The name of Vasily Mitrokhin burst into the public's consciousness in the autumn of 1999, with the publication of The Mitrokhin Archive and the exposure of a grandmother living in South London as a Soviet spy. The resultant enquiry conducted by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee paid tribute to the unique contribution which Mitrokhin had made to the public's understanding of how the former KGB had operated, and to Mitrokhin's commitment and bravery in accumulating and preparing his archive alone and in secret for 20 years before defecting to the United Kingdom in 1992.

The name of Vasily Mitrokhin burst into the public's consciousness in the autumn of 1999, with the publication of The Mitrokhin Archive and the exposure of a grandmother living in South London as a Soviet spy. The resultant enquiry conducted by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee paid tribute to the unique contribution which Mitrokhin had made to the public's understanding of how the former KGB had operated, and to Mitrokhin's commitment and bravery in accumulating and preparing his archive alone and in secret for 20 years before defecting to the United Kingdom in 1992.

'One of the biggest intelligence coups in recent years' The Times For years KGB operative Vasili Mitrokhin risked his life hiding top-secret material from Russian secret service archives beneath his family dacha. When he was exfiltrated to the West he took with him what the FBI called 'the most complete and extensive intelligence ever received from any source'. This extraordinary bestselling book is the result. 'Co-authored in a brilliant partnership by Christopher Andrew and the renegade Soviet archivist himself ... This is a truly global expose of major KGB penetrations throughout the Western world' The Times 'This tale of malevolent spymasters, intricate tradecraft and cold-eyed betrayal reads like a cold war novel' Time 'Sensational ... the most informed and detailed study of Soviet subversive intrigues worldwide' Spectator 'The most comprehensive addition to the subject ever published' Sunday Telegraph