Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Michael Prichard
5.0
1 review
Audiobook
10 hr 43 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More
Want a 1 hr 8 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

Spymaster, defector, double agent-the remarkable true story of the man who ran Russia's post-cold war spy program in America. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, the cold war ended, and a new world order began. We thought everything had changed. But one thing never changed: the spies. From 1995 to 2000, a man known as "Comrade J" was the highest-ranking operative in the SVR-the successor agency to the KGB-in the United States. He directed all Russian spy action in New York City and personally oversaw every covert operation against the United States and its allies in the United Nations. He recruited spies, planted agents, penetrated security, manipulated intelligence, and influenced American policy, all under the direct leadership of Boris Yeltsin and then Vladimir Putin. He was a legend in the SVR, the man who kept the secrets. Then, in 2000, he defected-and it turned out he had one more secret. For the previous two years, he had also been a double agent for the FBI: "By far the most important Russian spy that our side has had in decades." He has never granted a public interview. The FBI and CIA have refused to answer all media questions about him. He has remained in hiding. He has never revealed his secrets. Until now. Comrade J, written by the bestselling author of Family of Spies and The Hot House, is his story, a direct account of what he did in the United States after we all assumed the spying was over and of what Putin and Russia continue to do today. The revelations are stunning. It is also the story of growing up in a family of agents dating back to the revolution; of how Russia molded him into one of its most high-flying operatives; of the day-to-day perils of living a double, then triple, life; and finally, of how his growing disquiet with the corruption and ambitions of the "new Russia" led him to take the most perilous step of all. Many spies have told their stories. None has the astonishing immediacy, relevance, and cautionary warnings of Comrade J.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review

About the author

Pete Earley is a mental health advocate, journalist, and New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction books, including The Hot House and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize finalist Crazy. He serves on the board of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, which finances projects to eliminate homelessness.

Michael Prichard has recorded well over five hundred audiobooks and was named one of SmartMoney magazine's Top Ten Golden Voices. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

More by Pete Earley

Similar audiobooks

Narrated by Michael Prichard