Overview

The astonishing but true story of one of the most notorious spy cases from the Cold War--and the international manhunt that seized global attention as it revealed the shadowy world of deep cover KGB operatives. The dramatic arrest in London on January 7, 1961 of five Soviet spies made headlines worldwide and had repercussions around the globe. Alerted by the CIA, Britain's security service, MI5, had discovered two British spies stealing invaluable secrets from the highly sensitive submarine research center at Portland, UK. Their controller, Gordon Lonsdale, was a Canadian who frequently visited a middle-aged couple, the Krogers, in their sleepy London suburb. But the seemingly unassuming Krogers were revealed to be deep cover American KGB spies--infamous undercover agents the FBI had been hunting for years--and they were just one part of an extensive network of Soviet operatives in the UK. In the wake of the spies' sensational trial, the FBI uncovered the true identity of the enigmatic Lonsdale--Konon Molody, a Russian who had lived in California before being recruited by the KGB. Molody opened secret talks with MI5 to betray Russia, but before he had the chance, the KGB blackmailed Britain into spy swaps for him and the Krogers. Based on revelatory, newly-released archival material and inside sources from around the world, Dead Doubles follows the hunt for the highly damaging Portland Spy Ring. As gripping as a le Carré novel, this incredible narrative, layered with false identities, deceptions, and betrayal, crisscrosses from the UK to the USSR to the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, and brings to life one of the most extraordinary spy stories of the Cold War. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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9781799940654

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Reviews

The definitive account of the famous Portland Spies--fascinating, detailed, and completely gripping. -- Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ Fascinating and meticulous...Using all available American, British and Russian sources, Trevor Barnes has produced a remarkable book. -- Harvey Klehr, co-author of Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America An enthralling account of one of the last great spy mysteries of the twentieth century. I loved it. -- John Preston, author of A Very English Scandal A highly readable account of a classic Cold War MI5 investigation. Assiduously researched and a real page-turner. -- Nigel West, author of The Illegals

Author Information

Trevor Barnes studied espionage and the early history of the CIA as a student at the University of Cambridge and was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard. He has worked as a radio and television journalist for the BBC and as a legal consultant, and is the author of three crime novels. He also researched and wrote Trial at Torun, a radio play about the trial in Poland of a secret service murder case. He lives in London. William Gaminara is a British actor. Among his film and television credits are Silent Witness, MI-5, People Like Us, and Casualty. He is also the voice of Dr. Richard Locke in the BBC radio series The Archers.

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