Escape from the CIA: How the CIA Won and Lost the Most Important KGB Spy Ever to Defect to the U. S

by Ronald Kessler

A true-to-life tale of espionage retraces the remarkable story of Colonel Vitaly Yurchenko, a KGB colonel who defected to the United States and then returned to the Soviet Union after the CIA bungled his case.

Genres: Nonfiction, Espionage

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Ronald Kessler is the New York Times bestselling author of 21 non-fiction books about the Trump White House, Secret Service, FBI, and CIA.

Kessler began his career as a journalist in 1964 on the Worcester Telegram, followed by three years as an investigative reporter and editorial writer with the Boston Herald. In 1968, he joined the Wall Street Journal as an investigative reporter in the New York bureau. He became an investigative reporter with the Washington Post in 1970 and continued in that position until 1985.

Kessler's new book is "The Trump White House: Changing the Rules of the Game."

Kessler has won eighteen journalism awards, including two George Polk awards--for national reporting and for community service. Kessler has also won the American Political Science Association's Public Affairs Reporting Award, the Associated Press' Sevellon Brown Memorial Award, and Washingtonian magazine's Washingtonian of the Year award. Franklin Pierce University awarded him the Marlin Fitzwater Medallion for excellence as a prolific author, journalist, and communicator. He is listed in Who's Who in America.

"Ron Kessler...has enjoyed a reputation for solid reporting over the past four decades." Lloyd Grove, The Daily Beast. "Kessler's such a skilled storyteller, you almost forget this is dead-serious nonfiction..." Newsweek. "[Ronald Kessler] is the man who broke the story about the [Secret Service prostitution] episode in Cartagena...." New York Times. "His [Kessler's] book quotes both flattering and unflattering observations about presidents of both parties." FactCheck.org. "[Ronald Kessler] is one of the nation's top investigative journalists." Fox & Friends. "Ron Kessler appears to get everything first." Slate.

Ron Kessler lives with his wife Pamela Kessler in the Washington, D.C. area. Also an author and former Washington Post reporter, Pam Kessler wrote "Undercover Washington: Where Famous Spies Lived, Worked and Loved." His daughter Rachel Kessler, an independent public relations consultant, and son Greg Kessler, an artist, live in New York.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started by thinking it hokey that the CIA's treatment of a defector directly led to a redefection. The author made it clear that he had had many interviews beyond a sympathetic, oh-poor-soul interview with a wily KGB officer. I found it amazing that every time Yurchenko was debriefed or interviewed, he repeatedly asked for honest information while offering little credible evidence of his own highly coloured tales. I could sympathize with the CIA officers' attitude (their charge did sound like a whiny baby), while the bureaucratic agency messes sounded like large corporations deadlocked in a hell-bent battle for supremacy and control. Egos are powerful things. I think the defector had a mid-life crisis and found that freedom requires sacrifice, and he didn't have enough of a conviction to see through the process.

[Cws]

327.12

[Greg Buggy]

Greta book lots of twists and turns with the CIA and their mistakes handling of a KGB agent trying to defect and the KGB role in this was interesting

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read. Enjoyable and interesting too. Regardless of what you think of the genuine-ness of Yurchenko, it seems pretty clear that the CIA bungled this pretty thoroughly. It is rather humorous to consider how a HUMAN intelligence organization can be so lacking in the human, personal touch. Less humorous when one considers the budget they get....hmm.

But really, an interesting read back at a fascinating Cold War incident, written in a breezy, familiar tone that was easy to get through.

[Phipppe LE]

Có lẽ một bộ phim thì tôi sẽ cảm thấy thú vị hơn, cuốn sách này viết về chủ đề thú vị nhưng có lẽ cách tác giả kể câu chuyện vẫn chưa khiến tôi thấy hay. Việc một điệp viên KGB cao cấp đào thoát, sau đó lại tái đào thoát về Liên Xô. Tôi chưa hiểu được tác giả kể sự thật hay đây là tác giả nghĩ ra cốt chuyện như vậy. Tôi vẫn chưa hiểu vì sao Yurchenco đào thoát, là do ông chán nản về chế chộ Xô viết hay là vì ông bị bắt cóc. Kết câu chuyện Yurchenko vẫn làm trong KGB, vậy dụng ý của tác giả khi viết cuốn sách này là gì, một câu chuyện li kỳ hay là sự thật lịch sử?

[rach · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked the story and biography in general, but the authors approach and writing style made this difficult to read for me. i do feel like i’ve learned a great deal about intelligence operations and defection practices though so i’ll take it.