Target Tokyo: The Story of the Sorge Spy Ring

by Gordon W. Prange

From deep within imperial Japan, a Soviet agent smuggled out intelligence that helped the Allies win the war

Richard Sorge was dispatched to Tokyo in 1933 to serve the spymasters of Moscow. For eight years, he masqueraded as a Nazi journalist and burrowed deep into the German embassy, digging for the secrets of Hitler’s invasion of Russia and the Japanese plans for the East. In a nation obsessed with rooting out moles, he kept a high profile—boozing, womanizing, and operating entirely under his own name. But he policed his spy ring scrupulously, keeping such a firm grip that by the time the Japanese uncovered his infiltration, he had done irreversible damage to the cause of the Axis.

The first definitive account of one of the most remarkable espionage sagas of World War II, Target Tokyo is a tightly wound portrayal of a man who risked his life for his country, hiding in plain sight.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Espionage, World War II, War, Military Fiction

595 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

A graduate of the University of Iowa, from where he received his Ph.D. in 1937, Gordon Prange began his teaching career as a professor of history at the University of Maryland. In 1942, he was granted a leave of absence from the University to embark on a wartime career as an officer in the United States Navy. Sent to Japan in 1945 as a member of the American Occupation Forces, after completing his Navy service he continued in Japan as a civilian from 1946 to 1951 as chief of General Douglas MacArthur's 100-person historical staff. When censorship of the Japanese media by Allied Forces was lifted in 1949 and the Civil Censorship Detachment disestablished, Professor Prange, recognizing the historical significance of the CCD material, arranged for its shipment to the University of Maryland. The materials arrived at the University in 1950. On September 15, 1978, the Board of Regents of the University of Maryland passed a motion to name the collection the 'Gordon W. Prange Collection: The Allied Presence in Japan, 1945-1952.' Professor Prange continued to teach at the University of Maryland until several months before his death on May 15, 1980. He is still remembered by alumni as one of the University's truly great teachers, and is well known today for major works on the war in the Pacific, particularly Tora! Tora! Tora!" The Terrapin, the University of Maryland's yearbook, said of his World War I and World War II history lectures in 1964: "Students flock to his class and sit enraptured as he animates the pages of twentieth century European history through his goosesteps, 'Seig Heils', 'Achtungs', machine gun retorts and frantic gestures.

Dr. Prange's manuscript about the attack on Pearl Harbor is credited as the basis for the screenplay Tora! Tora! Tora!, filmed in 1970 while Prange took a leave of absence from the University of Maryland to serve as technical consultant during its filming. His extensive research into the attack on Pearl Harbor was the subject of a PBS television program in 2000, "Prange and Pearl Harbor: A Magnificent Obsession", and was acclaimed "a definitive book on the event" by The Washington Post.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating and was struck by the fact that Stalin refused to believe the information his spies provided him. The author’s tell the story of Richard Sorge (1895-1944) who was a soviet military intelligence officer. Prange et al go into detail about his most famous activity. He was in Japan in 1940-1941 working undercover as a German journalist. He was spying on both the Japanese and Nazi Germans. His code name was “Ramsay”.

The authors state that Sorge provided Stalin with the information that the Germans were planning to attack Russia. Stalin did nothing because he did not believe his own spy. In 1941 Sorge found out that Japan was not going to attack Russia. Stalin was then able to transfer 18 divisions, 1700 tanks and 1500 aircraft from Siberia to the Western Front to use against the Nazis. This was a turning point for the Russians.

The author covers his life but mostly covers his time in Japan in the 1930s and 40’s. Prange et al show how he managed to infiltrate himself into two of the most paranoid regimes of the time, Japan and Germany. Sorge was arrested about 18 October 1941 for espionage. The Japanese at first thought he was an Abwehr spy, but after torture he revealed he worked for the Soviets. He was incarcerated in Sugamo Prison in Tokyo then on the 7 November 1944 he was executed. In 1964 the Soviet’s awarded him the “Hero of the Soviet Union Medal”.

The book is well written and meticulously researched. It is easy to read and kept my attention throughout the book. If you are interested in World War II history or in espionage this is the book for you. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. David Rapkin did a good job narrating the book.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a detailed book about Richard Sorge and his spy ring. It is interesting as the years close in on WWII, but the earlier years are slow-going with material of less interest. One character that I found particularly objectionable was Max Clausen who transmitted Sorge's reports to Moscow. His betrayal of the spy group and Sorge was extremely cold-blooded, and yet he lived to tell the tale. Not all members of the group were so lucky.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Prange offers a very detailed description of the reality of a high level spy network. It was a remarkable achievement under very challenging circumstances in the Japan of the mid thirties. Richard Sorge built an efficient organization which succeeded in providing strategic information to the Kremlin during a very critical period prior to WW2. Sorge was the ultimate master of deception who fooled Japanese and German senior officials into sharing with him state secrets. He provided some warnings to the USSR of the impending German invasion of June 1941; ironically Stalin did not believe him and wasted some of the advantages gained by his own resources.

Sorge got caught because eventually he did not abide by his own rules. Spying is a very lonely job and Sorge was a womanizer and a heavy drinker, potential fatal flaws for any man who leads a double life. He remains one of the most successfull spies, a brilliant mind with an uncanny ability to create relationships and influence people.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Sorge was one of the greatest spies of all times. For 8 years he orchestrated a top-level Soviet operation in Tokyo, literally operating out of the German Embassy. He was a close confidant of Ambassador Ott, his top Japanese source Hotsumi Ozaki was a member of elite Japanese think-tanks and part of a weekly breakfast with the Prime Minister. Sorge and Ozaki both pursued their covers with dedicate, maintaining a reputation as insightful journalists. Sorge's information may have provided warnings of Operation Barbarossa, and reassurances that Japan would not attack Siberia while the USSR was occupied by Germany. The unwinding of the spy ring, and the slow march to execution, is also tragic.

This book is a nearly month by month account of the Sorge ring, and the man himself. Sorge was brilliant, an alcoholic, a womanizer, a scandalous loudmouth beloved of the German expat community in Tokyo, and a charismatic man who inspired loyalty even in those he betrayed. The workings of his relationships with his mistress Hanako, radioman Max Clausen, and with the distant 4th Directorate in Moscow, swirl around the tensions and secrets of his life. Prange is a dedicated and detailed historian, and this is a fascinating subject, but somehow this book was a slog, a real life spy story of narrow escapes and information that disappeared into the void of the Soviet strategic apparatus.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great antidote for anyone dreaming of being a spy. Tells the story of Soviet Spy Richard Sorge, who masqueraded as a German newspaper man while collecting intelligence on Japan during WWII. The tragedy of his tale is that he was one of many Soviet spies who warned Moscow of the upcoming German invasion (Operation Barbarossa), but who were ignored because Stalin didn't trust his own operatives. The book describes the life Sorge lived, including his drinking and the fear he had to live under while carrying out his work.

[Brad Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5. A little convoluted at the beginning, but really good overall.

[David Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sorge spy ring was perhaps the highest placed spy ring in modern history, with members in Japanese government and military and sources in the German embassy in Tokyo. Quite a few interesting characters here, with many motivations, talents, and foibles. I found it interesting that Sorge and the other westerners in the ring were able to operate as they did, operating against two of the most paranoid regimes ever. Of course, they were working for another highly paranoid regime - so paranoid that their valuable intelligence was largely ignored.

Notes, bibliography, index, chronology, and b&w photos included.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, well documented and fascinating. The authors do an excellent job of illuminating the characters involved in spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and the contacts they created. Beyond the story of the development of the "ring", the way it functioned and the way it met its demise, the book gives an incredible perspective of the options facing the Japanese from the China "involvement" through the decision to strike north or south. It becomes very clear that US policy gave the Japanese very little option other than the madness of striking south against the British, Dutch and US rather than falling open the Soviet Union when their attention was on the German invasion.

[Margaret Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spotty reading. Some parts are well written and some are written for academics. The later are not as engaging.

[Bill V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another very solid read by Mr. Prange and his able assistants. The book covers in great detail the life of Richard Sorge and the activities of the spy ring he organized in Japan. That he was skilled enough to infiltrate the German embassy, which was part of a police state, as a trusted advisor is amazing enough. That he also combined shrewdness, suave and fortunate timing to infiltrate one of the most secretive and isolated societies on the planet is astounding.
His story was quite remarkable and I generally believe he was an overall asset to the Soviet cause, to which he was a true believer with his warnings about the impending German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. This advice was either ignored or possibly downplayed by his radio operator. Equally significant was his position, based on his espionage, that Japan was not planning on attacking the Soviet Union in the Far East in 1941. This is turn assisted the Soviet decision to transfer significant forces to Europe and in particular in front of Moscow . There they not only saved the capital from capture but contributed greatly in the counteroffensives that pushed the Axis forces back so that it was never seriously endangered again.

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details the fascinating story of the Sorge spy ring that operated by the Russians in the Far East. Sorge was the son of Russian and German parents. He grew up in Germany but he early on become a communist. He began his spy activities in China just before the Japanese invaded Manchuria. His assignment was to get intelligence on whether Japan had plans to invade Siberia. He soon moved his operation to Japan itself. Posing as a journalist, writing for several German newspapers, he cultivated a close relationship with the German embassy.
Sorge was a highly intelligent man with a captivating personality. His articles that he wrote for various papers enhanced his reputation and allowed him entry into the confidence of not only German but Japanese government. He soon recruited other people into his network, the most important being Osake. This man was also well connected in Japanese government circles. The way the ring gathered their information, transmitted it to Russia makes for a fascinating read. Sorge and his fellow spies were finally caught and arrested in 1942. Sorge and Osake were subsequently executed.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible story told with highly readable and engaging prose derived from a wide variety of sources and deep research. Prange, who is well known for histories of Pearl Harbor and Midway really digs in to this and spins the real life spy story like a novelist writing a cliffhanger. It's backed with a wealth of detail, first person interviews, and voluminous documentation. The story concerns Richard Sorge, placed by the GRU of the Soviet Union in Tokyo posing as a German journalist and member of the Nazi Party who made significant contacts both within the Imperial Japanese government and the German Embassy in Tokyo whose staff he practically joined. It covers the creation of the ring, its ascent, its triumphs, and its destruction including the executions of both Sorge himself and his highest placed Japanese co-conspirator. The book is both informative and riveting. I totally recommend it.

[George · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I listened to this book, I knew that I was in deep doo-doo when the reader talked about documenting the sources...ugh, thought I, footnotes of infinite length :-( in a Senior Level Poly-Sci class. The preface took about a half hour and then the book started. It was written/read like an academic tome suitable for a 400-level class on spies in WWII and it may be suitable for such research. When the reader began to sound like Charlie Brown's teacher, I gave up and thought to myself: "I'm driving down this long road, listening to this book and I'm more bored than usual. I've got better ways to spend my time. So, I deleted the book after about an hour. DNF.

[Kazuko Nishimura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now think I know “Who you are, Dr. Sorge”

I believe I have read all the books out there related to Richard Sorge and watched all the movies and videos available (Russia portrays him in a favorable light!). But this one closed the circle and answered the questions. I tend to draw a parallel between Communism and Jesus Christ. Both appeared at a time when the oppressed masses needed some salvation, something to cling to, but the similarities end there. With the benefit of hindsight, we can say at the time the facts narrated in this book happened, the ropes of Communism had not yet been tested enough.

[Donna Sundre · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very long book, and I had great difficulty plowing through it. I found Sorge to be an interesting character, but the writing didn't help me get through it at all. I guess there was too much reliance on actual history and a chronological feel to it that made it drag and drag and drag.

I'm glad to move on.

[Taylor Pope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok.

Interesting read but ended up skimming a lot of it. Full of interesting anecdotes but all at the 10K foot level. Never felt engrossed in the story.

[Ben Boulden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative--if slightly too long--look at the Richard Sorge Soviet spy ring in Tokyo during the 1930s.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

(listened to the audiobook)
Parts of the book may get a little dry if one is not into geopolitics, but overall it's a fascinating story. It is made more fascinating by the fact that enough evidence and testimony from the original cases has remained to paint a somewhat balanced portrait of each "character" in the spy ring.

My pre-WWII history, especially on the Asian side, was spotty, so in places I got a little lost because there was no description of the context for some of the political information described in the book. So be sure to read up on Japan's and Russia's policies and actions in the late 1930s and early 40s.

Book could have been shorter and have told the same story, but the attention detail rewards the historically minded with an even chronological progression through the whole case.

[John Fahey]

Fascinating story.