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Review
"In an era of suicide bombers and ISIS beheadings, the spy dramas of the Cold War can seem tame, almost polite affairs. Central Intelligence Agency officers who worked in the Soviet capital complained about operating under “Moscow rules,” meaning the relentless scrutiny of the K.G.B. And they knew that any Soviet citizen caught spying faced certain execution. Still, there were rules. Those rules may actually be a reason that David Hoffman’s The Billion Dollar Spy, about Adolf Tolkachev, a Soviet radar expert who spied for the C.I.A., is such an engrossing tale. The story played out over several years, almost entirely on the streets of Moscow, in a twilit chess game that pitted American intelligence officers against their Soviet counterparts."—New York Times“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. It hits the sweet spot between page-turning 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 them, the mixed motives, the risks, the almost inevitable bad end."—Washington Post"[A] dramatic spy vs. spy story, complete with a trove of trade-craft tricks, is the grist for Pulitzer Prize-winning author David E. Hoffman's scrupulously reported The Billion Dollar Spy, a true-life tale so gripping at times it reads like spy fiction ... Hoffman interviewed key players and gained access to more than 900 pages of long-secret CIA files and operational cables to fill in a crucial gap in the Cold War espionage canon."—Los Angeles Times“[The Billion Dollar Spy] packs valuable insights into the final decade of the cloak-and-dagger rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union, which came undone in 1989. It is a must-read for historians and buffs of that era, as well as aficionados of espionage ... Hoffman draws on extensive declassified CIA and FBI files and myriad other sources to chronicle how the United States gained and lost one of the elite spies of the Cold War."—Christian Science Monitor"Gripping and nerve-wracking ... Human tension hangs over every page of The Billion Dollar Spy like the smell of leaded gasoline ... Hoffman knows the intelligence world well and has expertly used recently declassified documents to tell this unsettling and suspenseful story. It is an old cliché that any true story about espionage resembles the best of John Le Carré's fiction. That’s especially true here. The Billion Dollar Spy reads like the most taut and suspenseful parts of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Smiley’s People. It’s worth the clenched jaw and upset stomach it creates."—USA Today"The Billion Dollar Spy not only chronicles the life and motives of [Soviet engineer Adolph] Tolkachev but also provides a rare look at the dangerous, intricately choreographed tradecraft behind old-school intelligence gathering ... What [Hoffman]’s accomplished here isn’t just a remarkable example of journalistic talent but also an ability to weave an absolutely gripping nonfiction narrative."—Dallas Morning News "Hoffman excels at conveying both the tradecraft and the human vulnerabilities involved in spying."—The New Yorker"David Hoffman is a scrupulous, meticulous writer whose pages of footnotes and references attest to how carefully he sticks to his sources ... His book’s value is in its true-life adventure story and the window it offers into a once-closed world."—Columbus Dispatch"The fine first sentence of The Billion Dollar Spy could almost have been written with an icicle. A work of painstaking historical research that’s paced like a thriller."—Departures"Hoffman [proves] that nonfiction can read like a John le Carré thriller ... This real-life tale of espionage will hook readers from the get-go."—Publishers Weekly, starred review"Hoffman carefully sets the scene with both cautious and free-wheeling CIA directors and staff and also provides intimate details that prove fascinating and give human faces to these brave participants, including spies often known by code names and encountered in 'fast drops.' The book’s hero—who gave the U.S. technological information worth billions, with the technology still in use today—is Adolf Tolkachev, a Russian engineer, and Hoffman’s revealing of him as a person and a spy is brilliantly done, making this mesmerizing true story scary and thrilling."—Booklist, starred review"Gripping and informative ... Focusing on Adolf Tolkachev, who served as a spy inside the Soviet Union for more than 20 years before being betrayed, the author sets out to write the story of a spy and in so doing, chronicles Cold War espionage and an overall compelling tale that draws on secret documents from the CIA as well as interviews with surviving participants. Hoffman succeeds on both accounts."—Library Journal"This painstakingly researched tale reads like le Carré"—Details“David Hoffman has written one of the best real-life spy stories ever told. This is a breakthrough book in intelligence writing, drawing on CIA operational cables—the holy grail of the spy world—to narrate each astonishing move. Hoffman reveals CIA tradecraft tricks that are more delicious than anything in a spy novel, and his command of the Soviet landscape is masterful. Full of twists so amazing you couldn’t make them up, this is spy fact that really is better than fiction.” —David Ignatius, Washington Post columnist and author of The Director“A fabulous read that also provides chilling insights into the Cold War spy game between Washington and Moscow that has erupted anew under Vladimir Putin. The Billion Dollar Spy is an espionage thriller worthy of John Le Carré but much more than that. It is also an evocative portrait of everyday life in the crumbling Soviet Union and a meticulously researched guide to CIA sources and methods. I devoured every word, including the footnotes.”—Michael Dobbs, author of One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War “A scrupulously researched work of history that is also a gripping thriller, The Billion Dollar Spy by David E. Hoffman is an unforgettable journey into Cold War espionage. This spellbinding story pulses with the dramatic tension of running an agent in Soviet-era Moscow—where the KGB is ubiquitous and CIA officers and Russian assets are prey. I was enthralled from the first instance of a CIA officer ‘going dark’ all the way to the terrible, tragic climax.” —Peter Finn, co-author of The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book “The Billion Dollar Spy reads like the very best spy fiction yet is meticulously drawn from real life. It is a gripping story of courage, professionalism, and betrayal in the secret world.”—Rodric Braithwaite, British Ambassador in Moscow, 1988-1992
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About the Author
David E. Hoffman is a contributing editor at The Washington Post and a correspondent for PBS's flagship investigative series, FRONTLINE. He is the author of The Dead Hand, about the end of the Cold War arms race, and winner of a 2010 Pulitzer Prize. He lives with his wife in Maryland.
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Product details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (July 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385537603
ISBN-13: 978-0385537605
Product Dimensions:
6.5 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.6 out of 5 stars
794 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#101,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
This is a very solid, well written and fascinating story and represents journalism at its best. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "thriller" -- it's really not that type of book -- but it is gripping throughout, and I credit Mr. Hoffman for letting the drama of the story play out on its own without the need for hype or melodrama.SPOILER ALERTMy one criticism of the book is that the person who betrays the "hero" is brought in at what seems to be the last minute, almost like an evil deus ex machina, to play his role. As a result, his part of the story seems a bit rushed and almost contrived (even though we know it is true).That said, it's still a four-star book and it's good to know that something this, well, professional can still make it to the best-seller lists.
„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.At the beginning, I hesitated in buying this book, since I read Barry Royden’s internal monograph (good, but objectively less detailed) on the operation issued in 2003, but in the end I decided to purchase the book hoping to find some missing aspects of the aforementioned account. I didn’t regret since the volume is laced with startling revelations - about double agents, human dimensions and problems, covert operations, human and technical operational capabilities, spying techniques and betrayals.For the first time, we get an in-depth story about the Adolf Tolchacev (codename CK Sphere, later GT Vanquish) operation, one of the CIA’s most productive agents, who driven by anger and vengeance, provided United States with intelligence it had never obtained. What makes this operation more audacious was the fact that all 21 personally meetings between him and his six case officers (last three of them “deep cover†officers) happened in a surveillance-heavy environment of the omnipotent KGB.The book is fast-paced and starts in the “Prologue†part with such a meeting which took part in December 1982, introducing - apart the case officer W. Plunkert – a CIA device, simply called Jack-in-the-box (JIB), designed to escape from KGB surveillance. Throughout the book’s 21 chapters the author uncovers several espionage techniques to “move through the gapâ€, that is, avoid blanket surveillance, and allow CIA to carry out its life-and-death meetings with its valuable source:, identity transfer/deception and street disguise, out-of-country scenarios, JIB or surveillance detection runs. Among electronic devices the book reveals Discus, Buster SRAC device, IOWL or Iskra. Cameras, such as Tropel T50/100, a wonder of optical engineering, or Pentax ME 35mm and Molly are also presented.Next to Tolkachev’s profile, stand those of his handlers, no doubt, CIA’s crème de la crème: J. Guilsher, D. Rolph, W. Plunkert or “deep cover officers†such R. Morris and P. Stombaugh. (and John Yeagley, not mentioned in the book). Their dedication and sacrifice were amply described in the book; for their huge contribution, perhaps they should be called “billion dollar case officersâ€. Their patience, quick decisions and attitude help enormously to run this operation. In the opposite corner, in my opinion, stand DCI S. Turner “strange†decisions not to pursue Tolkachev initiative, almost close not to have such a crown jewel of human source.No doubt, Tolkachev was a complex and delicate man to handle with many switches or problems; the author presented the long debates about his money demands, suicide-pill request, exfiltration plans or the difficult moments of that risky relationship.In addition, there is a good presentation of the Moscow CsOS namely R. M. Fulton, G. Hathaway, B. Gerber or C. E. Gerbhardt; oddly, there is not a single paragraph about Murat Natirboff, who held this position from 1984 to 09.1986.Mr. Hoffman dedicated a good portion of the book for presenting the Cold War context or previous cases or other operations. It is a sound idea: the readers can find compelling details about Penkovsky, Popov, Golitsin, Ogorodnik or Sheymov cases among others.Moreover, the author also addresses to a technical operations conducted in that period - CK Elbow wiretap (later GT/Taw, I guessed); sadly, there were no details about GT Absorb, in my opinion, an equally interesting operation.Finally, in chapter 16 (“Seeds of betrayalâ€), the author takes the readers inside the motives, frustrations and problems of E. Howard in revealing Tolkachev’s identity to the Soviets. He betrayed not only this source, but also a variety of CIA tradecraft procedures and capabilities: CK Elbow, JIB or his “deep cover†colleagues’ identities. CIA also made a huge mistake in protecting their source by losing three pages from a top-secret Tolkachev document, a fact revealed on page 238.The formidable impact of Tolkachev intelligence is summarized in “Note on the intelligence†section: he delivered design and capabilities of radars deployed on MIG-23/29 fighters and MIG-25/31 interceptors, plus SU-27 multirole fighter and IL-76 AWACS. No wonder, after 1985 the Soviets started a long process to modify their radars and avionics, developing a long series of updates for MIG-29/31 or SU-27. Moreover, he compromised the technical deficiencies of the Soviet SAM radars to intercept penetrators at low altitudes (B-1 B bomber or cruise missiles). Never before a U.S. intel source opened such a window on Soviet intentions and capabilities. As the author stated, his intelligence produced a major impact on the training of US pilots and ensured that US would enjoy almost total air superiority over Soviet-built fighters for more than two decades.The book is filled with 30+ B&W photos, showing, mainly, A. Tolkachev and some case officers.In the conclusion part -“Epilogueâ€- the author analyses the application of the Tolchacev vast intelligence in a short aerial combat episode during Operation Desert Storm.The study concludes with a very useful four-page “Note on the intelligenceâ€, complemented by „Acknowledgementsâ€, an extensive „Notes†section (32 pages) and the usual index.Energetically written and lucid, it makes an ideal lecture for all Cold War enthusiasts, buffs and pros alike. Highly recommended!
Spoiler Alert – this review, like all my reviews – presumes you have already read the book! Original research makes "The Billion Dollar Spy" much more than just a rehash of the known facts of a decades-old case. Former Washington Post investigative reporter David E. Hoffman has unearthed a trove of documents and interviewed dozens of sources. The result is an authentic contribution to our knowledge of Cold War history. While he might not have spoken the last word, this outstanding book is likely to be as close as any Western journalist is able to come for the foreseeable future. One wonders if it has been optioned for a movie, perhaps something along the lines of Billy Ray's "Breach." One problem with a film version is that the story of Adolf Tolkachev, of course, lacks a Hollywood happy ending. From early on, Washington wrestled with the dilemma that, although we knew this Soviet scientist was putting his life in danger, his information was so valuable that we were reluctant to exfiltrate him. The Agency was the addict, and he was for a time virtually the only supplier. To be fair, ultimately it was Tolkachev himself who insisted on continuing his work, thus placing both himself and his unwitting family at risk. Still, we never put our foot down. When it comes to how the case was handled, Hoffman's bias – understandable, in light of the evidence he presents – is in favor of the locals, the hands-on operatives stationed in Moscow, and against their superiors in DC, who often come off as out of touch with the reality on the ground. Looking at the degree of incompetence they displayed, it is hard to dispute this assessment. For instance, when Soviet sources started to disappear, Washington reflexively reacted by suspecting the Marines and low-level Russian help in the US embassy, launching an extended and mostly fruitless witch-hunt. Though some leaks were found (remember Clayton Lonetree?), only belatedly did the real traitors come to light. Without exception, they turned out to be red-blooded Americans in the homeland, including Aldrich Ames and the deeply religious Bob Hansson. It seems, though, that the first to betray Tolkachev was Edward Lee Howard. Portrayed here as a loser – utterly devoid of any motive beyond anger, spite and greed – Howard should never have been recruited at all, but the Agency failed to figure this out until the eve of his deployment, having already put him through rigorous training. Only at the last minute, when he failed one lie detector test after another, did they unceremoniously cut him loose and cast him back into civilian life, without bothering to provide effective counseling or later checking up on him regularly. Tolkachev betrayed his country because it had unjustly imprisoned and executed close family relatives; Howard because he felt disrespected. Hoffman asserts that Tolkachev was the victim of "betrayal from within [the CIA]." (pg. 218) While this is correct as far as it goes, based on his own evidence there is plenty of blame to go around. Take the FBI. On the one hand, he argues that if the bureau's surveillance of Howard had been minimally competent, he would never have gotten out of Albuquerque. The rookie agent the FBI assigned to watch him was, according to their own internal review, "less than adequate," a bureaucratic euphemism for "totally incompetent." On the other hand, Hoffman also implies – somewhat inconsistently – that the CIA had trained Howard so well that the FBI was simply no match for him. To provide background on Tolkachev's family, Hoffman draws on both unpublished archival material and personal contacts in Russia, though to a far lesser extent than in the chapters that focus on America. His – or more likely the Agency's – translations into English come across as correct if occasionally stilted: "I consider that I have the normal attachment to the family that exists in mankind." The index is frequently inaccurate when it comes to names mentioned in the footnotes. Readers have compared "The Million Dollar Spy" to John le Carré's novels, and there may be something to this beyond just atmospherics. Personally, I find intriguing similarities between Tolkachev and Goethe, the scientist who passed on valuable information in le Carré's "The Russia House." If Goethe's message was, "Our stuff doesn't work," Tolkachev's was, "We are years behind; Soviet air defense systems are weak." Similarly on the issue of how to respond to the US cruise missile threat: "We have just started to study the problem." Assuming for the moment le Carré did base his hero in part on Tolkachev, it comes as little surprise that he dropped the character's first name, discarding the unfortunate "Adolf" in favor of the much better – but still German – cover name "Goethe." One major difference, of course, is that Tolkachev spied for the US, whereas le Carré's hero contacts the British.
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