Dead Doubles, Trevor Barnes
Dead Doubles, Trevor Barnes
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Dead Doubles
The Extraordinary Worldwide Hunt for One of the Cold War’s Most Notorious Spy Rings

Author: Trevor Barnes

Narrator: William Gaminara

Unabridged: 10 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Harper

Published: 09/15/2020

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

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.

About Trevor Barnes

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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mircea on December 09, 2021

"Un thriller plin de intrigi". Cuvintele apartin judecatorului care a pronuntat sentintele.......more

Goodreads review by Ian on July 08, 2021

This was an engaging enough read, but I’m left with the impression that the discovery, investigation and apprehension of the Portland/Lonsdale spy ring wasn’t enough to sustain a whole book, since all of that is finished before the reader has even reached the midway point. The remainder of the text......more

Goodreads review by Ann on November 11, 2020

A detailed history of the Portland Spy Ring, with special focus on Konon Molody, the Russian-born, American-raised spy who usurped the identity of a deceased Canadian, Gordon Lonsdale, to create a new life in London. Embedded in the Western world, he ran a spy network that included two employees at......more

Goodreads review by Roberta on March 30, 2025

Outstanding Wow. This was one of the best books on real life spies I have read. There are five spies at the centre of the story. First, you learn about them as MI5 figures them out, then take them down (most exciting). The book then follows the trials, imprisonment, spy exchanges and life afterwards.......more

Goodreads review by Krepde on October 25, 2020

Writing anything about espionage has one major hurdle. The subjects lie. Trevor Barnes has weaved his way round such obstacles with meticulous research to provide a fascinating overview of a case that shook Britain in the early 60s. The only flaw is that you finish the book still feeling that you do......more