Cold war espionage was a nightmare of errors, seen darkly in a wilderness of mirrors, raining desperate deceptions in a climate of treason, with assassins trading in treachery using hidden hands running invisible governments. In a tale that reads more like a novel than a piece of nonfiction, hoffman takes his audience through the moment that adolf tolkachev, a soviet designer and engineer, first approaches moscows cia station chief to defect to the united states, all. Please note that im partial to historical fiction about espionage that has a literary flair. Gulf war fiction mainly bears the names of exsas soldiers in big letters over a. For older teens, the libraries adult section has a lot of great fiction and nonfiction books on the subject too.
The recommendations below originally ran on pursuit and are reproduced here with permission a spy among friends, by ben macintyre. Jan 27, 2012 in fact, the rcmp and now csis modeled their own organizations a great deal by what the east germans were doing at the time, everything from their so called disruption tactics against targets basically ruining a targets life and gang stalking techniques to the use of i. Victor cherkashin, author, gregory feifer, author basic books. He was also an exceptional writer who gave us the great iconic story of the cold war and. A vacuum cleaner retailer accepts a side job as a spy to help support his daughter. The cold war is revisited twenty years after its ending, with the use of new archives and memories of its contemporaries. About the poverty of berlin in the 40s, about survival, about the exploitation of a writer as an agent of the cia. Some of historys greatest spy fiction writersincluding john le carre, ian fleming, and graham greenewere spies themselves, and drew on that experience when writing their famous fictional spy books. These war books are the most compelling that have ever been written. It was time for its writers to find new enemies, writes jane ciabattari. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading trumans spy.
Childrens nonfiction history military wars books alibris. The best in spy fiction for a secretive industry, the business of espionage is one many readers feel they understand. Five great books about spies and the cia short stack. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read encyclopedia of cold war espionage, spies, and secret operations. The british traitor guy burgess, one of the infamous cambridge five spy ring, was notorious for his drunkenness, lack of personal hygiene, and proclivity for picking up younger men in public places when homosexual liaisons were prosecuted. After a stint as a writer for spy magazine, scovell entered the tv world where she wrote lines for some of the funniest characters on television. A jazz obsessive and nature enthusiast he is the author of the definitive work on how to look after a gorilla, he is seen today as one of mi5s greatest spymasters, a man who did more than any other to break up british fascism during the second world war in spite of having once belonged to the british fascisti. M by henry hemming 2018 maxwell knight was a paradox. Imagine if the number 2 or 3 person at the cia was a soviet agent. He is the author of the oligarchs and of the dead hand, about the end of the cold war arms race, and winner of a 2010 pulitzer prize. Apr 15, 2015 here are my picks for the best spy novels of 2015. A cold war spy thriller kindle edition by hynd, noel. A novel of the cia 2002 spans fortyfive years of cia history, beginning at berlin base in the 1950s during the height of the cold war, then detailing the hungarian revolution of 1956, the 1961 bay of pigs invasion, and afghanistan in the 1980s. The top one or two books in each category are listed at the beginning of each page.
Jan 01, 2004 encyclopedia of cold war espionage, spies, and secret operations ebook written by r. Books about espionage before and during world war ii hitlers spy chief. Can anyone recommend some good nonfiction spy books. The third book in tom clancys perennially bestselling jack ryan series is arguably one of the best of the bunch. Modern library 100 best nonfiction books found in reference. Aside from being wildly popular with readers and a useful guide to the burgeoning literature of espionage, the book was also. This summer marks the 100year anniversary of the start of world war i. A coffin for dimitrios depends on what qualifies as a spy novel. Delivering an account of the first month of world war i in 1914, tuchman tells not just a war story, but an event that would upend the modern world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In those days, many of the spy fiction writers had served in world war ii. Gaddis objectively analyses the events of the war as well as the reasons for such a turn of events.
It is set during the arms race in the heart of the cold war and revolved around the star war missile defense system. This espionage fiction book, which includes historical cold war photographs many of which are taken by the author himself, is the first in a series involving the lead character agent jack stone. The spy who came in from the cold book by john le carre. If you think we missed any, be sure to let us know in the comments. The wilhelm canaris story by richard bassett the secret history of world war ii the woman who smashed codes. The best books on forgotten cold war thrillers five. Insider spy fiction has a special claim to authenticity, and overlaps with biographical and other documentary accounts of secret service. Encyclopedia of cold war espionage, spies, and secret operations. During the cold war the cias premier agent in the soviet union was a highlevel intelligence officer named oleg penkovsky.
Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and. The spy who came in from the cold is not just an espionage thriller, its a horror story. Jan 01, 2017 it has been a banner year for spy thrillers and espionage novels, with new books from some of the masters of the genre. Best espionage books nonfiction some of the best books about real life spies and espionage. The books title is a geographic reference to an actual place in time a military base that was at the center of the drug war, deep inside the jungles of southern colombia. But when you read some of the remarkable true stories in the great spy books listed below, you may begin to wonder if le carre and his compatriots left the good parts out of their novels. In 1959, graham greene and his brother, the journalist hugh greene, published an anthology of spy literature titled the spys bedside book, an amalgam of fiction, reporting, and memoir that helped define the genre for decades to come. It inspired john le carres smiley novels and the later espionage novels of graham greene. The best nonfiction books by category in addition to the top 10 nonfiction books listed above, i have put together more specific book recommendations by category.
Whether youre a history buff wellversed in the events of the great war, or someone who has just begun to be curious, weve got a collection of books to help you navigate the complex, fearsome, and fascinating facts and stories of the devastating conflict that shook the world. Mar 29, 2016 not many books play the cold war for comedy. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. When it comes to reading nonfiction works on the cold war, john gaddis is a recognised historian of the epoque. After two years of careful consideration, robert mccrum has concluded his selection of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. The resurgence of cold war fiction coincides with the enormous popularity of cold war movies, notably bridge of spies, and television series like the americans. It isnt about us, the victors, its about them, the germans. Some of these thrillers may make the bestseller lists, and others may prove to have a narrower reader appeal. Many authors of spy fiction have themselves been intelligence officers working for british agencies such as mi5 or mi6, or american agencies such as the oss or its successor, the cia.
What follows is the 4 best nonfiction books about war, many of which have been turned into movies and tv shows. Pages in category cold war spy novels the following 43 pages are in this category, out of 43 total. Because of diverse subjects touched on in code name verity, there are a variety of nonfiction books that may interest fans of this wwii story. The true story of the highestranking cia officer ever convicted of espionage and the son he trained to spy for russia by. These eight books below all cover a different, reallife aspect of espionage history, and recount it in brilliant, gripping detail. See more ideas about novels, books and books to read. The 16 best spy novels by reallife spies we all love reading spy novels, but sometimes we cringe at how they stretch credibility. A true story of love, spies, and the unlikely heroine who outwitted americas enemies by jason fagonean extraordinary woman codebreaker who caught. Author jeremy duns says maksim isaev was a kind of soviet james bond and when they rerun the old black and white tv shows the russian crime rate drops because everyone is indoors watching them. These books are not just about spies but also about intelligence agencies. Since you are interested in double agents, i have two book recommendations about the same thing. Az entries provide a fascinating glimpse into the subterranean world, events, people and operations of the cold war.
Nonfiction books about united states intelligence agencies. For two years in the early 1960s he supplied the cia with highly classified information on soviet rocket strength and strat. It has so many appeal factors that ensure it will be a hit with a variety of teen readers. Nov 07, 2014 how the end of the cold war changed spy fiction when the berlin wall came down, spy fiction would never be the same again. Written from moscow in 1967, my silent war shook the world and introduced a new archetype in fiction. Graham greene was one of the few writers to notice that in the deadly seriousness of the contest, in its absurd thirst for the smallest scrap of intelligence, and in the humorlessness and fallibility of those who played it, it was rich in comic possibility. The spy who came in from the cold 1963 eric ambler. It was given new impetus by the development of fascism and communism in the leadup to world war ii, continued to develop. Remembering world war i with 10 astounding books barnes. The untold story of the american spy who helped win world war ii by. British mi5 agent alec leamas, the eponymous hero of john le carres brutal little espionage masterpiece the spy who came in from the cold, discovers that being a secret agent at the height of the cold war is a little like being a man outside in the cold, looking in on the friendly. The greatest missions of the israeli michael barzohar. The 14 best military nonfiction books of alltime paul szoldra. From glossy interiors books that will inspire you to revamp your home to moving memoirs and biographies, weve rounded up some of the best nonfiction.
Jul 15, 2015 i am describing the following books because i have read them and they are worth a read, boy they are a must read. Non fiction childrens books hay festival telegraph bookshop. Journey into fear 1940 on the cover of my old paperback of the spy who came in from. Cold war spy series the americans taps into todays. The setting may be the most familiar one in cold war fiction, but the theme isnt.
Not completely sure if we can call this non fiction since thermonuclear war never became a reality thanks goodness, but hermann kahns on thermonuclear war was the theoretical basis of all the strategic decision leading to what is now known as cold war. Just as suspenseful and heartpounding as a good thriller, spy novels have the added benefit of hightech equipment, intense action scenes, and insight into the inner workings of everything from corrupt governments to military task forces. Berlin city of spies is a tale of espionage set in cold war berlin during the 1970s 1980s, weaving its way to intriguing events in 2000s. Perhaps the most comprehensive political primer in spy fiction, robert littells the company. Purchase the book to read or get this 30day free trial to amazon kindle unlimited to download and read the books for free. Oct 27, 2015 during the cold war the cias premier agent in the soviet union was a highlevel intelligence officer named oleg penkovsky. Nov 15, 20 in addition to be a very compelling story of friendship during war, its a thrilling spy novel. Tom clancy firing point jack ryan universe release date. Top spy thrillers and espionage novels of 2015 jefferson. And, whether in fact or fiction, the literature of espionage continues to fascinate us with the enduring question of whether some kinds of dark, loathsome conduct may. What are good books nonfiction about spies written by. Foremost is the exceptional novel charlotte gray 1998.
Readers can look to the literary spy novel to glide beneath the noise of headlines and see a complex world through the knowing eyes of empathetic characters. Spy fiction, a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device, emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligence agencies. Many also happen to be written by exagents and analysts and retired military personnel. If you are looking for standout spy thrillers, here are 10 of the all time top spy novels. The best books on forgotten cold war thrillers recommended by jeremy duns. Im fascinated by spy books, intelligence histories, cia memoirs, kgb confessionals. Andys trusty sidekick in espionage, sherlock, er opie. When pursuit managing editor kim green and executive editor hal humphreys, who have also worked as radio producers for npr, got in touch to find out if we had recommendations for spyrelated fiction, we had just the man for the job. Modesty enjoys an enviable body of quality prose fiction. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen genres of vietnam war books from war narrative to immigrant story, from mystery to political, from metafiction to historical and even dark comedy. Hoffman immerses his readers in the deception of cold war espionage in his book, the billion dollar spy. The ten best spy novels you never heard of the hawaii.
The cia and the cult of intelligence covert warfare. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The spy who came in from the cold by john le carre 1963 when the young david cornwell, an intelligence officer working for mi6, published his pseudonymous. When we think about contemporary war books, literary fiction is often not what comes to mind. Cold war spy fiction book berlin city of spies by gary. The billion dollar spy a true story of cold war espionage. Perhaps its because i grew up during the cold war, when a firm line was drawn between good guys and bad. Both books are about the cambridge five, a small ring of soviet spies who worked in british intelligence from the beginnings of ww2 up through the early 60s when they were caught. Hoffman is a contributing editor at the washington post and a correspondent for pbss flagship investigative series, frontline. How the end of the cold war changed spy fiction bbc. Dec 09, 2011 first, you have to ask how the cold war affected the spy novel. When the pilot she loves is shot down over occupied france, a young scottish woman joins british intelligence and is sent to france to work for the resistance.
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