While looking for new books I stumbled across this title. I had recently read a few books about spies, so decided to give this one a go.
This book covers a vast amount of time, thereby making it a great introductory book into the world of intelligence between the Soviet Union and the United States and Great Britain primarily.
The book can only provide an overview of the stories involved. If there is a particular spy story that catches your interest you can always find a detailed book about that event. For example Walton makes reference to the defection of Oleg Gordievsky including how one of the women assisting in the escape changed her baby’s diaper on the trunk of the car to prevent the border control dogs from discovering Gordievsky in the trunk. Ben Macintyre outlines Gordievsky’s life and escape in The Spy and the Traitor (which I highly recommend).
The last chapter of the book pivoted away from Russia and focused on China. Perhaps if Walton had spent more time on China earlier in the book this transition could have been better. As it was it didn’t seem to fit into the context of the book.
Overall I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars if the last chapter had been excluded or had been introduced throughout the book. Since it was not I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Saint Petersburg, Russia, Thursday 2:00AM.
The streets were nearly empty as the night’s freeze started to really settle in. The season was changing as fall was quickly ceding to winter. The temperature had plunged well below freezing and no self respecting person would be walking the streets at an hour like this.
However there were still places where entertainment could be found. Those few souls who happened to be roaming streets were most likely stumbling toward home after a night of drinking and dancing at places like the Neon Bar or the Fish Fabrique, where the techno beats would shatter the silence of the night as patrons exited. For ordinary people this was the top of the line. The most exclusive and exotic night of entertainment required an invitation to the Octyaberskya Enbankment.
Up to 125 invitations would be sent out on a given night and there were another 25 regulars who required no invitation. Once you reached this stratosphere the evenings entertainment was complimentary. The building had no name and those who had been inside simply referred ...
