Near and Distant Neighbors: A New History of Soviet Intelligence

by Jonathan Haslam Narrated by Shaun Grindell

Overview

Previous histories have focused on the KGB, leaving military intelligence and the special service-which specialized in codes and ciphers-lurking in the shadows. Drawing on previously neglected Russian sources, Haslam reveals how both were in fact crucial to the survival of the Soviet state. This was especially true after Stalin's death in 1953, as the Cold War heated up and dedicated Communist agents the regime had relied upon-Klaus Fuchs, the Rosenbergs, Donald Maclean-were betrayed. In the wake of these failures, Khrushchev and his successors discarded ideological recruitment in favor of blackmail and bribery. The tactical turn was so successful that we can draw only one conclusion: the West ultimately triumphed despite, not because of, the espionage war.



In bringing to light the obscure inhabitants of an undercover intelligence world, Haslam offers a surprising and unprecedented portrayal of Soviet success that is not only fascinating but also essential to understanding Vladimir Putin's power today.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/15/2015
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.)

From the Publisher

Undaunted, Jonathan Haslam has inspected the workings of the Soviet Union’s entire spying machinery from the October Revolution to the end of the cold war, and produced, in Near and Distant Neighbors, an account of the KGB and its military counterpart, the GRU, that is, he says, “about as comprehensive as can be contained within one volume, given prevailing restrictions.” Certainly, one would not ask for more. Haslam’s book is full of colorful characters who excel in stealing secrets and killing people, including their own colleagues. Haslam writes that in 1938 Pavel Sudoplatov, arguably the most talented of the KGB’s assassins, murdered a Ukrainian nationalist in Rotterdam with an exploding cake. These accounts of early Russian derring-do could spawn a shelf of noir paperback thrillers.” —Robert Cottrell, The New York Review of Books

“Intelligence was central to Soviet security policy, and yet until now we have lacked a comprehensive history of it. This Jonathan Haslam has given us, with extensive research and penetrating analysis. From the internal intrigues to the foreign exploits, the story is as fascinating as it is important” —Robert Jervis, author of Why Intelligence Fails: Lessons from the Iranian Revolution and the Iraq War

“A meticulous survey of Russian and Western sources makes for a lively account of the history of all the Soviet intelligence agencies—the first time anyone has succeeded with this.” —Robert Service, emeritus professor of Russian history, St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, and author of Trotsky: A Biography

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"For readers of Russian history, spy history, World War II, communication, and those interested in the KGB." —Library Journal

Library Journal

05/15/2015
While most books and films regarding the Soviet spy game tend to focus on the KGB, Haslam (history, Cambridge Univ.; Russia's Cold War) turns his attention to lesser-known but perhaps equally important intelligence organizations of Military Intelligence (GRU) and the Special Service (SPEKO), the latter focusing on creating and breaking codes and ciphers. This is a history of Soviet Intelligence from its roots in 1917 (when the Cheka sprung from the Bolshevik revolution) through 2013, with particular attention paid to Russia's dealings with German and British intelligence agencies during wartime. The book has an ambitious scope for its size; as a result the treatment is somewhat buckshot, with highly detailed accounts of specific events spread over a large number of years. The great strength, however, is that the organizations Haslam focuses on have been largely neglected throughout history. This makes the majority of the book fascinating, as it provides a much fuller picture of how events transpired. The author fills in many of the blanks and adds numerous dimensions to the general subject of Soviet intelligence, although a glossary would assist in keeping track of the dozens of acronyms peppered throughout the book. VERDICT For readers of Russian history, spy history, World War II, communication, and those interested in the KGB. [See Prepub Alert, 2/23/15.]—Benjamin Brudner, Curry Coll. Lib., Milton, MA

MARCH 2016 - AudioFile

Using formerly overlooked Russian sources, British historian and scholar Haslam’s important work should be of interest to all who follow the rise of the Soviet Union, the Cold War, and the current trajectory of Russian foreign affairs. The work traces the evolution of espionage from 1917 to the present day; however, the audio edition fails to deliver a good listening experience. Shaun Grindell’s disjointed pacing and emphasis as well as his inexcusable pronunciation of Russian words mar the opportunity for success as an audiobook. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2015-05-20
Intensely detailed history of the Russian spy services, from the revolution through glasnost. Haslam (History of International Relations, Cambridge Univ.; Russia's Cold War: From the October Revolution to the Fall of the Wall, 2011, etc.) focuses on myriad individuals who rose and fell within the competing factions of Russia's spy services after 1917. As the communists had to build an intelligence structure from scratch, under assault from czarist remnants and neighboring states, they developed a simple system of "illegal" (covert) or "legal" (diplomatic) rezidenturas posted abroad in both political and military intelligence, divisions kept separate and subject to meddling by a paranoid Stalin. Haslam portrays the first generation of Soviet spies as colorful, tough zealots, largely liquidated during the terror of 1937-1938. The author argues that the Russians were only able to survive the German onslaught of 1941 due to their success in purloining intelligence from the British—notably from Kim Philby's infamous circle. After the war, a pattern developed of the Soviets lagging in technological fields like cryptolinguistics yet countering Western espionage with superior human intelligence. "Berlin held centre stage in the Cold War for many years," writes Haslam, "but the United States was always the principal objective." Yet the endgame proved swift: when the Reagan administration ramped up military spending, "the two rival services, the KGB and GRU, failed to do what was vitally necessary in terms of evaluation" of the apparent military threat, ultimately leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. Haslam concludes by observing how, with Vladimir Putin's ascendancy, "the history of the Soviet intelligence services thus becomes…a vantage point into the story of the present." The author writes authoritatively, deftly managing his labyrinth of ruthless personalities, but the large historical canvas can be overwhelming. A well-executed narrative of the mechanics behind the Cold War that may be a bit too dense and/or dry for casual readers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171069445
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/30/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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