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. Its precursor was the peoples commissariat for state security, or nkgb, which. Jul 24, 2019 earlier this month, the white house hosted a social media summit that served to reframe and distract from serious, hostile manipulation of online discourse. How the kgb took back russia and then turned on the west. Free press an essay on the manipulation news belloc 1918. Disinformation is false or misleading information that is spread deliberately to deceive. Krasnov, himself a soviet defector and head of russian studies at the monterey institute of international studies, examines the scope, character, and patterns of defection from 1945 through 1969. The kgb compiled and issued intelligence and counterintelligence dictionaries in the 1970s. The most thorough and enthralling history ever of soviet intelligence. He was the literary editor of the chronicle of current events in moscow, and arranged and processed the papers of andrei sakharov at brandeis university. The kgb also made a name in alleged assassinations of the ussrs enemies.
Intelligence literature central intelligence agency. This is a subset of misinformation, which may also be unintentional the english word disinformation is a loan translation of the russian dezinformatsiya, derived from the title of a kgb black propaganda department. They serve a purpose only at the stage of destabilization of a nation. Eu, author and foreign correspondent luke harding picks books that uncover. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb. It operated legal and illegal espionage residencies in target countries where a legal resident gathered intelligence while based at the soviet embassy or consulate, and, if caught, was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity. His concept of the media, however, is a far cry from the first amendment.
List of books and articles about kgb online research. Kgb leaders asked residences abroad to send agents to take part in the operation in the united states. The most high profile targets were political dissident leon trotsky slain by kgb agent mercador in 1940 in mexico, u. Operative in the kremlin by fiona hill and clifford g. Learn powerful tricks to control peoples mind and get what you want in life, understanding brainwashing, hypnosis, persuasion and deception and how to defend yourself from. The secret works of soviet secret agents bantam books 1981 isbn 0553232754. Not only is there gulag mentioned above but her other great book, iron curtain. We defend, we abuse, we call names, we shoutis it because every idiot in town suddenly found a voice through social media or are intelligent people getting dumber trying to defend arguments which an idiot wont understand. The best books on books from the kgb archives five books. A former kgb officer has divulged secrets of special mind control techniques that security services in developed nations used during and after the cold war, a russian government daily said friday.
Janata from seeking a rapprochement with the united states and china. Surprisingly, vladislav krasnov reports, the free world has often played along with these soviet efforts by treating defection primarily as a secretive matter best left to bureaucrats. General boris ratnikov, who served in the kgb department for moscow and the moscow region, told rossiiskaya gazeta that people in power had resorted to various methods of manipulating individuals thoughts since ancient times, and that it was hardly surprising that secret services adopted the practice when it acquired a scientific foundation in. Joshua rubenstein is northeast regional director of amnesty international usa and a longtime associate at harvard universitys davis center for russian and eurasian studies. Godson testified before the united states senate select committee on intelligence in. The mitrokhin archive and the secret history of the kgb new york. After decades of wielding sovietstyle hard power, russia is developing a subtler form of influence.
A personal history by timothy garton ash is also an excellent look at police surveillance from the other side. In 1992 the british secret intelligence service exfiltrated from russia a defector whose presence in the west remained a secret until the publication of the sword. Kgb headquarters made clear that any republican or democratic candidateother than reaganwould be preferable. The mitrokhin archive and the secret history of the kgb.
Ferdinand marcos, a usbacked military dictator, who used the army to. Alexander gribanov is a literary scholar and archivist. He is invited to kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As a result, defectors human rights have sometimes been violated, and u. Putin has cultivated an image of himself as an outsider since he was a young man. Understanding how to manipulate with soft money and flattery were all well practised techniques from the days of the kgb. By the early 1970s the kgb presence in india became one of the largest in the world outside the soviet bloc. He was targeted because a ussr kgb spy found his file in a highclass american science lab.
I bought it because it was told to me that the author talks about kgb infiltration in brazilian press and government. Unwelcome books in 1921, the young soviet government created the glavlit general directorate for the protection of state secrets in the press. Hands down, if you havent read trust me im lying by ryan holiday, you need to immediately. Jul 27, 2019 as my parents were enjoying the pleasures of the kgb in the 1970s, the philippines were ruled by colonel ferdinand marcos, a us backed military dictator, who used the army to impose censorship and. The secret work of soviet secret agents barron, john on. The charm school by nelson demille, the spy and the traitor. Official site of the week magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the days breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment. The cheka was first created under lenin to defend the bolsheviks and the october revolution from the white army. During 1972 the kgb claimed to have planted 3,789 articles in indian newspapers probably more than in any other country in the noncommunist world.
Here is the neverbeforetold story of the kgbfull of stunning revelations, fascinating characters, and crucial moments in historymuch of it based on the knowledge of an exkgb officer who served as a double agent for nearly twelve years. Kgb the secret work of the soviet secret agents hacienda. The kgb was a soviet union foreign intelligence and domestic security agency established in 1954, a year after dictator joseph stalins death. Kgb latest news, breaking stories and comment the independent. The kremlins ire about the media coverage is illustrated by its threat to. Originally a speakeasy for ukrainian socialists who met behind its doublelocked doors to hide their political affiliations, the kgb. As a former kgb officer and head of the kgbs successor agency, the fsb, putin knows the value of information.
Published in the us but not in britain for fear of. Mellon professor of politics and history, emory university. Sep 20, 2005 according to kgb files, by 1973 it had ten indian newspapers on its payroll which cannot be identified for legal reasons as well as a press agency under its control. Dozens of books try to explain putin and his russia. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb, and any other major secret police organizations. Report to congress on soviet and communist disinformation and press manipulation, august 9.
Naveed jamali, former double agent and author of how to catch a russian spy the plot to hack america is an essential primer for anyone wanting to be fully informed about the unprecedented events surrounding the 2016 u. That and his presentation of trading up the chain are more than enough to get your creative juices going and your thoughts on track to capitalize on med. Mar 14, 2018 russia is center stage in word affairs thanks in part to its military presence in syria and its alleged meddling in the 2016 u. Before fake news, there was soviet disinformation the.
He is invited to kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books. Thats why my kgb instructors specifically made the point. Because the book would be aimed at western markets, it was essential to have a western coauthor with connections in the publishing world. Marshall poe of new books in history interviewed him for their podcast the file. The kgb was established under the leadership of soviet premier nikita khrushchev. Earlier this month, the white house hosted a social media summit that served to reframe and distract from serious, hostile manipulation of online discourse. Mar 27, 2018 he needed no manipulation from kgb, for he himself was a committed leftist. Former kgb agent on propaganda and media manipulation during the cold war. Aug 21, 2018 this is the first of a threepart series based on neverbeforepublished training manuals for the kgb, the soviet intelligence organization that vladimir putin served as an operative, and that. The topic of defection is taboo in the ussr, and the soviets, are anxious to silence, downplay, or distort every case of defection. As an american double agent who worked against russian intelligence in the us, this book shows how putins spies stop at nothing. The author and academic talks about kgb tricks to get american victims of the great depression in russia to take soviet citizenship. Jun 29, 2010 a former kgb analyst, he is dean of the russian foreign ministrys academy for future diplomats.
With the collapse of the soviet union, russia absorbed the kgbs remnants, combining most of them under the security and internal affairs ministry. The success of kgb spy rings partly owing to weak national security in the western world at that time included stolen secrets of nuclear weapons technology delivered by the cambridge five spy ring and the us manhattan project delivered by scientistspies klaus fuchs and theodore hall. Browse the independents complete collection of articles and commentary on kgb. Nov 26, 2016 before fake news, there was soviet disinformation a photograph of soviet dictator joseph stalin lies on a floor outside a courtroom in moscow, on oct. He was born and raised in russias second city of leningrad now st.
Tsarev had been commissioned by his superiors to write a book about alexander orlov, the soviet spy who defected to the united states in the late 1930s. The secret work of soviet secret agents details the history of the kgb and tradecraft employed running agents in intelligence operations. Russian leaders are engaged in an aggressive, offensive information campaign designed to sow discord inside the united states, create fissures between washington and its allies, undermine u. The rise and fall of the kgb in america john earl haynes, mr. This is the first of a threepart series based on neverbeforepublished training manuals for the kgb, the soviet intelligence organization that vladimir putin served as an operative, and that. Feb 18, 2015 hands down, if you havent read trust me im lying by ryan holiday, you need to immediately.
He needed no manipulation from kgb, for he himself was a committed leftist. The inside story of the stasi by gary bruce is an excellent introduction to the stasi. What book offers the best history of soviet intelligence. Oct 01, 2018 moscow considers the united states its main adversary. Top 10 books on vladimir putins russia books the guardian. The greatest espionage story of the cold war by ben macintyre, red spa. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb, and. Dec 25, 2012 kgb the secret work of the soviet secret agents by john barron readers digest press, 1974 is a classic kgb espionage saga set during the cold war this is a seminal book and monumental work on the history, the then current methods, organization, goals, of soviet espionage i. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Russia is center stage in word affairs thanks in part to its military presence in syria and its alleged meddling in the 2016 u.
A former kgb analyst, he is dean of the russian foreign ministrys academy for future diplomats. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb, and any other major secret police. How the media became one of putins most powerful weapons. Kgb the secret work of the soviet secret agents by john barron readers digest press, 1974 is a classic kgb espionage saga set during the cold war this is a seminal book and monumental work on the history, the then current methods, organization, goals, of soviet espionage i. It struck him they had done it on purpose, these midranking kgb men. Its straight out of the kgb playbook in which putin was trained and a staple. The kgb is the commonly used acronym for the russian komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti or committee for state security. The kgb was then renamed and restricted to counterintelligence, economic crimes, and air and rail security. A history of the kgb, lexington books 1988 isbn 9780669102581. In a 2009 issue of studies in intelligence, a journal published by the cia, historian thomas boghardt noted that theories about the u. John earl haynes is a modern political historian in the manuscript division, the library of congress.
A chilling expose of kgb and the reach of its tentacles. Active measures in soviet strategy is a nonfiction book about disinformation and information warfare used by the kgb during the soviet union period, as part of their active measures tactics. Foreign intelligence gathering was assigned to the new central intelligence service. The kgb during brezhnevs regime offered up the intelligence that would give the approval towards the soviet intervention in afghanistan. Only officers in certain operational subunits of the kgb were allowed. The crushing of eastern europe, also has a great deal about how the kgb and other secret police forces were used to uphold the communist regimes in the east. This book publishes for the first time ever kgb files on sakharov that became available during boris yeltsins presidency. The new book, spies, the rise and fall of the kgb in america by john earl haynes, harvey klehr, and alexander vassiliev yale university press, new. Reviewed in the united states on december 30, 2009. As the us presidential elections approach, russian intelligence expert zarina. We live in a world in which the means of manipulation have gone forth and. Brainwashing techniques and what most people call brainwashing techniques varies from a person to person. This book is based on kgb archival documents describing people and operations in the west from the 1920s to 1984. With the collapse of the soviet union, russia absorbed the kgb s remnants, combining most of them under the security and internal affairs ministry.
Alexander vassiliev, journalist, novelist, and coauthor with allen weinstein of the haunted wood. The documents reveal the untold story of kgb surveillance of sakharov from 1968 until his death in 1989 and of the regimes efforts to intimidate and silence him. They had to hand over their american passports temporarily and never saw them again. Apr 21, 2015 how the media became one of putins most powerful weapons. The best books on books from the kgb archives recommended by lyubov vinogradova. Mar 27, 2019 kgb leaders asked residences abroad to send agents to take part in the operation in the united states. Kgb is an acronym for komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, which translates to committee for state security. Fiona hill and clifford gaddy describe six facets of putins personality and examine how they may help or harm him as he and his regime face an increasingly uncertain future. As my parents were enjoying the pleasures of the kgb in the 1970s, the philippines were ruled by colonel ferdinand marcos, a usbacked military dictator, who used the army to impose censorship and.
According to kgb files, by 1973 it had ten indian newspapers on its payroll which cannot be identified for legal reasons as well as a press agency under its control. A time magazine article in 1983 reported that the kgb was the worlds most effective informationgathering organization. Now everything seems to be a question of life and death. Ash was a western student studying in east germany and the file is his memoir of examining his stasi file. The sword and the shield by christopher andrew the sword and the shield is based on the work of vasily mitrokhin, a kgb archivist who defected to britain in 1992, bringing with him a treasure trove of notes on kgb operations. He aparentely had a gene which, if extracted, could mean world domination.