing to the East without mooning to the West.'
Highly recommended. ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Ron Seckinger rated it it was amazing

Ben Macintyre has established a reputation as a savvy chronicler of modern espionage in such works as Operation Mincemeat and Agent Zigzag. The Spy and the Traitor is the best yet. Relying on interviews with former KGB, CIA, and MI6 officers as well as Oleg Gordievsky and his associates, Macintyre spins a fascinating account of a major Cold War operation. A senior KGB officer motivated by his hatred of the Soviet system, Gordievsky volunteered to MI6 and for years turned over massive documentati ...more

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Jun 10, 2020 Tom rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The spy genre is one of my favorites, both fiction and nonfiction, and I find this book to be one of the best. I've always thought of the KGB and Soviet culture as being immune to Western penetration. This story shows how one man and M16 exposed the fault lines below the surface. I'm surprised this one was never made into a mini series or movie because it has a great cast of characters and nail-biting ending. ...more

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Sep 13, 2020 Ben Field rated it it was amazing

Excellent from start to finish, written as a spy book with so much detail, its going to be hard to find anything quite as good for some time. If you like spies this is a must read.

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