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Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The thrilling story of two Cold War spies, CIA case officer Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko -- improbable friends at a time when they should have been anything but.
In 1978, CIA maverick Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko were new arrivals on the Washington, DC intelligence scene, with Jack working out of the CIA's counterintelligence office and Gennady out of the Soviet Embassy. Both men, already notorious iconoclasts within their respective agencies, were assigned to seduce the other into betraying his country in the urgent final days of the Cold War, but instead the men ended up becoming the best of friends-blood brothers. Theirs is a friendship that never should have happened, and their story is chock full of treachery, darkly comic misunderstandings, bureaucratic inanity, the Russian Mafia, and landmark intelligence breakthroughs of the past half century.
In Best of Enemies, two espionage cowboys reveal how they became key behind-the-scenes players in solving some of the most celebrated spy stories of the twentieth century, including the crucial discovery of the Soviet mole Robert Hanssen, the 2010 Spy Swap which freed Gennady from Soviet imprisonment, and how Robert De Niro played a real-life role in helping Gennady stay alive during his incarceration in Russia after being falsely accused of spying for the Americans. Through their eyes, we see the distinctions between the Russian and American methods of conducting espionage and the painful birth of the new Russia, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, dreams he can roll back to the ideals of the old USSR.
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"BEST OF ENEMIES is rich in detail that espionage aficionados will enjoy -- including CIA cryptonyms, tradecraft, and details of Russian abuse of those they suspect of disloyalty...[The] biggest contribution of the book, however, is its depiction of the long game of intelligence, played out not in months or years, but in decades; the toll on the personal lives of not only the participants, but of their families; and the uplifting message that intelligence officers (at least initially) on opposite sides of the battle can find friendship and common values in each other."
— The Cipher Brief
Quotes
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“A compelling Cold War fable that illuminates the essence of a human recruitment operation: the unshakable friendship between two men that endured in the Wilderness of Mirrors.”
— Jason Matthews, New York Times bestselling author -
“The ultimate true-life spy tale. Gus Russo and Eric Dezenhall have written a rollicking Cold War thriller centered around the most crazily improbable of friendships…Russo and Dezenhall’s deep reporting, including interviews with the spies themselves, proves again that fiction has nothing on truth…Important and entertaining.”
— Philip Shenon, New York Times bestselling author -
Fast paced and lively.
— The New York Times -
This strange, exciting and intriguing tale, laced with international derring-do and extreme personal sacrifice, is destined to become a Cold War classic.
— p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Arial}John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of Mindhunter and Law & Disorder -
This book is crucial for anyone who wants to understand espionage or the Cold War.
— p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}James Grady, New York Times bestselling author of Six Days of the Condor -
BEST OF ENEMIES is a knockout thriller about one of the great yarns in international espionage: how an American CIA agent and a Russian KGB agent wound up on the same side. You have to read it to believe it.
— Tom Brokaw -
BEST OF ENEMIES is a riveting spy thriller and love story -- and best of all, it is a true one! The incredible tale of the deep and enduring friendship of CIA legend 'Cowboy' Jack Platt and charismatic KGB spy Gennady Vasilenko frames a mesmerizing journey thorugh the Cold War that did more than entertain me -- it also gave me more insight into the intelligence world in the US and Russia than anything else I have read.
— Norman Ornstein, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute -
Cowboys and commies -- sworn adversaries Jack (CIA) and Gennady (KGB) save each other's lives and become the best of friends. Guns, girls, and gulags -- and the iconic Robert De Niro in a real-life role -- delivered by two of Washington's most savvy insiders -- Eric Dezenhall and Gus Russo.
— p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 17.0px; font: 14.7px Helvetica; color: #212121; -webkit-text-stroke: #212121; background-color: #ffffff}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Richard Ben-Veniste, Watergate Special Prosecutor, Member 9/11 Commission -
BEST OF ENEMIES is the ultimate true-life spy tale. Gus Russo and Eric Dezenhall have written a rollicking Cold War thriller centered around the most crazily improbable of friendships -- between top spies at the CIA and KGB. Russo and Dezenhall's deep reporting, including interviews with the spies themselves, proves again that fiction has nothing on truth. A wild cast of characters; even Robert De Niro makes an appearance. Important and entertaining.
— Philip Shenon, New York Times bestselling author of A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination and The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation -
A compelling Cold War fable that illuminates the essence of a human recruitment operation: the unshakable friendship between two men that endured in the Wilderness of Mirrors.
— Jason Matthews, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Sparrow spy novels and 33-year CIA veteran trained by Jack Platt -
An informative and exciting history for the general reader and for the espionage expert alike.
— Publishers Weekly -
A rollicking tale of Cold War espionage...An unusual, entertaining story of steadfast friendship amid governmental treachery.
— Kirkus -
[An] engrossing tale...highly recommended for those who miss the show The Americans and others who immerse themselves in intelligence intrigue.
— Library Journal -
Perfect for the person who's still mourning the end of 'The Americans' and its bromance between Stan Beeman and Philip Jennings.
— New York Post -
If John le Carré wrote nonfiction and was a great reporter, BEST OF ENEMIES would be the result.
— Laurence Leamer, New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Women -
It's not often you come across a book that's engrossing, topical and instructive; BEST OF ENEMIES is all of those things, and then some. Empathy is never easy -- as this book makes abundantly clear -- but if there were more of it in the world today, we'd all be better off. A must read.
— Ian Bremmer, bestselling author of Us vs. Them, Superpower, and The J Curve
Awards
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A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
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About the Authors
Gus Russo has been an investigative reporter for over twenty years, the author of six nonfiction books, and writer and/or producer of many national and international documentaries for major networks. His books have received Book of the Month Club and History Book Club Featured Selections, three have been optioned for films, and The Outfit was a Pulitzer nominee. Russo was a professional musician, composer, bandleader, and private instructor. In that incarnation, he played with, or in tandem with, many well-known acts. He currently feeds his musical passions as leader of the Baltimore-based sextet, “String Theory,” which features songs by Django Reinhardt, Johnny Mercer, Dan Hicks, and Nat King Cole.
Eric Dezenhall is the founder and CEO of Dezenhall Resources, Ltd., one of the nation’s leading crisis management firms. He is also a published author of fiction and nonfiction books, a frequent media commentator, and a sought-after speaker. Eric has written numerous articles written on damage control in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New Republic, Daily Beast, Daily Caller, Ethical Corporation, and Huffington Post. He coproduced a documentary on organized crime for the Discovery Channel and appears as organized crime historian in forums including the History Channel. Dezenhall is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
About Robert Petkoff
Robert Petkoff is an actor and audiobook narrator who has won a prestigious Audie Award and multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice. He has appeared on Chappelle’s Show, Law & Order, and Quantum Leap. His Broadway credits include Sir Robin in Spamalot, Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, and Tateh in Ragtime.