'A racy and readable account of a range of Soviet intelligence operations carried out during the Cold War.'

– Telegraph

‘An enjoyable read’

– The Times

'Entertaining.'

– Tablet

'A gripping story filled with remarkable revelations.'

– Tom Bower, author of Revenge

'From honey traps to hit jobs, the plot twists like The Third Man in post-war Vienna. Mark Hollingsworth ably traces the history of active measures from Lenin’s Chekists to the present day. Deeply researched, fluently written and insightful, this book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the threat Putin’s Russia poses to us here in Britain.'

– Edward Lucas, author of Deception

'A valuable account of an important and highly topical subject – Russian intelligence operations against the West… A must-read for anyone wishing to understand the origins of the malign mindset and obsession of Vladmir Putin and his acolytes.'

– Christopher Steele, former MI6 officer in Russia, 1990-93

‘Gripping and insightful… We meet an intriguing list of characters through which the Soviets aimed to gain an advantage over the West. Motivated by ideology, or in other cases by money, they are an exotic list whose stories are explored in detail and give the book a feeling of a real-life spy novel… A good read with fascinating insights, Hollingsworth’s book is to be recommended.’

– Kevan Jones MP, PoliticsHome