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72 reviews for:
The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War
Antonio J. Méndez
3.82 AVERAGE
72 reviews for:
The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War
Antonio J. Méndez
3.82 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book. It caught my eye because the author was the man behind the Argo story. This book, unsurprisingly, makes no mention of the Iran caper. Instead it focuses entirely on running operations in Russia/the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The stories/cases are well explained and very interesting. My main critique is the book becomes a bit repetitive, as it seems it's mostly the same small set of problems that must be confronted over and over. That said, if you are interested in Cold War espionage, the book is worth the read.
Amazing stories of spycraft in the cold war. If you have any interest in spy tactics/ intelligence operations, this is worthwhile.
Unfortunately, there is no greater narrative, there are just a couple of snapshots covered. The author generally sticks to the timeline in which stories happened but sometimes he jumps around a but to create suspense. I think this is unnecessary and adds to confusion / results in repetition (like in the jack-in-the-box story we see the first deployment in moscow but backtrack and then cover that first deployment again. As a result, JIB info is repeated. Things like spy dust however are mentioned with the expectation you know what they are/ how they work).
I am interested in reading the books by Tony and Jonna (and learning more about spy dust).
Unfortunately, there is no greater narrative, there are just a couple of snapshots covered. The author generally sticks to the timeline in which stories happened but sometimes he jumps around a but to create suspense. I think this is unnecessary and adds to confusion / results in repetition (like in the jack-in-the-box story we see the first deployment in moscow but backtrack and then cover that first deployment again. As a result, JIB info is repeated. Things like spy dust however are mentioned with the expectation you know what they are/ how they work).
I am interested in reading the books by Tony and Jonna (and learning more about spy dust).
informative
medium-paced
Life is often more fascinating than fiction. An excellent example is to compare any spy movie set in Moscow with The Moscow Rules by Antonio J. Mendez and Jonna Mendez. The complexity of living and working in a constant state of danger was incredible. Although the Mendezes were not assigned to Moscow, they were directly involved in designing the tools that allowed Americans to work without the KBG observing them.
Each chapter begins with one of the rules, although there are many that are not used in the book. The Introduction starts with this rule, "Don't harass the opposition." An American was attacked by an FSB (KBG'snewest form) member who tried to stop him by physically assaulting him. The author ties the aggression of the Russians in 2016 to the Soviets in 1986.
There were two aspects of this book that stayed with me. One was the way the authors show how it is really a team and not one person interacting with the opposition. Everyone is essential to have success. The other aspect was that the Russian FSB is using the Soviet playbook updated with today's technology. I highly recommend The Moscow Rules to anyone who is interested in international relations, the US/Russian relationship, and/or the cold war.
I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Each chapter begins with one of the rules, although there are many that are not used in the book. The Introduction starts with this rule, "Don't harass the opposition." An American was attacked by an FSB (KBG'snewest form) member who tried to stop him by physically assaulting him. The author ties the aggression of the Russians in 2016 to the Soviets in 1986.
There were two aspects of this book that stayed with me. One was the way the authors show how it is really a team and not one person interacting with the opposition. Everyone is essential to have success. The other aspect was that the Russian FSB is using the Soviet playbook updated with today's technology. I highly recommend The Moscow Rules to anyone who is interested in international relations, the US/Russian relationship, and/or the cold war.
I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was great! I can confidently say that I enjoy espionage non-fiction over fiction. Knowing that these stories actually happened makes it all so much more compelling. I first heard of the authors, Antonio and Jonna Mendez, when they were interviewed on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!". They're careers are straight out of Mission Impossible, and it fascinates me to think that some of the things we see in the movies are actually used in real life. 4.5 stars, strongly recommend if you're a big fan of spy-thrillers.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
A really cool history of cold war era CIA HUMINT operations in the ultimate denied area: Moscow. I was particularly amused by how they sought out magicians to teach them tricks of deception and disguise that made it possible to outmaneuver the KGB.
Great book for those of us who aren't always big on monfiction. I first heard of Jonna Mendez from Wired's Technique Critique series on YouTube. It's incredible to listen to (or read about) professionals who have been in their field a long time. Some of the stuff in this book sounded straight out of a spy movie. My favorite was the accounts of disguise and the concept of using "the gap" to lose surveillance. An absolutely fascinating book. There were a lot of weird typos and spelling inconsistencies, almost like it was never fully edited, but that didn't get in the way of my immensely enjoying it.