Overview

Judith Coplon was young and pretty, and possibly a spy for the Soviet Union when she was arrested in 1949 for espionage. Due to FBI bungling, Coplon was arrested twice, indicted twice, tried twice--and set free both times. J. Edgar Hoover never wanted to prosecute her, FBI agents perjured themselves on the stand, and Coplon's lawyer, who specialized in bankruptcy, created a circus out of the courtroom. Utilizing recently declassified material, personal interviews with Coplon's husband and numerous FBI and KGB contacts, and Thomas Mitchell's firsthand account of the case as an FBI agent, the two authors started off on opposite ends--one thinking she was innocent and the other believing she was guilty--before discovering the truth about America's Mata Hari in bobby socks.

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9781931229227

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Reviews

The Mitchells left no stone unturned in researching this intricately woven story. It's so scrupulously detailed that it could be used as a handbook for law-enforcement officers and a case history for all concerned citizens. Gen. Oleg Kalugin, former chief, KGB worldwide counterintelligence

This thoroughly researched and passionately presented account of an American tragedy has the power to embolden we the people to pursue justice, if we read it and learn its lessons. --Ramsey Clark, former attorney general of the United States Well written and informative, a magnificent assessment of the trial of Judith Coplon, the first Cold War spy arrested and tried for espionage in the United States. --Francis Gary Powers, Jr., founder, the Cold War Museum Examines both the farcical and disturbing aspects of Coplon's case. -- The New Yorker An important study that sheds light not only on Cold War spying but also on the FBI's counterespionage activities in the late 1940's. For most collections. -- Library Journal The Mitchells left no stone unturned in researching this intricately woven story. It's so scrupulously detailed that it could be used as a handbook for law-enforcement officers and a case history for all concerned citizens. --Gen. Oleg Kalugin, former chief, KGB worldwide counterintelligence

Author Information

Marcia and Thomas Mitchell

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