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ROOFMAN: A True Story of Cold War Espionage
The real world of espionage and counterespionage was not what had been expected, especially to such an ordinary guy, a roofer with a Master's degree in Library Science. No prior training and nothing in his imagination prepared Roofman for what he faced during the sensitive time when the United States and the Soviet Union were at each others throats.
This true story includes 63 minutes of taped conversations between Roofman and his spy handlers. A reader will see and be part of the real world of of talking to the Feds, the Russians, and always watching one's back.
This true story includes 63 minutes of taped conversations between Roofman and his spy handlers. A reader will see and be part of the real world of of talking to the Feds, the Russians, and always watching one's back.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 16, 2011
The book is A LOT MORE INTERESTING than what you would read on its description. While the description is technical, focused on the audio, I have decided to do away with the audio and focused on the story in itself.
Non fiction books are difficult to craft due to trying to make it as exciting as real life. This book is just as interesting and exciting as if it were fiction, which is why I understand Mr. Pansini's insistence on the audio, it is just difficult to believe that someone can get in neck deep in counter intelligence, politics, and data gathering in real life.
We might have expected that spies are specially trained forces who are assigned the task specifically, little did we understand that a roof contractor who gets into computer information research could work for KGB and GRU, and FBI. It was all risky and sensitive, and games are played more interestingly.
Roofman is definitely worth a read, and a worthy recommendation to conspiracy theorists, spy fanatics, and James Bond wannabees.
Non fiction books are difficult to craft due to trying to make it as exciting as real life. This book is just as interesting and exciting as if it were fiction, which is why I understand Mr. Pansini's insistence on the audio, it is just difficult to believe that someone can get in neck deep in counter intelligence, politics, and data gathering in real life.
We might have expected that spies are specially trained forces who are assigned the task specifically, little did we understand that a roof contractor who gets into computer information research could work for KGB and GRU, and FBI. It was all risky and sensitive, and games are played more interestingly.
Roofman is definitely worth a read, and a worthy recommendation to conspiracy theorists, spy fanatics, and James Bond wannabees.
November 17, 2011
A Review of Roofman
By John Pansini
This is the true story of John Pansini a well qualified and professional librarian with a Masters Degree in Library Science, who happens to be working as a roof repairman nailing on shingles all day in New York. The language comes across very readily as that of a native New Yorker and adds to the story and enhances his description of this work. At times it is funny as the toils of a manual worker in the extremes of a New York summer and winter takes its toll. John also runs his own company Computerized Information Retrieval which does exactly what the name suggests. After placing an advert in the New York Times John is approached by a Russian, Mikhail Katkov, to get some information for him and there the whole story starts.
A patriot I think, John approaches the FBI, this is the 1980s after all, the time of the cold war, and tells them about his Russian ´friend´. They apparently, reluctantly take an interest and the book covers the next four years of intrigue and mystery as the relationship between John, Mikhail and various Special Agents from the FBI develops.
John has more than one motive for accepting the work from Mikhail, money, he´s a patriot, he really really enjoys the thought of being a spy and finally from the start he realises that there is a book and screenplay to be written from his experiences, hence this book, Roofman.
The way things develop in the book have the air of authenticity about them. The relationship between the New Yorker and the Russian grows over time, at least that is what John believes. I gained the impression the author was being played from both sides, the Russian GRU officer and by the FBI, but he feels that he was in control. Near the end when John sees that his spying career is nearly over he makes a desperate attempt to prolong things by approaching the Customs Authorities, you just knew that wasn´t going to work.
This was an enjoyable book to read and even though John Pansini claims it is a true story I am left with the tiny thought that he´s just playing me and the rest of his readers. It doesn´t matter if he is though, you´ll still relish reading the book with the air of reality running through it. Well done John a great read.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The real world of espionage and counterespionage was not what I expected. An ordinary guy like me, a roofer with a Master's degree in Library Science and with no prior training in intelligence work, nothing in my imagination prepared me for what I faced during the sensitive time when the United States and the Soviet Union were at each others throats.
This true story includes 63 minutes of taped conversations between me and my spy handlers. A reader will see and be part of the real world of spying: of talking to the Feds, the Russians, and always watching one's back.
My rating 4 out of 5.
By John Pansini
This is the true story of John Pansini a well qualified and professional librarian with a Masters Degree in Library Science, who happens to be working as a roof repairman nailing on shingles all day in New York. The language comes across very readily as that of a native New Yorker and adds to the story and enhances his description of this work. At times it is funny as the toils of a manual worker in the extremes of a New York summer and winter takes its toll. John also runs his own company Computerized Information Retrieval which does exactly what the name suggests. After placing an advert in the New York Times John is approached by a Russian, Mikhail Katkov, to get some information for him and there the whole story starts.
A patriot I think, John approaches the FBI, this is the 1980s after all, the time of the cold war, and tells them about his Russian ´friend´. They apparently, reluctantly take an interest and the book covers the next four years of intrigue and mystery as the relationship between John, Mikhail and various Special Agents from the FBI develops.
John has more than one motive for accepting the work from Mikhail, money, he´s a patriot, he really really enjoys the thought of being a spy and finally from the start he realises that there is a book and screenplay to be written from his experiences, hence this book, Roofman.
The way things develop in the book have the air of authenticity about them. The relationship between the New Yorker and the Russian grows over time, at least that is what John believes. I gained the impression the author was being played from both sides, the Russian GRU officer and by the FBI, but he feels that he was in control. Near the end when John sees that his spying career is nearly over he makes a desperate attempt to prolong things by approaching the Customs Authorities, you just knew that wasn´t going to work.
This was an enjoyable book to read and even though John Pansini claims it is a true story I am left with the tiny thought that he´s just playing me and the rest of his readers. It doesn´t matter if he is though, you´ll still relish reading the book with the air of reality running through it. Well done John a great read.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The real world of espionage and counterespionage was not what I expected. An ordinary guy like me, a roofer with a Master's degree in Library Science and with no prior training in intelligence work, nothing in my imagination prepared me for what I faced during the sensitive time when the United States and the Soviet Union were at each others throats.
This true story includes 63 minutes of taped conversations between me and my spy handlers. A reader will see and be part of the real world of spying: of talking to the Feds, the Russians, and always watching one's back.
My rating 4 out of 5.
January 5, 2013
This is an addictive and fascinating true story. Pansini, a roofman and computer information retrieval expert, gets himself intertwined in a secret 1980s Cold War showdown between Russian spy Mikhail Katkov and the FBI. Katkov calls Pansini in response to his fledgling business' computer search ad in the New York Times in 1983, and thus begins a four-year relationship between Pansini and the UN diplomat who is doubling as a GRU agent for the Russian military.
Katkov meets Pansini fairly regularly at his run-down apartment in Washington Heights, N.Y., and pays him to retrieve "interesting" but unclassified information over the pre-Internet digital dirt roads. Pansini contacts the FBI early in this process and becomes a valuable informant, meeting agents in diners and hiding tape recorders in his apartment. Pansini has embedded authentic audio files of these conversations with both Katkov and the FBI agents in the body of the story. These enhancements -- put together with Pansini's blunt, riveting and often humorous account of what it was like to go from average Joe to espionage middleman -- make for a gripping listen/read.
Pansini does a great job of bringing out the humanity in everyone he deals with, especially Katkov, a bear of man who becomes Pansini's friend even as he is unknowingly being led toward his inevitable downfall in December, 1987. The emotional strain on Pansini as he goes through this self-inflicted four-year ordeal is real and well-told in "Roofman: Nail-banger, Librarian & Spy." He even confides his mission for the FBI to his ex-girlfriend at one point. He thought it might impress her as they considered rekindling their relationship. Instead, it scares her off.
And all of this for what?
One of the FBI agents helped sum it up: "Both sides can blow each other up ten times over. What we have here is simply one economy (Russia) desperately trying to catch up with the other (USA). It all boils down to building a better washing machine."
"You mean I'm risking my ass so some Russian housewife can get her clothes 50 percent brighter?" Pansini asked.
The FBI agent nodded.
I highly recommend "ROOFMAN: Nail-banger, Librarian & Spy." It's totally unique, interesting and entertaining, and I think Pansini proves his writing talent is on par with his amazing ability to fool Russian spies.
Katkov meets Pansini fairly regularly at his run-down apartment in Washington Heights, N.Y., and pays him to retrieve "interesting" but unclassified information over the pre-Internet digital dirt roads. Pansini contacts the FBI early in this process and becomes a valuable informant, meeting agents in diners and hiding tape recorders in his apartment. Pansini has embedded authentic audio files of these conversations with both Katkov and the FBI agents in the body of the story. These enhancements -- put together with Pansini's blunt, riveting and often humorous account of what it was like to go from average Joe to espionage middleman -- make for a gripping listen/read.
Pansini does a great job of bringing out the humanity in everyone he deals with, especially Katkov, a bear of man who becomes Pansini's friend even as he is unknowingly being led toward his inevitable downfall in December, 1987. The emotional strain on Pansini as he goes through this self-inflicted four-year ordeal is real and well-told in "Roofman: Nail-banger, Librarian & Spy." He even confides his mission for the FBI to his ex-girlfriend at one point. He thought it might impress her as they considered rekindling their relationship. Instead, it scares her off.
And all of this for what?
One of the FBI agents helped sum it up: "Both sides can blow each other up ten times over. What we have here is simply one economy (Russia) desperately trying to catch up with the other (USA). It all boils down to building a better washing machine."
"You mean I'm risking my ass so some Russian housewife can get her clothes 50 percent brighter?" Pansini asked.
The FBI agent nodded.
I highly recommend "ROOFMAN: Nail-banger, Librarian & Spy." It's totally unique, interesting and entertaining, and I think Pansini proves his writing talent is on par with his amazing ability to fool Russian spies.
October 17, 2012
very true to life - you get the feel of actually living through the time with the "Roofman"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews