Hoffman presents the events in such a way the raises the stakes of each operation to its peak. The billion dollar spy a true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e. The movie, written by ben august remember, will be produ. Hoffmans look into the story of tolkachev, the billiondollar spy, is exciting and thrilling, while also being a tragic emotional roller coaster. He provided a road map to the united states for compromising and defeating two critical soviet weapons systems. Waterstones nonfiction book of the month august 2018 and a sunday times bestseller an astonishingly detailed picture. From the author of the pulitzer prizewinning history the dead hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the cias moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the cold war while driving out of the american embassy in moscow on the evening of. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of they can see a stick of butter from space claire bernish. British director amma asante will helm the film adaptation of david e.
It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character study of spies. July 7, 2015 a thoroughly researched excavation of an astoundingly important and sadly sacrificed spy for the cia during the low point of the 1970s. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character.
The billion dollar spy the billion dollar spy audiobook, by david e. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of video. The billion dollar spy, unintentionally i think evokes a famous item from studies in intelligence many years ago, the million dollar photograph. Its worth the clenched jaw and upset stomach it creates. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e.
Now, the former senior kgb spy, to whom the us paid seven million dollars for moscows file on the mole, is identified by both his real and code names. It is a gripping story of courage, professionalism, and betrayal in the secret world. We also learn growing up in the 70s and 80s, the cold war and its concomitant threat of nuclear extinction was constantly in our faces in the form of. The billion dollar spy is the true story of an electronics engineer at a secret military aviation institute in moscow who for almost seven years provided the cia with a huge volume of sensitive and valuable intelligence on soviet research and development r%d activities concerning radars, avionics, aa missiles, and other technologies. Hoffman will describe this singularlyimportant operation, based on declassified cia cables and his new book, the billion dollar spy, and argue that despite the many achievements of technology in espionage, human sources are still vital. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e hoffman americas most successful spy in moscow paid with his.
The billion dollar spy download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The billion dollar spy quotes showing of 45 the one thing that proved to me you were cia and not kgb is when you gave me those medicines to test on my daughter. Smashwords the billion dollar spy summary a book by. Capitol in size has managed to keep to the shadows while. The billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting, and finally dismaying, for being true. With the money comes a prophecy that he must use it to give humanity back its lost future. From the author of the pulitzer prizewinning history the dead hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the cias moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the cold war while driving out of the american embassy in moscow on the evening of february 16. Book discussion on the billion dollar spy internet archive. From the author of the pulitzer prizewinning history the dead hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the cias moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the cold war while driving out of the american embassy in moscow on the evening of february 16, 1978, the chief. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal author. Working at the soviet radar design bureau phazotron as one of the chief designers, tolkachev. Air force adolf tolkachev is shown here on vacation near the baltic sea in. Break out of quarantine mode with clint emerson wed, april 29, 2020 5. The billion dollar spy tolkachev was one of the cias most productive agents of the cold war, providing the united states with intelligence no other spy had ever obtained.
A thoroughly researched excavation of an astoundingly important and sadly sacrificed spy for the cia during the low point of the 1970s. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of the. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal duration. Billion dollar business idea billionaire igor rybakov, the best russian entrepreneur in interview duration. The true story of a man who became the pentagons most valuable spy during the last years of the cold war. Eine billion dollar is a 2001 novel by german writer andreas eschbach. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal, new york, doubleday, 2015, isbn 9780385537605 about beriev a50 1,237 words view diff case mismatch in snippet view article find links to article. How a billion dollar spy stole soviet secrets and helped. If you have not yet bought the original copy, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial summary from abookaday. Click download or read online button to get the billion dollar spy book now. It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character study of spies and the spies who run.
Steve vogel the berlin tunnel and an epic tale of cold war. Hoffman is a scrupulous, meticulous writer whose pages of footnotes and references attest to how carefully he sticks to his sources. Every meeting, whether between tolkachev or another of the spies featured in the book is supplemented by the exact right. The nga stands for the national geospatialintelligence agency and its basically in charge of all the ultrahigh definition imagery that our satellites and. Read the billion dollar spy a true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e. David hoffman, author of the billion dollar spy initially, the cia was suspicious of soviet aviation expert adolf tolkachev. As is the style of histories published these days, the billion dollar spy opens not at the beginning of the story but with a dramatic event briefly recountedin this case, a cia officers attempt in december 1982 to recontact tolkachev, who had not been able to communicate for several months. Hoffman details the account of a spy in the cold war so valuable, the united. The pulitzer pricewinning russian affairs expert zooms in on the true saga of a soviet engineerthe spy of the titlewho passed the cia billions of dollars worth of top secret intel right under the nose of the kgb, passing off notes into waiting cars and employing other bondworthy tactics to help the u. The seven million dollar spy reveals, for the first time, the inside story of the dramatic us counterintelligence operation that resulted in the capture of the most dangerous mole working for russia inside us intelligence. The world can be a very dangerous placeand hopefully one day well get back out there. It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character study of spies and the. Tolkachevs story is detailed in 944 pages of previously secret cia cables about the operation that were declassified without condition for the forthcoming book the billion dollar spy.
From 1979 until 1985, the cia ran an immensely productive spy in the heart of the soviet militaryindustrial complex in moscow. Upcoming events at the international spy museum in washington dc. Rodric braithwaite, british ambassador in moscow, 19881992. The billion dollar spy movie is currently in development. Hoffman an intricate, mesmerizing portrayal of the kgbcia spy culture. While most americans would consider the cia, and perhaps the nsa, household names, one u. The billion dollar spy is a pageturner that stands up to any spy novel, not only for its lively writing, but also because it isnt just based on a true story, it is a true story. The date is supplied courtesy of a september 25, 1986 politburo document referring to tolkachevs execution yesterday note however that the prevailing tolkachev story as presented in this post is disputed by cia historian benjamin fischer, who has argued that adolf tolkachev was a kgb prank on its opposite number in the cold wars spy vs.
How a billion dollar spy stole soviet secrets and helped the u. Hoffmans the billion dollar spy the billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting. Amma asante will direct the film adaptation of david e. The billion dollar spy is the fascinating true story of adolf tolkachev, a soviet engineer who for personal reasons wanted to pass critical engineering secrets to the united states.