The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre

Initially, he intended to spy for the Soviets once, but after he realized how easy it was and how much money they would pay him, his thirst was unquenchable. His wife frivolously spent money they did not have, and he felt the United States owed him a debt it did not pay. Showing all the tell-tale signs of an individual ripe for treason, Ames broke from the fog of his middling career and found his true calling. Unbeknownst to the CIA, Ames was a double agent for the Soviets. Meanwhile, Aldrich Ames (the traitor) was the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer whom the United States ordered to track down the Soviet double agent (Gordievsky) providing the British with intelligence. Gordievsky and his assistance to the British intelligence service MI6 proved invaluable during the later stages of the cold war. Ben Macintyre expertly weaves stories of spycraft with the human yearning of freedom and paints Gordievsky as not only a double agent but also a defender of democracy. However, upon a deeper dive, his family and surroundings helped change his outlook on his place within the East versus West framework of international relations. His education and position within the Communist Party set him up for long-term success.

Superficially, he was born to become a spy in the service of the USSR at the height of the cold war. Colonel Oleg Anonyevich Gordievsky (the spy) is the son of a career KGB officer. The Spy and the Traitor tells the story of two men connected by fate. viii + 358 pp.Ĭommissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University) The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War.

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre