The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake

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Simon Kuper Kevin Spink

The Happy Traitor

Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake

Simon Kuper, Kevin Spink

$39.95

CD-Audio

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English

Bolinda Audio Books
01 July 2021

Crime & criminology; Audiobooks - Non-fiction

George Blake was the last remaining Cold War spy. As a Senior Officer in the British Intelligence Service who was double agent for the Soviet Union, his actions had devastating consequences for Britain. Yet he was also one of the least known double agents, and remained unrepentant.

In 1961, Blake was sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for betraying to the KGB all of the Western operations in which he was involved, and the names of hundreds of British agents working behind the Iron Curtain. This was the longest sentence for espionage ever to have been handed down by a British court.

On the surface, Blake was a charming, intelligent and engaging man and most importantly, a seemingly committed patriot. Underneath, a ruthlessly efficient mole and key player in the infamous 'Berlin Tunnel' operation. This illuminating biography tracks Blake from humble beginnings as a teenage courier for the Dutch underground during the Second World War, to the sensational prison-break from Wormwood Scrubs that inspired Hitchcock to write screenplay.

Through a combination of personal interviews, research and unique access to Stasi records, journalist Simon Kuper unravels who Blake truly was, what he was capable of, and why he did it.

By: Simon Kuper
Read by: Kevin Spink
Imprint: Bolinda Audio Books
Country of Publication: Australia
Edition: Unabridged edition
ISBN: 9781867544128
ISBN 10: 1867544121
Publication Date: 01 July 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: CD-Audio
Publisher's Status: Active

Kevin Spink is an actor, director, writer and narrator. Born in Australia but raised in England, Scotland, Germany and Hong Kong, Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his voiceover work. He is known best for his acting roles in many TV shorts, the film Celeste (2018) and for directing Emma (2019). Narration credits include documentaries Root Cause (2019) and How Trains Changed the World (2018).

Reviews for The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake

'Kuper provides a different and valuable perspective, humane and informative.' -- John Le Carre, author of Agent Running in the Field 'A deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character.' -- Philippe Sands