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Group Reads -> March 2022 -> Nomination Thread (Spying and espionage won by Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré)
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The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021)
by
Simon Kuper
The reviews suggest a fascinating read into a person who was notorious in his day and lead an extraordinary life
More about The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake
'A deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character.' Philippe Sands
Those people who were betrayed were not innocent people. They were no better nor worse than I am. It's all part of the intelligence world. If the man who turned me in came to my house today, I'd invite him to sit down and have a cup of tea.
George Blake was the last remaining Cold War spy. As a Senior Officer in the British Intelligence Service who was double agent for the Soviet Union, his actions had devastating consequences for Britain. Yet he was also one of the least known double agents, and remained unrepentant.
In 1961, Blake was sentenced to forty-two years imprisonment for betraying to the KGB all of the Western operations in which he was involved, and the names of hundreds of British agents working behind the Iron Curtain. This was the longest sentence for espionage ever to have been handed down by a British court.
On the surface, Blake was a charming, intelligent and engaging man, and most importantly, a seemingly committed patriot. Underneath, a ruthlessly efficient mole and key player in the infamous 'Berlin Tunnel' operation. This illuminating biography tracks Blake from humble beginnings as a teenage courier for the Dutch underground during the Second World War, to the sensational prison-break from Wormwood Scrubs that inspired Hitchcock to write screenplay.
Through a combination of personal interviews, research and unique access to Stasi records, journalist Simon Kuper unravels who Blake truly was, what he was capable of, and why he did it.
Great topic and book subject, Nigey, and I love Simon Kuper's writing.But I've also been very keen on reading something by Le Carre. But then, which one would it be?
Mind whirling.
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We've got a dedicated discussion thread here....
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
We also discussed The Spy Who Came In from the Cold back in April 2018....
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
In terms of Le Carre books, my next read chronologically should be The Naive and Sentimental Lover, and in terms of the George Smiley Series it is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The first, which is described as non-genre novel falls outside the spying brief, so I will nominate Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for the March poll.
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I've seen both the classic 70s TV series and the more recent film twice each
As well as reading the novel a couple of times too
And my choice would probably be The Looking Glass War but I know many in the group have already read it, which will be probably be true for most of the Herron and Le Carré choices.
Ben wrote: "And my choice would probably be The Looking Glass War but I know many in the group have already read it, which will be probably be true for most of the Herron and Le Carré choices."I think you are spot on Ben, so in terms of group participation not such great nominations for the March read
Nigeyb wrote: "I love Tinker Taylor I've seen both the classic 70s TV series and the more recent film twice each
As well as reading the novel a couple of times too"
I think I am going to start this book sooner rather than later, I stopped watching tv sometime last year, so maybe I should relax the embargo and watch some of the film/tv adaptations,
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I'll also check out Inside the Company: CIA Diary by Philip AGee, giving inside stories of CIA activities during the Cold War.
I'm also wondering about spying after the Cold War, and women spies... Will do some investigating and come back.
I'm always up for le Carre as well and lots I haven't read yet.
Has any one here read Harry's Game by Gerald Seymour? It was recommended to me but I have yet to get to it
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The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper (Nigeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Wayne)
Is there a rule against nominating two books by the same writer? If not, I'd like to nominate The Looking Glass War by John Le Carré
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In 1942, in a quiet village in the leafy English Cotswolds, a thin, elegant woman lived in a small cottage with her three children and her husband, who worked as a machinist nearby. Ursula Burton was friendly but reserved, and spoke English with a slight foreign accent. By all accounts, she seemed to be living a simple, unassuming life. Her neighbors in the village knew little about her.
They didn’t know that she was a high-ranking Soviet intelligence officer. They didn’t know that her husband was also a spy, or that she was running powerful agents across Europe. Behind the facade of her picturesque life, Burton was a dedicated Communist, a Soviet colonel, and a veteran agent, gathering the scientific secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the bomb.
This true-life spy story is about the woman code-named “Sonya.” Over the course of her career, she was hunted by the Chinese, the Japanese, the Nazis, MI5, MI6, and the FBI—and she evaded them all. Her story reflects the great ideological clash of the twentieth century—between Communism, Fascism, and Western democracy—and casts new light on the spy battles and shifting allegiances of our own times.
With unparalleled access to Sonya’s diaries and correspondence and never-before-seen information on her clandestine activities, Ben Macintyre has written a history of a legendary secret agent, a woman who influenced the course of the Cold War and helped plunge the world into a decades-long standoff between nuclear superpowers.
Sounds fascinating :)
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Charlie M
(Book 1 in the Charlie Muffin series)A decidedly un-Bond-like British spy outwits the Soviets—and his bosses—in this thriller from a multimillion-selling author that offers “pure delight” (Chicago Tribune).
Charlie Muffin is an anachronism. He came into the intelligence service in the early 1950s, when the government, desperate for foot soldiers in the impending Cold War, dipped into the middle class for the first time. Despite a lack of upper-class bearing, Charlie survived twenty-five years on the espionage battle’s front line: Berlin. But times have changed: The boys from Oxford and Cambridge are running the shop again, and they want to get rid of the middle-class spy who’s a thorn in their side. They have decided that it’s time for Charlie to be sacrificed. But Charlie Muffin didn’t survive two decades in Berlin by being a pushover. He intends to go on protecting the realm, and won’t let anyone from his own organization get in his way.
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Nominations so far....
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper (Nigeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Wayne)
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré
Charlie M by Brian Freemantle
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Spies, Lies, and Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Russian Double Agent George Blake (Nibeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Wayne)
The Looking Glass War (Ben)
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy (Roman Clodia)
Charlie M (Susan)
Ben Macintyre is great. I've read Agent Zigzag and Operation Mincemeat and enjoyed both.I'll nominate Spy's Honour by Gavin Lyall set in the very early days of the British Secret Service. "Our spies are the worst in the world" King George V reassured the German ambassador in 1910. The job of the new Secret Service Bureau was to change that. Captain Matthew Ranklin, with the aid of Irish rebel Conall O'Gilroy and heiress Corinna Finn must make up the rules as war threatens Europe".
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Nominations so far....
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper (Nigeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Wayne)
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré (Ben)
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre (Roman Clodia)
Charlie M by Brian Freemantle (Susan)
Spy's Honour by Gavin Lyall (Carolien)
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Nominations so far....
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper (Nigeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Wayne)
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré (Ben)
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre (Roman Clodia)
Charlie M by Brian Freemantle (Susan)
Spy's Honour by Gavin Lyall (Carolien)
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Click here to vote...
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...
Nominations
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper (Nigeyb)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Wayne)
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré (Ben)
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre (Roman Clodia)
Charlie M by Brian Freemantle (Susan)
Spy's Honour by Gavin Lyall (Carolien)
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https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...
Current standings...
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré - 4 votes, 36.4%
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre - 3 votes, 27.3%
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré - 2 votes, 18.2%
Spy's Honour by Gavin Lyall (Carolien) - 2 votes, 18.2%
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake (2021) by Simon Kuper - 0 votes, 0.0%
Charlie M by Brian Freemantle - 0 votes, 0.0%
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We have a winner and it's the all time classic....
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
A modern classic in which John le Carré expertly creates a total vision of a secret world, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy begins George Smiley's chess match of wills and wits with Karla, his Soviet counterpart.
It is now beyond a doubt that a mole, implanted decades ago by Moscow Centre, has burrowed his way into the highest echelons of British Intelligence. His treachery has already blown some of its most vital operations and its best networks. It is clear that the double agent is one of its own kind. But which one? George Smiley is assigned to identify him. And once identified, the traitor must be destroyed.
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Would anyone else be interested in buddy reading Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy? Susan and I are both keen so do let us know.
I am interested (although slightly worried about overcommitting myself).There are 3 books from this month's list that I want to read!
Nigeyb wrote: "Thanks everyone for nominating, discussing and voting.We have a winner and it's the all time classic....
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
A mod..."
Great stuff, need to secure my copy at the local library for this March.
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So many good books nominated, I agree. Which three are you keen to read, Ben? I would have been happy with any of the choices..
Susan wrote: "Which three are you keen to read, Ben?..."Agent Sonya, Looking Glass War and Tinker Tailor
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On the other group Judy and I moderate, someone also recommended a memoir, MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks
which I thought looked fun.
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I didn't even know there was a vote!It was difficult for me to get to the computer while the tree was up. So I haven't been on for a while.
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Is the tree sorted?
HNY
I had to get a handyman in to complete some shelving that my sister started working on. She got frustrated and told me to get a guy. It took him 20 minutes.Then I was able to take the tree down.
Now I have a pantry in the garage instead of just stashing stuff in tote bags.
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks (other topics)Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (other topics)
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy (other topics)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (other topics)
Spy's Honour (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Le Carré (other topics)John Le Carré (other topics)
Simon Kuper (other topics)
Ben Macintyre (other topics)
John Le Carré (other topics)
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Our March 2022 theme is Spying and espionage
If you feel inspired, please nominate a 20th century book (either written in the 20th century or set in it) that is centred around the world of spying and espionage that you would like to read and discuss. It could be fiction or non-fiction
Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.
Happy nominating.