Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous informative tense medium-paced

4.0

 
Friends, you may notice that this book is incredibly unlike anything I've read before. I mean I did read that spy novel that was one of Obama's fav's one year, American Spy, but mostly because Obama recommended it. (And really I don't see that many spy novels by Black women from major imprints..so I was all about supporting that). In any case, it's probably not a major surprise that I only picked this one up after a recommendation from a friend. (In a very on-brand turn of events, I spent quite a bit of time at a bachelorette party a few months ago, albeit a nerdy one, discussing books with the other attendees.This one was recommended by the maid of honor.) After finishing up Hidden Figures last week, I just felt like being on a roll with Cold War era nonfiction, and decided to give this one a chance. And here we are. 
 
For over a decade in the 1970s-80s, Oleg Gordievsky, descended from a KGB family and a high-ranking KGB officer himself, acted as a spy for MI6. During the height of the Cold War, Gordievsky passed internal information about the Soviet state-of-mind and the KGB structure to Britain, helping prevent armed conflict, political catastrophe, and, in all likelihood, saving thousands of lives. In 1985, his cover was blown and he activated the exfiltration plan to help him escape from the heart of Soviet Russia, that MI6 had had in place since the start of his service to Britain...and the improbable extraction was on. 
 
While I can say for sure that I am not suddenly a convert to the spy-game narrative, I also have to be honest and tell you that I got way more invested in this particular tale than I had expected to be. I mean, considering the topic, I assumed it'd at least be interesting, but I also found myself doing quite a bit of additional Google-ing and making my partner listen to my highly-detailed recaps of the myriad nigh-on-unbelievable aspects of this story (usually a very clear indication that I'm really enjoying a read). So yes, this true spy story was riveting. This is clearly the story (or at least one of a few such stories) that has inspired an untold number of spin-off book series and movies. It's the kind of over-the-top-complex-secret-codes, perfectly-timed-actions, almost-everything-comes-down-to-luck-or-coincidence, that makes real life sometimes even less believable than fiction (and sometimes would even be disbelieved in fiction). There are cloak-and-dagger "lose your tail" situations, double-crosses, suspicion and paranoia, unnecessarily complicated signals and communication methods, betrayals, difficult decision making and enough secrets to satisfy even the most jaded spy-thriller-reader. There was so much tension and it was all real! Like, truly incredible. 
 
 Within the greater story that was just overall fascinating, there were a couple specific points that stuck out to me, for a variety of reasons. First, and hilariously, I laughed so hard at the “tried to turn him by blackmail cause he was caught buying gay porn magazines mostly out of surprise that it was legal and then didn’t fall for the ‘bait’ cause he wasn’t actually gay” anecdote. Like seriously, high quality ridiculous (unintended) humor. I loved the focus that Macintyre put on the unprecedented decisions towards cooperation by MI5 and MI6 internally, as well as to slow burn the output of Gordievsky's intelligence internationally/externally, that set this situation up to be the unique (and not "end in disaster") success situation that it became. I want to hit all government officials over the head with it: see how cooperation and patience and care and seeing a bigger picture are rewarded! In addition to the general instrumental de-escalation of Cold War tensions, I think the most impressive (and unacknowledged, world-changing) role he played, at least for this reader, was the invisible hand mediating the first meeting between Gorbachev and Thatcher. He, essentially, scripted the meeting from both sides, providing the chance for these two leaders and their countries to chart a newer, less hostile, course forwards. Absolutely amazing. Finally, on a less inspiring note, I heaved a great sighing "of course" of disappointment (but sadly, not surprise) to read that the person who blew Gordievsky's cover (along with many other agent deaths) was a mediocre white man in America who felt he deserved more (in general and financially) just by...existing as a mediocre white man in America. UGH. 
 
Towards the end, when Macintyre reflects on his interviews and time spent with Gordievsky during the information gathering phase of writing this book, he says something along the lines of Gordievsky seeming to be the "bravest and loneliest" man he'd ever met. And that felt just right. With so much secrecy in his life, he was unable, for many (and formative) years to be fully open with his wife and daughters and there is truly no way to overcome that kind of gap. He paid such a large personal price in his pursuit of living his ideals and morals, and showed immense, unimaginable, bravery while doing so. This biography kept my attention from start to finish, an absolutely page-turning life story that I sometimes couldn't believe was real. Very solid bachelorette party book rec. 
 
“Paranoia is born of propaganda, ignorance, secrecy, and fear.” 
 
“Everyone rehearses their recollections, believing that the more often an event is remembered, the closer we come to its reality. This is not always true. Most people tell a version of the past, and then either stick to or embellish it.” 
 
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