Near and Distant Neighbors

June 15, 2015
Mining newly published Russian documents and other sources, Haslam, a Cambridge University professor of history and international relations, delivers an intricate appraisal of how the Soviets handled foreign and undercover operations in Europe and the U.S. Not long after the 1917 Communist takeover, Soviet intelligence organs developed a reputation for cunning and ruthlessness, especially after the internal jockeying for power that left Josef Stalin in firm control of the country. The most gripping chapters focus on the chaos that the Soviet leader unleashed. Intensely paranoid and diabolical, Stalin valued human intelligence over cryptography and other communications expertise, and he had no qualms about exiling or executing valuable operatives. As a result, Stalin failed to discern or understand Hitler’s intentions on the eve of World War II or during the ensuing cataclysm. Nevertheless, the U.S.S.R. scored some of the most devastating triumphs in recruitment of foreign agents, such as the Cambridge Five, led by the arch-turncoat Kim Philby, who funneled Britain’s secrets to the Communists for decades. Haslam provides revealing insights into the motivations of the operatives who toiled in this dangerous universe during the Soviet period and after the collapse of Communism. This complex and thematically dense book is only for those with a strong grasp of Soviet and post-WWII history. Agency: Wylie Agency.

June 1, 2015
Intensely detailed history of the Russian spy services, from the revolution through glasnost. Haslam (History of International Relations, Cambridge Univ.; Russia's Cold War: From the October Revolution to the Fall of the Wall, 2011, etc.) focuses on myriad individuals who rose and fell within the competing factions of Russia's spy services after 1917. As the communists had to build an intelligence structure from scratch, under assault from czarist remnants and neighboring states, they developed a simple system of "illegal" (covert) or "legal" (diplomatic) rezidenturas posted abroad in both political and military intelligence, divisions kept separate and subject to meddling by a paranoid Stalin. Haslam portrays the first generation of Soviet spies as colorful, tough zealots, largely liquidated during the terror of 1937-1938. The author argues that the Russians were only able to survive the German onslaught of 1941 due to their success in purloining intelligence from the British-notably from Kim Philby's infamous circle. After the war, a pattern developed of the Soviets lagging in technological fields like cryptolinguistics yet countering Western espionage with superior human intelligence. "Berlin held centre stage in the Cold War for many years," writes Haslam, "but the United States was always the principal objective." Yet the endgame proved swift: when the Reagan administration ramped up military spending, "the two rival services, the KGB and GRU, failed to do what was vitally necessary in terms of evaluation" of the apparent military threat, ultimately leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. Haslam concludes by observing how, with Vladimir Putin's ascendancy, "the history of the Soviet intelligence services thus becomes...a vantage point into the story of the present." The author writes authoritatively, deftly managing his labyrinth of ruthless personalities, but the large historical canvas can be overwhelming. A well-executed narrative of the mechanics behind the Cold War that may be a bit too dense and/or dry for casual readers.

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July 1, 2015
This survey of Soviet espionage efforts from the Revolution of 1917 to the end of the Cold War is often fascinating despite its occasionally dense and confusing language. The earliest Soviet agents were often ideologically driven, viewing the Soviets as engaged in building something new and magnificent domestically while hoping to spread that bounty across the globe. But Stalin, with his mix of cynicism and paranoia, was never comfortable with their pure motives, and many of these agents were purged during the 1930s. Subsequently, despite the sporadic recruitment of such occasionally idealistic sympathizers as the Rosenbergs and the Cambridge Five, the use of blunter instruments, especially blackmail and bribery, were the most effective tools in gathering foreign intelligence. Since the Soviets consistently lagged behind the West in the technological aspects of intelligence gathering, they had to rely on human intelligence, and Haslam vividly portrays the ruthlessness employed by agents and their handlers in the pursuit of even seemingly trivial information. This is a generally well-done effort to examine the full range of Soviet efforts and capabilities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2015

While most books and films regarding the Soviet spy game tend to focus on the KGB, Haslam (history, Cambridge Univ.; Russia's Cold War) turns his attention to lesser-known but perhaps equally important intelligence organizations of Military Intelligence (GRU) and the Special Service (SPEKO), the latter focusing on creating and breaking codes and ciphers. This is a history of Soviet Intelligence from its roots in 1917 (when the Cheka sprung from the Bolshevik revolution) through 2013, with particular attention paid to Russia's dealings with German and British intelligence agencies during wartime. The book has an ambitious scope for its size; as a result the treatment is somewhat buckshot, with highly detailed accounts of specific events spread over a large number of years. The great strength, however, is that the organizations Haslam focuses on have been largely neglected throughout history. This makes the majority of the book fascinating, as it provides a much fuller picture of how events transpired. The author fills in many of the blanks and adds numerous dimensions to the general subject of Soviet intelligence, although a glossary would assist in keeping track of the dozens of acronyms peppered throughout the book. VERDICT For readers of Russian history, spy history, World War II, communication, and those interested in the KGB. [See Prepub Alert, 2/23/15.]--Benjamin Brudner, Curry Coll. Lib., Milton, MA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015

Professor of the history of international relations at Cambridge, Haslam chronicles Soviet intelligence from the October Revolution to the end of the Cold War, treating not just the KGB but military intelligence and the special service, which dealt with codes and ciphers.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.