With intrigue that rivals the best le Carré novels, Russians
Among Us tells the explosive story of Russia’s espionage efforts
against the United States and the West—from the end of the Cold War to the
present and the significant threat of hacking the 2020 election
Spies
have long been a source of great fascination in the world of fiction, but
sometimes the best spy stories happen in real life. Russians Among
Us tells the full story of Putin’s escalating espionage campaign in
the West, the Russian ‘deep cover’ spies who penetrated the US and the
years-long FBI hunt to capture them. This book also details the recruitment,
running, and escape of one of the most important spies of modern times, a man
who worked inside the heart of Russian intelligence. In this thrilling account
Corera tracks not only the history, but the astonishing evolution of Russian
espionage, including the use of ‘cyber illegals’ who continue to manipulate us
today and pose a significant threat to the 2020 election.
Like a scene from the TV
drama The Americans, in the summer of 2010 a group of Russian deep
cover sleeper agents were arrested. It was the culmination of a decade-long
investigation, and ten people, including Anna Chapman, were swapped for four
people held in Russia. At the time it was seen simply as a throwback to the
Cold War. But that would prove to be a costly mistake. It was a sign that the
Russian threat had never gone away and more importantly, it was shifting into a
much more disruptive new phase. Today, the danger is clearer than ever
following the poisoning in the UK of one of the spies who was swapped, Sergei
Skripal, and the growing evidence of Russian interference in American life.
Russians Among Us describes for the first time the story of deep
cover spies in America and the FBI agents who tracked them. In intimate and
riveting detail, it reveals new information about today’s spies—as well as
those trying to catch them and those trying to kill them.
Gordon Corera has been the BBC’s security correspondent since 2004. He has reported from London, Moscow, and Washington, and is the only journalist to have interviewed serving heads of both the CIA and MI6. He has covered firsthand many of the central episodes in the spy wars between the three countries and has unparalleled insight into the working of all sides. He is the author of several books, including The Art of Betrayal: The Secret History of MI6, and has contributed to a number of important BBC documentary series about MI6, the CIA, and Russia.
