Publisher Description
The Sword and the Shield is a compelling—and historically significant—narrative destined to cast new light on the Soviet era.
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“This is a book that I have had for a long, long time, but had never got around to finishing (by long time…since I was in college). An interesting perspective on Soviet history and the role that the Checka/NVKD/KGB/FSB played in Soviet history. Having studied Russian history, a lot wasn’t that new, but in most of the stories about the Soviet Union, the years between Khruschev and Gorbachev tend to get glossed over. Given the power of Andropov (as KGB head and then Soviet Primer), it is not surprising that the KGB played a prominent role in political actions and through their actions, you get a sense of what was happening in the Soviet Union during this declining period. The scary part is just how effective the Soviet Intelligence Service was in the 1940s and 1950s. McCarthy may have been a douche of major proportions, but there was a strong degree of infiltration by the KGB. The strongest was in the UK and the Magnificent 5, who gave Stalin just about everything there was to be had about the US and the UK. Yet, even this was underutilized, further proof that intelligence is only as good as the people who act on it. A long read, but very informative.”
—
Scott (4 out of 5 stars)
