Near and Distant Neighbors: A New History of Soviet Intelligence

Mining newly published Russian documents and other sources, Haslam, a Cambridge University professor of history and international relations, delivers an intricate appraisal of how the Soviets handled foreign and undercover operations in Europe and the U.S. Not long after the 1917 Communist takeover, Soviet intelligence organs developed a reputation for cunning and ruthlessness, especially after the internal jockeying for power that left Josef Stalin in firm control of the country. The most gripping chapters focus on the chaos that the Soviet leader unleashed. Intensely paranoid and diabolical, Stalin valued human intelligence over cryptography and other communications expertise, and he had no qualms about exiling or executing valuable operatives. As a result, Stalin failed to discern or understand Hitler’s intentions on the eve of World War II or during the ensuing cataclysm. Nevertheless, the U.S.S.R. scored some of the most devastating triumphs in recruitment of foreign agents, such as the Cambridge Five, led by the arch-turncoat Kim Philby, who funneled Britain’s secrets to the Communists for decades. Haslam provides revealing insights into the motivations of the operatives who toiled in this dangerous universe during the Soviet period and after the collapse of Communism. This complex and thematically dense book is only for those with a strong grasp of Soviet and post-WWII history. Agency: Wylie Agency. (Aug.)