The Spy in the Archive

How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB

Gorden Corera

The story of how one man—a librarian for the KGB—became a traitor to the intelligence agency, stealing the most prized Soviet-era archives and smuggling them to the West.

How do you steal a library? Not just any library but the most secret, heavily guarded archive in the world. The answer is to be a librarian. To be so quiet, that no-one knows what you are up to as you toil undercover and deep amongst the files. The work goes on for decades but remains so low key, that even after your escape, aided by MI6, no one even notices you are gone.

The Spy in the Archive tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin—an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty archives—ended up changing the world. As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first into a dissident and then a spy; a traitor to his country but a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today.

Historian and journalist Gordon Corera tells of the operation to extract this prized asset from Russia for the first time. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with vivid flashbacks to Mitrokhin’s earlier time as a KGB idealist prepared to do what it took to serve the Soviet Union and his growing realisation that the communist state was imprisoning its own people. It is the story of what it was like to live in the Soviet Union, to raise a family there, and then of one man’s journey from the heart of the Soviet state to disillusion, betrayal, and defection.

At its heart is Mitrokhin’s determination to take on the most powerful institution in the world by revealing its darkest secrets. This is narrative nonfiction at its absolute best.

Gordon Corera is a journalist and writer on intelligence and national security issues. For twenty years he was the security correspondent for BBC News and is now the co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast. He is the author of Russians Among Us, Cyberspies, and The Art of Betrayal. He lives in London.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for Gordon Corera:

"Few are better versed in the intricacies of the continuing spy war between East and West.” Ben Macintyre, The Times (London)

"A lively and engrossing account of the FBI’s decade-long counterintelligence operation. Corera correctly notes that the U.S. and UK were slow to appreciate Russia’s malign intent once Putin became president. Offers a persuasive account of how Moscow had adapted its espionage toolkit. A compelling book that combines good storytelling with subtle understanding of spy methods old and new.” Luke Harding, The Observer

"An engrossing history of the dark side of the information revolution. Corera casts his net widely and makes it clear that America is the leader in the battle, as well as the most vulnerable. A convincing argument.” Kirkus Reviews

"Riveting. Making use of excellent sources, Corera has produced a highly relevant read that addresses the key debate in intelligence gathering—the balance between privacy and security.” The Sunday Times (London)

“A comprehensive history of electronic and computer espionage includes many hitherto secret tales from the world of communication intelligence.” Publishers Weekly

"Corera’s illuminating summary of cyberespionage’s development and potential effects on modern statecraft, war, commerce, and everyday liberties will appeal to all readers interested in those topics.” Library Journal

"An exhaustive account by the BBC's security correspondent.” Providence Journal

"A century-spanning history of cyberespionage and the tools that have made it possible. Touching on the NSA, encryption, Chinese censorship, and the emergence of sophisticated hackers, the book will pique readers interested in the geopolitical ramifications of surveillance and the complex relationship between security and privacy.” Booklist