What do you think?
Rate this book
Undercover Washington: Where Famous Spies Lived, Worked and Loved
In times of peace or war, Washington, D.C. is the spy capital of the world. The original spymaster, George Washington, whose home was in nearby Mt. Vernon, started it all when he had false information planted in British pouches and used disappearing ink to instruct his agents.
Since then, the capital has been a hotbed of espionage, chock full of all the targets of any self-respecting spy—the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, NSA, and more. Diplomats, politicians, generals, scholars, secretaries and clerks, mistresses and wives have lied, contrived, connived, denied, cheated, blackmailed, seduced and betrayed each other here, right up to the current war on terrorism.
Pamela Kessler, a former Washington Post reporter and an expert on the local espionage scene, takes readers on a guided tour through D.C. and nearby Virginia and Maryland to more than 70 drop-sites, safe-houses, graveyards, mansions, museums, secure government offices and restaurant rendezvous where the spy game has been played. Kessler reveals the tales behind each featured site and offers more than 60 photographs of secret agents and the hangouts where they lived, worked, loved and sometimes died gruesome deaths.
Lurk through Maryland, sneak through Virginia, and hide in Washington as you visit such places
- Hotel George—the Washington hotel where the only Soviet general to survive Stalin’s blood purge of Red Army officers died a mysterious death.
- Mailbox at the corner of 37th and R Streets N.W.—where Aldrich Ames, who worked for the KGB while serving as the CIA’s chief of Soviet counterintelligence, signaled his handler he was ready to make a drop.
- The Exchange—the D.C. restaurant where KGB mole Karl Koecher and his wife Hana met with a swinging couples group for exchange of wives and government secrets.
- Foxstone Park—where “Doctor Death” Robert Hanssen dropped his last documents, just before his fellow FBI agents arrested him.
- The Georgetown mansion where “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, held secret meetings during World War II.
- Au Pied de Cochon—the Georgetown café where Soviet defector Vitaly Yurchenko had his last meal before redefecting.
- The Northwest Washington home where Soviet spy Kim Philby lived while serving as First Secretary of the British Embassy.
- FBI Headquarters—a preview of the redesigned tour that attracts half a million visitors a year
- National Cryptologic Museum—a former motel in Fort Meade, Maryland, where visitors now can learn the history of American signals intelligence and cryptology and find the largest public collection of Enigma machines.
- The Willard Hotel—where Lafayette C. Baker, the infamous counterespionage officer in the Civil War, was recruited
- Congressional Country Club—the training place in Potomac, Maryland, for OSS agents to be parachuted behind enemy lines in World War II.
Since then, the capital has been a hotbed of espionage, chock full of all the targets of any self-respecting spy—the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, NSA, and more. Diplomats, politicians, generals, scholars, secretaries and clerks, mistresses and wives have lied, contrived, connived, denied, cheated, blackmailed, seduced and betrayed each other here, right up to the current war on terrorism.
Pamela Kessler, a former Washington Post reporter and an expert on the local espionage scene, takes readers on a guided tour through D.C. and nearby Virginia and Maryland to more than 70 drop-sites, safe-houses, graveyards, mansions, museums, secure government offices and restaurant rendezvous where the spy game has been played. Kessler reveals the tales behind each featured site and offers more than 60 photographs of secret agents and the hangouts where they lived, worked, loved and sometimes died gruesome deaths.
Lurk through Maryland, sneak through Virginia, and hide in Washington as you visit such places
- Hotel George—the Washington hotel where the only Soviet general to survive Stalin’s blood purge of Red Army officers died a mysterious death.
- Mailbox at the corner of 37th and R Streets N.W.—where Aldrich Ames, who worked for the KGB while serving as the CIA’s chief of Soviet counterintelligence, signaled his handler he was ready to make a drop.
- The Exchange—the D.C. restaurant where KGB mole Karl Koecher and his wife Hana met with a swinging couples group for exchange of wives and government secrets.
- Foxstone Park—where “Doctor Death” Robert Hanssen dropped his last documents, just before his fellow FBI agents arrested him.
- The Georgetown mansion where “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, held secret meetings during World War II.
- Au Pied de Cochon—the Georgetown café where Soviet defector Vitaly Yurchenko had his last meal before redefecting.
- The Northwest Washington home where Soviet spy Kim Philby lived while serving as First Secretary of the British Embassy.
- FBI Headquarters—a preview of the redesigned tour that attracts half a million visitors a year
- National Cryptologic Museum—a former motel in Fort Meade, Maryland, where visitors now can learn the history of American signals intelligence and cryptology and find the largest public collection of Enigma machines.
- The Willard Hotel—where Lafayette C. Baker, the infamous counterespionage officer in the Civil War, was recruited
- Congressional Country Club—the training place in Potomac, Maryland, for OSS agents to be parachuted behind enemy lines in World War II.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 7, 2015
Have you been to the Spy Museum in Washington D.C.? If not, you should go. It's not a free museum, but it is one of those places where the cost actually matches extactly what you get. It has plenty of things for kids and adults. I picked this book when I was there last year. (The one drawback is the Spy Store is a bit overpriced. This book was of the few items that wasn't overpriced).
This book is a spy tour of the DC area. The tour includes places that are no longer in existence. There are some interesting tidbits - Mary Surrat's house is a Chinese take out. (I walked by it). The book's sections are by area and the writing is engaging enough. the stories range from funny to tragic.
Intersting read.
This book is a spy tour of the DC area. The tour includes places that are no longer in existence. There are some interesting tidbits - Mary Surrat's house is a Chinese take out. (I walked by it). The book's sections are by area and the writing is engaging enough. the stories range from funny to tragic.
Intersting read.
December 27, 2012
If you are planning a trip to DC you must read this book. The author takes you to all the haunts, drops and homes of past spies. George Washington was the first spy master of the government. The book includes the latest CIA spies, what secrets they sold and how they were caught. A very enjoyable, educational read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews