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The Litvinenko File
On 7 December 2006, in a Highgate Cemetery drenched with London rain, a Russian was buried within a stone’s throw of the grave of Karl Marx. He was Alexander Litvinenko, Sasha to his friends, a boy from the deep Russian provinces who rose through the ranks of the world’s most feared security service. Litvinenko was the man who denounced murder and corruption in the Russian government, fled from the wrath of the Kremlin, came to London and took the shilling of Moscow’s avowed enemy … Now he was a martyr, condemned by foes unknown to an agonised death in a hospital bed thousands of miles from home. Martin Sixsmith draws on his long experience as the BBC’s Moscow correspondent, and contact with key London-based Russians, to dissect Alexander Litvinenko’s murder. Myriad theories have been put forward since he died, but the story goes back to 2000 when hostilities were declared between the Kremlin and its political opponents. This is a war that has blown hot and cold for over seven years; a war that has pitted some of Russia’s strongest, richest men against the most powerful president Russia has had since Josef Stalin. The Litvinenko File is a gripping, powerful inside account of a shocking act of murder, when Russia’s war with itself spilled over onto the streets of London and made the world take notice.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2011
21 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Martin Sixsmith
28 books103 followersGeorge Martin Sixsmith, British author and journalist.
Sixsmith joined the BBC in 1980 where he worked as a foreign correspondent, most notably reporting from Moscow during the end of the Cold War. He also reported from Poland during the Solidarity uprising and was the BBC's Washington correspondent during the election and first presidency of Bill Clinton. He was based in Russia for five years, the US for four, Brussels for four and Poland for three.
Sixsmith left the BBC in 1997 to work for the newly elected government of Tony Blair. He became Director of Communications (a civil service post), working first with Harriet Harman and Frank Field, then with Alistair Darling. His next position was as a Director of GEC plc, where he oversaw the rebranding of the company as Marconi plc.
In December 2001, he returned to the Civil Service to join the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions as Director of Communications in time to become embroiled in the second act of the scandal over Jo Moore. Moore was special adviser to the transport secretary Stephen Byers and had been the subject of much public condemnation for suggesting that a controversial announcement should be "buried" during the media coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1]
Sixsmith incurred the displeasure of Downing Street when his email advising Byers and Moore not to bury more bad news was leaked to the press. Number Ten attempted to "resign him", but had later to issue an apology and pay him compensation. Sixsmith was widely expected to write a memoir or autobiography in the wake of his civil service departure, but was gagged by the government[citation needed] Instead, he produced a novel about near-future politics called Spin, published in 2004.
His second novel, I Heard Lenin Laugh, was published in 2005. In 2006 he was commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to present a series of programmes on Russian poetry, literature and art.
In 2007 he wrote The Litvinenko File, an examination of the feud between the Kremlin and Russia's émigré oligarchs.
In 2008 Sixsmith worked on two BBC documentaries exploring the legacy of the KGB in today's Russia and also presented a BBC documentary, The Snowy Streets of St. Petersburg, about artists and writers who fled the former Eastern bloc.
In 2009 he wrote The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, about the forcible separation of a mother and child by the nuns of an Irish convent during the 1950s, and the subsequent attempts of the mother and child to contact one another.[2] The book was adapted into the film Philomena, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan (as Sixsmith), and written by Coogan and Jeff Pope; it premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released in the UK on November 1 2013.
In February 2010 Sixsmith wrote Putin's Oil, about Russia's energy wars and their consequences for Moscow and the world.
He worked as an adviser to the BBC political sitcom The Thick of It, and the Oscar-nominated film, In the Loop.
In 2011, he presented Russia: The Wild East, a 50-part history of Russia for BBC Radio 4, the last episode of which was broadcast on 12 August.[3] His book Russia, a 1,000 Year Chronicle of the Wild East was published by Random House.
In 2014 Sixsmith will present a 25 part programme about the history of psychology and psychiatry for the BBC radio.
Sixsmith joined the BBC in 1980 where he worked as a foreign correspondent, most notably reporting from Moscow during the end of the Cold War. He also reported from Poland during the Solidarity uprising and was the BBC's Washington correspondent during the election and first presidency of Bill Clinton. He was based in Russia for five years, the US for four, Brussels for four and Poland for three.
Sixsmith left the BBC in 1997 to work for the newly elected government of Tony Blair. He became Director of Communications (a civil service post), working first with Harriet Harman and Frank Field, then with Alistair Darling. His next position was as a Director of GEC plc, where he oversaw the rebranding of the company as Marconi plc.
In December 2001, he returned to the Civil Service to join the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions as Director of Communications in time to become embroiled in the second act of the scandal over Jo Moore. Moore was special adviser to the transport secretary Stephen Byers and had been the subject of much public condemnation for suggesting that a controversial announcement should be "buried" during the media coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1]
Sixsmith incurred the displeasure of Downing Street when his email advising Byers and Moore not to bury more bad news was leaked to the press. Number Ten attempted to "resign him", but had later to issue an apology and pay him compensation. Sixsmith was widely expected to write a memoir or autobiography in the wake of his civil service departure, but was gagged by the government[citation needed] Instead, he produced a novel about near-future politics called Spin, published in 2004.
His second novel, I Heard Lenin Laugh, was published in 2005. In 2006 he was commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to present a series of programmes on Russian poetry, literature and art.
In 2007 he wrote The Litvinenko File, an examination of the feud between the Kremlin and Russia's émigré oligarchs.
In 2008 Sixsmith worked on two BBC documentaries exploring the legacy of the KGB in today's Russia and also presented a BBC documentary, The Snowy Streets of St. Petersburg, about artists and writers who fled the former Eastern bloc.
In 2009 he wrote The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, about the forcible separation of a mother and child by the nuns of an Irish convent during the 1950s, and the subsequent attempts of the mother and child to contact one another.[2] The book was adapted into the film Philomena, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan (as Sixsmith), and written by Coogan and Jeff Pope; it premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released in the UK on November 1 2013.
In February 2010 Sixsmith wrote Putin's Oil, about Russia's energy wars and their consequences for Moscow and the world.
He worked as an adviser to the BBC political sitcom The Thick of It, and the Oscar-nominated film, In the Loop.
In 2011, he presented Russia: The Wild East, a 50-part history of Russia for BBC Radio 4, the last episode of which was broadcast on 12 August.[3] His book Russia, a 1,000 Year Chronicle of the Wild East was published by Random House.
In 2014 Sixsmith will present a 25 part programme about the history of psychology and psychiatry for the BBC radio.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 6, 2012
As a former BBC correspondent in Moscow (during the 1980s and much of the 1990s), Martin Sixsmith is well-qualified to tell the tale of the murder of Alexander (aka "Sacha") Litvinenko. The Litvinenko File is his account of the crime, which hit the headlines at the time it happened (November 2006) because of the way in which Litvinenko was killed - he was poisoned by polonium-210 - and because, at the time of his death, Litvinenko was living in exile in London. The book is a succinct and very readable account of the events leading up to Litvinenko's death and an examination of the various theories as to who might have been responsible for it.
Litvinenko was a former officer in the Soviet/Russian secret service, the KGB (which, by the time of his death, had been renamed the Federal Security Service (FSB)). After being dismissed from the service, he made accusations that it had ordered the assassination of the Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky, who was a powerful and influential figure in Russian politics during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. This understandably infuriated the FSB, who seemingly ensured that Litvinenko was arrested on supposedly trumped-up charges of exceeding his authority while working for the service. Those charges - and subsequent ones - were thrown out by the Russian courts. Believing that the FSB was waging a campaign against him and that his life was possibly in danger, Litvinenko escaped with his family to the UK, where he sought, and was granted, asylum. After six years of living in London, he met his death by poisoning. One of the many controversies surrounding his murder was whether, and to what extent, the Russian government was involved in it.
The subject matter of The Litvinenko File is undoubtedly fascinating - and to some extent proves that truth can often be stranger than fiction. Sixsmith is very good at explaining what is a complex series of incidents in an easy to follow style. The book, which comprises 65 brief chapters (some are no longer than 2 pages), resembles an extended newspaper article more than a considered and comprehensive analysis of the background to, and the aftermath of, the case. Written quite soon after Litvinenko's death - it was published in 2007 - it is likely that some of the information in it has been overtaken by subsequent events. At the time of its publication, for example, the investigation into the murder by police at Scotland Yard had not been completed. Perhaps not surprisingly, therefore, the author's conclusions are speculative at best. It seems to me that Sixsmith is fair - he presents a warts and all picture of Litvinenko, who was an obsessive character and who had been involved in all sorts of shady dealings right up to the time of his death. He is also objective in his analysis. There are probably more comprehensive accounts available of the events described in The Litvinenko File. Nonetheless, Martin Sixsmith's book is a readable and informative commentary on a very interesting story of real-life political intrigue and espionage. 7/10.
Litvinenko was a former officer in the Soviet/Russian secret service, the KGB (which, by the time of his death, had been renamed the Federal Security Service (FSB)). After being dismissed from the service, he made accusations that it had ordered the assassination of the Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky, who was a powerful and influential figure in Russian politics during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. This understandably infuriated the FSB, who seemingly ensured that Litvinenko was arrested on supposedly trumped-up charges of exceeding his authority while working for the service. Those charges - and subsequent ones - were thrown out by the Russian courts. Believing that the FSB was waging a campaign against him and that his life was possibly in danger, Litvinenko escaped with his family to the UK, where he sought, and was granted, asylum. After six years of living in London, he met his death by poisoning. One of the many controversies surrounding his murder was whether, and to what extent, the Russian government was involved in it.
The subject matter of The Litvinenko File is undoubtedly fascinating - and to some extent proves that truth can often be stranger than fiction. Sixsmith is very good at explaining what is a complex series of incidents in an easy to follow style. The book, which comprises 65 brief chapters (some are no longer than 2 pages), resembles an extended newspaper article more than a considered and comprehensive analysis of the background to, and the aftermath of, the case. Written quite soon after Litvinenko's death - it was published in 2007 - it is likely that some of the information in it has been overtaken by subsequent events. At the time of its publication, for example, the investigation into the murder by police at Scotland Yard had not been completed. Perhaps not surprisingly, therefore, the author's conclusions are speculative at best. It seems to me that Sixsmith is fair - he presents a warts and all picture of Litvinenko, who was an obsessive character and who had been involved in all sorts of shady dealings right up to the time of his death. He is also objective in his analysis. There are probably more comprehensive accounts available of the events described in The Litvinenko File. Nonetheless, Martin Sixsmith's book is a readable and informative commentary on a very interesting story of real-life political intrigue and espionage. 7/10.
June 23, 2012
Well-researched and provocative. The truth about who poisoned Litvinenko may never be known with certainty, but the author makes a pretty compelling case that traces the murder back to Moscow.
June 17, 2008
hmm..towards the end it get more confusing since the author's investigation unravel the complicated nature of the life of Sasha Litvinenko. This story would make a very good movie, intriguing mixture of mafia gang, espionage, murder, violence, freedom, conspiracy, betrayal, all in the name of power (politics and money). yeah..truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
June 28, 2013
Here Sixsmith offers a really well researched look into what happened to Alexander Litvinenko while he was living in exile in London. It really is spine-tingling reading at times. You really have to remind yourself that you are reading real life events here – it all seems like something from a film. It’s a confusing murder which may never be properly solved but Sixsmith’s account offers some plausible ideas and makes the whole account more easy for the average person to try to understand.
August 29, 2020
Well researched and gets away from presenting Litvinenko as a saint. Hampered by the fact that a lot more has come out about the death since.
August 23, 2017
An well organized and entertaining read. The author provides a good account of the Litvinenko affair here. The background of all the major players is provided and how their relationships evolved with regard to the case. Sixsmith also revealed how important media and propaganda are for Kremlin and anti Kremlin supporters and how the British government was reluctant to endanger international relations with Putin over this incident.
June 4, 2011
Sixmith's work paints a comprehensive picture of Alexander Litvinenko, his murder and both its background and fallout. The book is well researched and, while offering sympathy for the torturous death of the man, avoids the temptation to create a narrative of heroes and villains. The crimes of the Russian government, the KGB/FSB and the factions that comprise it, as well as those of the exiled oligarchs are all exposed. Nor does the book tiptoe around the fact that Sasha Litvinenko was a KGB thug and assassin, who had to flee Russia because he chose the wrong sponsor in the shadow war.
Sixmith draws plausible conclusions. They are tentative but this is preferable to overreaching with the somewhat patchy body of evidence he has been able to draw together. Several scenarios are presented and where Sixmith has been forced to make choices based on his judgement of people alone, the logic is clearly spelled out to allow the reader to make his/her own conclusions. While the epilogue of the 2008 edition is rife with spelling mistakes, it adds another layer of intrigue with a short introduction to the involvement of the MI6 in the matter.
Sixmith draws plausible conclusions. They are tentative but this is preferable to overreaching with the somewhat patchy body of evidence he has been able to draw together. Several scenarios are presented and where Sixmith has been forced to make choices based on his judgement of people alone, the logic is clearly spelled out to allow the reader to make his/her own conclusions. While the epilogue of the 2008 edition is rife with spelling mistakes, it adds another layer of intrigue with a short introduction to the involvement of the MI6 in the matter.
April 24, 2013
Marti gives you the actual facts of the litvinenko poisoning. it takes an independent mind to write such a masterpiece. he also gives a view of what happens in russian politics and the strained relationship between russia and britain which was an aftermath of the whole assassination.
April 5, 2015
There are so many evil people in power and it doesn't seem to get any better. They don't care about anyone but themselves and how much money they can pocket that doesn't belong to them. This is a scary book that people should take heed to.
March 3, 2015
I read this in the midst of studying this kind of thing, but I don't remember very much about it, except that it encouraged me to read more of Sixsmith's work.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews