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Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB Officer - The True Story of the Man Who Recruited Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Nov. 2005

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 493 ratings

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In his four decades as a KGB officer, Victor Cherkashin was a central player in the shadowy world of Cold War espionage. From his rigorous training in Soviet intelligence in the early 1950s to his prime spot as the KGB's head of counterintelligence at the Soviet embassy in Washington, Cherkashin's career was rich in episode and drama. In a riveting memoir, Cherkashin provides a remarkable insider's view of the KGB's prolonged conflict with the CIA. Playing a major role in global espionage for most of the Cold War, Cherkashin was posted to stations in the United States, Australia, India, and Lebanon. He tracked down U.S. and British spies around the world. But it was in 1985 that Cherkashin scored two of the KGB's biggest-ever coups. In April of that year, he recruited disgruntled CIA officer Aldrich Ames and became his principal handler. Six months later, FBI special agent Robert Hanssen contacted Cherkashin directly, eventually becoming an even bigger asset than Ames. In Spy Handler , Cherkashin offers the complete account of how and why both Americans turned against their country, and addresses the rumors of an undiscovered KGB spy-another Hanssen or Ames-still at large in the U.S. intelligence community. Full of vivid detail and dramatic accounts that shed stark new light on the inner workings of the KGB, Spy Handler is a major addition to Cold War history, told by one of its major players.
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About the Author

Victor Cherkashin, a retired KGB colonel, was awarded the prestigious Order of Lenin. During his four decades working for the KGB, he was stationed at various times in West Germany, India, Australia, Lebanon, and Washington, D.C. Following his retirement, he began a private security company in Russia, which he still runs. He lives in Moscow.Gregory Feifer holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Russian Studies from Harvard. A former Radio Free Europe Moscow correspondent, Feifer lived in Russia from 1998 to 2003. He covered Russian politics for a number of publications, including the Moscow Times, World Policy Journal, and Agence France-Presse. He lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Illustrated edition (1 Nov. 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465009697
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465009695
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.6 x 2.36 x 23.39 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 493 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
493 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2008
    I found this to be a very credible account of a wise cold war warrior
    - speaking of his former job and former adversaries he maintains very mature attitude of understanding and respect as opposed to the bitterness and vulgarity towards the west evident in Putin, who at the time of leaving KGB in early 90s was in a much less senior position than Cherkashin.
    - when speaking of his own entity- KGB, Cherkashin picks up on themes that were veru true to the state and the 'state within the state'- e.g. immense pressure from the system on its even most privileged citizens as well as lack of trust in people.
    - his credibility is enhanced by modest portrayal of his own role in recruting the top moles. He stresses that the the effective traitors approached KGB themselves and managed the entity much more than were managed by it.
    - unlike the book by Litvinenko that I commented on (see my other reviews, this books reads well
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 January 2017
    GOOD.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2020
    i found this to be a very good book
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 March 2020
    Good read. Seemed like the account of an ex KGB director wanting to clear his name of some allegations. Said through a nice story.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2015
    Great read
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2009
    If you lived through all the fuss and hoo-ha of the Cold war and want to know what was going on behind the scenes, this is the book. Cherkashin was at the very top of the KGB and his insights are gripping. On the surface, Spy Handler is a quick read, but pause to think as you do so and your own real world experiences of the time suddenly attain a new perspective. Well written, well translated and consistently eye-opening. Great stuff.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2009
    Reading about Russian moles in CIA and FBI directly from a KGB agent was a terrific experience. The page where Viktor Cherkashin asks "Are you Aldrich Ames?" gave me a chill down my spine. His description of communist ideology, Russian KGB politics and handling of Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen was terrific. It is a worthy buy and an interesting read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 March 2005
    In the words of Victor Cherkashin, "Aldrich Ames (CIA) was worth every penny of the $2.7 million he was paid." Moreover, Ames was indeed the "deadliest" KGB spy because he unmasked the CIA's intelligence network in the Soviet Union. However, Robert Hanssen (FBI) "was much more important (to the KGB) because he allowed the KGB to penetrate U.S. intelligence to such a degree that the KGB came to regard him as the greatest asset, surpassing Aldrich Ames," according to the author. Ironically, both Americans were "walk-ins," and were never actively recruited to betray the United States.
    "Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB Officer," by Victor Cherkashin is an outstanding narrative of how former CIA agent Ames and how former FBI agent Hanssen gave the KGB the "mother lode" of information on the United States intelligence efforts against the former Soviet Union. To America, Ames and Hanssen were monsters...but the author demonstrates how in the eyes of the KGB both men were heroes. Interestingly enough, Ames declares he cooperated with the KGB because, "he worked for an agency that deliberately overestimated Soviet Union capabilities to wrangle more money for its own operations." Hanssen basically cooperated with the KGB because he loved the danger of it and truly thought he was much too smart to get caught.
    This book covers much territory. The author reports the unmasking of Soviet spies Ronald Pelton, the NSA cryptologist, former Navy sailor John Walker, and CIA drop-out Edward Lee Howard. Cherkashin makes mention of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard but only in his description of 1985 as the "year of the spy." In conclusion, the author does an excellent job of describing how a series of lucky breaks dramatically altered the landscape of U.S. - Soviet espionage. He also does a professional job of explaining the Soviet spy strategy of observation, orientation, decision and action. Highly recommended.
    Bert Ruiz
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Stan Nord
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book with first hand account of events
    Reviewed in Canada on 17 March 2024
    A must read for people interested in Cold War history. Very candid and honest book.
  • TTFN
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in Spain on 13 November 2022
    Excellent
  • Naresh
    5.0 out of 5 stars good
    Reviewed in India on 29 November 2019
    very good book, worth reading
  • Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alles gut gelaufen
    Reviewed in Germany on 17 April 2019
    Alles super
  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars good
    Reviewed in France on 5 June 2017
    good. nice book. incredible. thanks you. I am so happy. really, i recommand it to all of you. cheers f