A highly qualified team work over the struggle between the American
and Soviet secret services in Berlin in the first half of the Cold
War, from the Potsdam conference of 1945 to the building of the
Berlin Wall in 1961. One of the authors once headed the CIA's
Berlin base, another was the KGB officer who 'ran' George Blake;
each went on to a senior directorship in his service. The third is
an accomplished journalist. Unlike most works of spy history, this
one is based on both sides' archives at once, and so gives
dazzlingly complete coverage. (Kirkus UK)
Battleground Berlin is the definitive, insider's account of the
espionage warfare in Berlin between CIA and KGB from 1945 to the
construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. Two intelligence
veterans-major players on opposite sides of the Cold War-have
joined in an unprecedented collaboration to tell the story. Basing
their narrative on personal recollections, interviews with other
CIA and KGB officers, and documents never before made public, the
authors provide a vast number of new details of CIA's infiltration
of the new East German intelligence service; the construction,
operation, and uncovering of the Berlin tunnel; and many other
initiatives and countermoves dealing with the series of crises that
racked Berlin and jeopardized an uneasy world peace during this
period. Battleground Berlin illuminates some of the most compelling
mysteries of the Cold War, including: * what really happened the
night the Soviets "discovered" the Berlin Tunnel; * who ordered the
building of the Berlin Wall-and why did the West seem so ill
prepared; * how did infighting among Soviet leaders affect
decisionmaking during the most critical moments of the Berlin
crisis; * how did power struggles between KGB and its protege, the
dreaded East German security service, shape the political landscape
of East Germany and heighten tension in West Berlin; * how much did
the famous defector Otto John reveal to KGB-and why is he still
unable to clear his name; * and much more. The book, an operational
and organizational history of the world's two most important secret
service organizations during a critical time, unveils the vital
connection between intelligence gathering and political
decisionmaking at the highest levels. Full of intrigue and
suspense, it is a story not to be forgotten.
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