Biography

Spies, Lies, and Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Russian Double Agent George Blake

Spies, Lies, and Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Russian Double Agent George Blake

  • Downloads：5035
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-09 18:31:20
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Simon Kuper
  • ISBN：B08WJK32YT
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Greville Waterman ，

I knew of the author through his football titles but he clearly demonstrated his versatility in this fascinating and well researched biography of one of the forgotten spies of the 60s， George Blake。 Sharing his Dutch heritage with the author， Blake opened up to Kuper providing an in-depth account of his spying and why he became a traitor。 In reality he did not see himself as British and was a communist ideologue。 I was shocked by his apparent naivety and lack of perception- or was it concern - a I knew of the author through his football titles but he clearly demonstrated his versatility in this fascinating and well researched biography of one of the forgotten spies of the 60s， George Blake。 Sharing his Dutch heritage with the author， Blake opened up to Kuper providing an in-depth account of his spying and why he became a traitor。 In reality he did not see himself as British and was a communist ideologue。 I was shocked by his apparent naivety and lack of perception- or was it concern - about the consequences of his treachery。 The book is fast paced and revealing， particularly about his escape from Wormwood Scrubs。 A good and interesting read。 。。。more

Justine ，

Thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for providing an ARC！

Mike ，

I enjoyed the book， it posed a few new questions and took a different approach to the normal spy biography。 It also tried to answer some of the questions around the value of the material that was handed over to the Soviets。

Ellen Brunninkhuis ，

Zeer interessant verhaal maar niet echt lekker opgeschreven。 Honderden voetnoten maken het niet fijn leesbaar。

Mark Joyce ，

The title should arguably have a question mark in it， as the book is essentially an examination of the extent to which Blake was indeed happy and/or a traitor。 The first of these questions was for me the more interesting。 In his interview with Kuper the elderly Blake professes to be content with his major life decisions and to nurse few regrets。 Yet I don’t recall him using the word happy at any point， and there is a powerful undercurrent of sadness and longing for the England and Netherlands he The title should arguably have a question mark in it， as the book is essentially an examination of the extent to which Blake was indeed happy and/or a traitor。 The first of these questions was for me the more interesting。 In his interview with Kuper the elderly Blake professes to be content with his major life decisions and to nurse few regrets。 Yet I don’t recall him using the word happy at any point， and there is a powerful undercurrent of sadness and longing for the England and Netherlands he is permanently exiled from。 This is not （and is not intended to be） an edge of the seat espionage thriller of the Ben Macintyre type。 As those who are familiar with Simon Kuper’s journalism will expect， the style is flat and understated， with a keen eye for absurdity and hypocrisy （both Blake’s and of the societies that dismiss him as a traitor and/or celebrate him as a hero）。 On balance I think this is a worthwhile addition to a heavily ploughed stretch of historical terrain。 。。。more

piet van genderen ，

Viel me toch wat tegen。 Het verhaal over de ontsnapping van spion Blake （Nederlandse wortels） uit een Britse gevangenis was gedetailleerd en spannend。 De inhoud van zijn spionagewerk bleef daarentegen oppervlakkig。 Wel veel ruimte voor Blake's verblijf in Rusland。 De zeer uitvoerige literatuurlijst voegde weinig toe。 Viel me toch wat tegen。 Het verhaal over de ontsnapping van spion Blake （Nederlandse wortels） uit een Britse gevangenis was gedetailleerd en spannend。 De inhoud van zijn spionagewerk bleef daarentegen oppervlakkig。 Wel veel ruimte voor Blake's verblijf in Rusland。 De zeer uitvoerige literatuurlijst voegde weinig toe。 。。。more

Paul Watterson ，

This is a well-written book but still vaguely disappointing。 Maybe that is down to the character of Blake himself who lacked the flamboyance of the other top drawer UK spies that he is bracketed with。 He comes across as quite functional， not only in terms of his "career" but also his character。 Post the jail escape and the defection to Moscow， it all seems rather mundane in comparison to his earlier life but his coldness and Kuper's honest opinion of his true spirit and motivations， revealed in This is a well-written book but still vaguely disappointing。 Maybe that is down to the character of Blake himself who lacked the flamboyance of the other top drawer UK spies that he is bracketed with。 He comes across as quite functional， not only in terms of his "career" but also his character。 Post the jail escape and the defection to Moscow， it all seems rather mundane in comparison to his earlier life but his coldness and Kuper's honest opinion of his true spirit and motivations， revealed in the final pages， does come across。 。。。more

Duncan McKay ，

Anything Kuper writes is worth reading and the story of George Blake is a story worth trying to tell。

John ，

A well told tale exploring the complex character and motivations of one of the KGB’s most valuable double agents。 “Without [strong] attachment to [any one particular] country by birth， by growing up， by tradition， by education”， but rather having had each of those shaped by different countries， Blake became the quintessential ‘global citizen’ and learnt to adapt wherever fate took him， including Wormwood Scrubs。 He found jovial happiness anywhere - no doubt much to the chagrin of the forty or mo A well told tale exploring the complex character and motivations of one of the KGB’s most valuable double agents。 “Without [strong] attachment to [any one particular] country by birth， by growing up， by tradition， by education”， but rather having had each of those shaped by different countries， Blake became the quintessential ‘global citizen’ and learnt to adapt wherever fate took him， including Wormwood Scrubs。 He found jovial happiness anywhere - no doubt much to the chagrin of the forty or more British agents whose life he destroyed。 。。。more

Ekeim ，

Een lang artikel over George Blake was beter geweest， dan was er niet allerhande zijdelingse bladvulling nodig waardoor het boek aan alle kanten ratelt。