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The Illegals
Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West
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Brief Description
The Cold War had been over for two decades when, in 2010, ten Russian agents were arrested in the United States after a decade-long FBI operation. Among the spies were three couples who had lived as Americans for years, and one agent who had lived undercover...
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Format: Hardback
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A pacy, character-driven history of the KGB's deepest cover spies in the West, a system that took decades to unravel
A pacy, character-driven history of the KGB's deepest cover spies in the West, a system that took decades to unravel
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Description
The Cold War had been over for two decades when, in 2010, ten Russian agents were arrested in the United States after a decade-long FBI operation. Among the spies were three couples who had lived as Americans for years, and one agent who had lived undercover for so long that he could barely even speak Russian. They had hidden their true identities from their children, neighbours, and even their partners.
The Illegals captures the untold history of Russia's deep cover spy programme, following its evolution from the talented "great Illegals" of the 1920s and '30s up to the 21st century, when agents maintained their fake identities and loyalties even after the fall of the Soviet Union. Through hundreds of interviews and access to never-before-seen archives, Shaun Walker exposes the colourful history of the KGB's most secretive espionage project.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781788167772
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 17 April 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Illustration: 8pp b&w plate section
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 41.0mm
Width: 155.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 680g
Pages: 448
About the Author
Shaun Walker is a foreign correspondent for the Guardian, currently covering central and eastern Europe. He was the Guardian's Moscow Correspondent between 2013 and 2018, prior to which he spent six years as Moscow Correspondent for the Independent. He studied Russian and Soviet History at Oxford University.
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The Illegals
Absolutely fascinating Andrew Marr An Economist Book of the Year 2025 An i Paper Book of the Year 2025 A brilliant historical investigation that's as gripping as a Le Carré novel Tom Burgis In 2010, two decades after the Cold War had ended, ten Russian spies were arrested in America, having hidden their true identities from their friends, neighbours and...PaperbackSold Out
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