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Farewell: The Greatest Spy Story of the Twentieth Century Audiobook
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(2.98) - 127 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
1981. Ronald Reagan and François Mitterrand are sworn in as presidents of the Unites States and France, respectively. The tension due to Mitterrand’s French Communist support, however, is immediately defused when he gives Reagan the Farewell Dossier, a file he would later call “one of the greatest spy cases of the twentieth century.”
Vladimir Ippolitovitch Vetrov, a promising technical student, joins the KGB to work as a spy. Following a couple of murky incidents, however, Vetrov is removed from the field and placed at a desk as an analyst. Soon, burdened by a troubled marriage and frustrated at a flailing career, Vetrov turns to alcohol. Desperate and needing redemption, he offers his services to the DST. Thus Agent Farewell is born. He uses his post within the KGB to steal and photocopy files of the USSR’s plans for the West—all under Brezhnev’s nose.
Probing further into Vetrov’s psychological profile than ever before, Kostin and Raynaud provide groundbreaking insight into the man whose life helped hasten the fall of the Communist Soviet Regime.
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"An interesting look into the reason why a KGB agent would betray his country and the huge impact his information had on dismantling the already weak Soviet Political System."
— Karen (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The reader of this wonderful book from Sergei Kostin and Eric Raynaud is in for a treat: an introduction into what President Reagan described as the most significant spy story of the last century...[an] exciting voyage into the murky world of espionage and counterespionage.
— Richard V. Allen, United States National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan -
Vetrov is 007’s opposite: a shambolic bear of a man, albeit with the requisite indestructible liver (and penchant for a basement quickie with the secretary).
— The Sunday Times
Farewell Listener Reviews
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" A very disappointing read. If you are interested in espionage and the life of a secret agent, go find another book. If you are interested in a wife's story about her trips abroad and what she thinks happened to her secret agent husband then get this book. "
— Jim, 12/7/2013 -
" Awesome writing and historical story. "
— Michel, 11/13/2013 -
" Interesting true story of one of the greatest Russian KGB spy's turned By the French. It's a slow read at times but his impact during the early Reagan / Mitterand years is truly amazing and makes the book worthwhile. "
— Tal, 8/26/2013 -
" A good story/history of what appears to be the most important spy of recent times. "
— Metageek, 8/24/2013 -
" Wanted to like it more. Story in very interesting, very boring writing. Didn't finish. "
— Amy, 7/15/2013 -
" Slightly difficult to read since its been translated from French but a gripping, true story of real 20th century espionage. Worth the read. "
— Jack, 7/3/2013 -
" A fascinating account of amazing research into the life of a Russian mole. Slow, but gripping. "
— Don, 6/15/2013 -
" Some very interesting parts but really could have been a long article. Also between the writing style and the translation it didn't come across as well written. "
— Roy, 5/19/2013 -
" This was a long read that took me a while to get through. Very interesting story and very thoroughly told - I love the interviews from numerous sides w/ interspersed opinions. But this is written more like an article and less like a story, so was a little drudgy at times. "
— Newhamshter, 3/18/2013 -
" interesting story overwritten with too much detail and a clunky translation. abandoned probably 2/5 of the way through. "
— Rob, 1/24/2013 -
" Terribly slow. "
— Brooke, 12/30/2012
About the Authors
Sergei Kostin is a Russian documentary maker and writer living in Moscow. He is author of four nonfiction books, mainly about secret services, translated in eight languages, and four spy novels published in Russia, the USA, Bulgaria, and Serbia.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.
About Arthur Morey
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.