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The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West Audiobook
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ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 • The definitive history of Russia’s most secret spy program, from the earliest days of the Soviet Union to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and a revelatory examination of how that hidden history shaped both Russia and the West.
More than a century ago, the new Bolshevik government began sending Soviet citizens abroad as deep-cover spies, training them to pose as foreign aristocrats, merchants, and students. Over time, this grew into the most ambitious espionage program in history. Many intelligence agencies use undercover operatives, but the KGB was the only one to go to such lengths, spending years training its spies in language and etiquette, and sending them abroad on missions that could last for decades. These spies were known as “illegals.” During the Second World War, illegals were dispatched behind enemy lines to assassinate high-ranking Nazis. Later, in the Cold War, they were sent to assimilate and lie low as sleepers in the West. The greatest among them performed remarkable feats, while many others failed in their missions or cracked under the strain of living a double life.
Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, as well as archival research in more than a dozen countries, Shaun Walker brings this history to life in a page-turning tour de force that takes us into the heart of the KGB’s most secretive program. A riveting spy drama peopled with richly drawn characters, The Illegals also uncovers a hidden thread in the story of Russia itself. As Putin extols Soviet achievements and the KGB’s espionage prowess, and Moscow continues to infiltrate illegals across the globe, this timely narrative shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment, its messy aftermath, and its influence on our world at large.
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"“Groundbreaking, authoritative and exhilarating—this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Russia’s clandestine malign activities. Built on true life stories as good as any spy novel, it blows open the secrets of Russia’s deep cover Illegals spy program, beloved as much by Putin today as previous dictators in the Kremlin like Stalin."
— Calder Walton, intelligence scholar at Harvard’s Kennedy School, author of Spies: The Epic Intelligence War between East and West
Quotes
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This gripping account takes you into a world of shadows and mystery, the long and checkered history of the Kremlin sleeper agents. In the annals of espionage, they were Russia’s great gamble. Shaun Walker has written a spying classic.
— David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy -
An incredibly moving history of the Soviet Union’s boldest and most secretive spy program. Walker shows how a nation torn between survival and nostalgia invented a form of espionage that was both inspired and fanatical, delving into the deepest levels of espionage where even spies fear to tread.
— Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, Executive Producers, The Americans -
An incredibly moving history of the Soviet Union’s boldest and most secretive spy program. Walker shows how a nation torn between survival and nostalgia invented a form of espionage that was both inspired and fanatical, delving into the deepest levels of espionage where even spies fear to tread.
— Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, Executive Producers, The Americans -
This gripping account takes you into a world of shadows and mystery, the long and checkered history of the Kremlin sleeper agents. In the annals of espionage, they were Russia’s great gamble. Shaun Walker has written a spying classic.
— David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy“Shaun Walker skillfully shows how Russia’s modern-day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and trickery of the bad old days. A fascinating read. -
Sinister, clandestine, and deadly—this is essential history, and it is happening now. A fascinating study of the Russian use of illegal deep undercover agents against the West.
— Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin -
This gripping account takes you into a world of shadows and mystery, the long and checkered history of the Kremlin sleeper agents. In the annals of espionage, they were Russia’s great gamble. Shaun Walker has written a spying classic.
— David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy“A gripping, brilliantly researched history of the biggest group of deep-cover spies in intelligence history. Shaun Walker shows that Russia’s secret Illegals were far more successful in both Britain and the United States under Stalin than under Putin. -
Shaun Walker skillfully shows how Russia’s modern-day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and trickery of the bad old days. A fascinating read.
— Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland and The Last Man in Russia -
An incredibly moving history of the Soviet Union’s boldest and most secretive spy program. Walker shows how a nation torn between survival and nostalgia invented a form of espionage that was both inspired and fanatical, delving into the deepest levels of espionage where even spies fear to tread.
— Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, Executive Producers of The Americans -
Sinister, clandestine, and deadly—this is essential history, and it is happening now. A fascinating study of the Russian use of illegal deep undercover agents against the West.
— Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin -
This gripping account takes you into a world of shadows and mystery, the long and checkered history of the Kremlin sleeper agents. In the annals of espionage, they were Russia’s great gamble. Shaun Walker has written a spying classic.
— David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy -
A riveting spy thriller, that doubles up as a secret history of Russia that is all too current for comfort.
— Peter Pomerantsev, author of How to Win an Information War -
“Filled with astonishing personal details, The Illegals reveals the paranoia and drama of the secret lives devoted to undermining the west. A gripping history critical to understanding many of Russia’s influence operations today.—Catherine Belton, author of Putin’s People
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Shaun Walker skillfully shows how Russia’s modern-day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and trickery of the bad old days. A fascinating read.
— Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland and The Last Man in Russia -
“The stuff of TV drama brought to real life. . . . A fast-paced tale of real-world spycraft that will have you wondering whether your neighbors are who they say they are.
— Kirkus
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About Shaun Walker
Shaun Walker is the Moscow correspondent for the Guardian. He studied Russian and Soviet history at Oxford University, and has worked as a journalist in Moscow for more than a decade. Previously, he was Moscow Correspondent for the Independent.
About Paul Thornley
Paul Thornley is an actor who has appeared in several television shows, including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Foyle’s War, and Ashes to Ashes, as well as the feature films Les Misérables and Alibi. He is also an audiobook narrator who is most noted for his reading of the Rojan Dizon series by Francis Knight.