Volkman - Spies - The Secret Agents Who Changed the Course of History (1994)

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This Ernest Volkman's amazing book Spies - The Secret Agents Who Changed the Course of History (1994) which offers a collection of short biographies of nearly 50 of the century's major secret agents, those who "ran" them and how they influenced the course of world history. Spies have long existed in the popular imagination as glamorous and shadowy figures. But how much is known about the real-life practitioners of the "black art" of espionage? In this enthralling look into the world of covert intelligence, renowned historian of espionage Ernest Volkman strips away the myths and Hollywood hype to reveal the actual human dramas behind "the world's second oldest profession." Spies is a twentieth century "Hall of Infamy" packed with gripping true spy stories profiling many of this century's most notable agents, assets, sleepers, spymasters and moles. These are the women and men whose espionage feats have, for better or worse, irrevocably altered the course of history. The cast includes such well-known operatives as Kim Philby, mole of moles; Klaus Fuchs, who stole the secret of the atom bomb; and George Blake, the true Manchurian Candidate. Among the lesser-known but history-changing figures are Richard Sorge, a German journalist who spied on the Axis powers for the Soviets, and Dusko Popov, whom the author denotes as the original James Bond. Volkman describes the exploits of legendary spymasters as well, among them Markus Wolf, an East German who was the model for John le Carre's fictional "Karla," and Communist China's super-sinister Kang Sheng. Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria and Reinhard Heydrich headed intelligence agencies, making their mark by carrying out the evil policies of evil dictators. Herbert Yardley, F.W. Winterbotham, and Claude Dansey became better known for their administrative abilities than any of their field activities. Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, and Somerset Maugham are much more famous for their later literary efforts. Each person receives a few pages of biographical narrative that touches on the interesting high points of his career. Spies is highly entertaining, sometimes even chilling, omnibus - an espionage hall of infamy. 290 pages, some pictures. A must read for everyone.

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