July 7, 2015 a thoroughly researched excavation of an astoundingly important and sadly sacrificed spy for the cia during the low point of the 1970s. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of they can see a stick of butter from space claire bernish. May 10, 2016 walden media will develop, finance and produce a film adaptation of david e. Hoffman will describe this singularlyimportant operation, based on declassified cia cables and his new book, the billion dollar spy, and argue that despite the many achievements of technology in espionage, human sources are still vital. As is the style of histories published these days, the billion dollar spy opens not at the beginning of the story but with a dramatic event briefly recountedin this case, a cia officers attempt in december 1982 to recontact tolkachev, who had not been able to communicate for several months. How the cia ran a billion dollar spy in moscow the.
If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. Steve vogel the berlin tunnel and an epic tale of cold war. He still has the mild cockney accent, but hes lost his sense of humor and his love for the little things of life, like cooking. When a film is highly exploitable as a commercial property, its ancillary revenues can dwarf its income from direct film sales. The untold story of the cold war arms race and its dangerous legacy 2009, washington post contributing editor hoffman has strong credentials to tell the unheralded story of adolf. Tolkachevs story is detailed in 944 pages of previously secret cia cables about the operation that were declassified without condition for the forthcoming book the billion dollar spy. Hoffmans scrupulously reported the billion dollar spy, a truelife tale so gripping at times it reads like spy fiction. Youve heard of the nsa and the cia, but youve probably never heard of the nga. The 40 best film directors to follow on instagram, from martin scorsese to ana lily amirpour. Endgame is proclaimed to be the highestgrossing film, but such claims usually refer to theatrical revenues only and do not take into account home video and television income, which can form a significant portion of a film s earnings. David hoffman, author of the billion dollar spy initially, the cia was suspicious of soviet aviation expert adolf tolkachev. One problem with a film version is that the story of adolf tolkachev, of course, lacks a. The pulitzer pricewinning russian affairs expert zooms in on the true saga of a soviet engineerthe spy of the titlewho passed the cia billions of dollars worth of top secret intel right under the nose of the kgb, passing off notes into waiting cars and employing.
History politics true crime nonfiction publication details. Adolf georgievich tolkachev was a soviet electronics engineer who provided key documents. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e. Walden media will develop, finance and produce a film adaptation of david e. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal kindle edition. He provided a road map to the united states for compromising and defeating two critical soviet weapons systems.
Hoffman described this singularlyimportant operation, based on declassified cia cables and his new book, the billion dollar spy, and argued that despite the many achievements of. Hoffmans the billion dollar spy the billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the. The billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting, and finally dismaying, for being true. Jul 07, 2015 from the author of the pulitzer prizewinning history the dead hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the cias moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the cold war while driving out of the american embassy in moscow on the evening of february 16, 1978, the chief of the cia. The billion dollar spy, unintentionally i think evokes a famous item from studies in intelligence many years ago, the million dollar photograph. Hes a bigshot spy now, like bond and flint, and who needs another one of those.
The film s writer benjamin august last wrote remember and power down. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of video by voice of reason the last great stand. The billion dollar spy reads like the most taut and suspenseful parts of tinker tailor soldier spy or smileys people. The billion dollar spy a case from the soviet era nanovic. The winner of the pulitzer prize for his previous book, the dead hand. It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character study of spies and the. Soon to be a major new film, directed by amma asante, hoffmans book unlocks the psychology of a secret service operative, giving.
Read the billion dollar spy a true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e. It is a gripping story of courage, professionalism, and betrayal in the secret world. For one thing, we never get to know palmer this time. One problem with a film version is that the story of adolf tolkachev, of course. Its worth the clenched jaw and upset stomach it creates. Jul 07, 2015 a thoroughly researched excavation of an astoundingly important and sadly sacrificed spy for the cia during the low point of the 1970s. The billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting.
The film s director amma asante last directed where hands touch and a united kingdom. From 1979 until 1985, the cia ran an immensely productive spy in the heart of the soviet militaryindustrial complex in moscow. Working at the soviet radar design bureau phazotron as one of the chief designers, tolkachev gave the cia. Not so in billion dollar brain, the third film in which caine plays palmer. Amma asante directing the billion dollar spy movies empire. Akiva goldsmans billion dollar spy adds walden as producer. Sep 24, 2016 the date is supplied courtesy of a september 25, 1986 politburo document referring to tolkachevs execution yesterday note however that the prevailing tolkachev story as presented in this post is disputed by cia historian benjamin fischer, who has argued that adolf tolkachev was a kgb prank on its opposite number in the cold wars spy vs. Jul 06, 2015 how a billion dollar spy stole soviet secrets and helped the u. How a billion dollar spy stole soviet secrets and helped the u. Hoffmans the billion dollar spy the billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of video. This spellbinding story pulses with the dramatic tension of running an agent in sovietera moscowwhere the kgb.
How a billion dollar spy stole soviet secrets and helped. Hoffman presents the events in such a way the raises the stakes of each operation to its peak. Jul 07, 2015 the billion dollar spy is one of the best spy stories to come out of the cold war and all the more riveting, and finally dismaying, for being true. David hoffman talked about his book, the billion dollar spy. The billion dollar spy tolkachev was one of the cias most productive agents of the cold war, providing the united states with intelligence no other spy had ever obtained.
Preproduction see complete list of inproduction titles. The pulitzer pricewinning russian affairs expert zooms in on the true saga of a soviet engineerthe spy of the titlewho passed the cia billions of dollars worth of top secret intel right under the nose of the kgb, passing off notes into waiting cars and employing other bondworthy tactics to help the u. The billion dollar spy agency youve never heard of the. The billion dollar spy a true story of cold war espionage and betrayal by david e. Stirring, unpredictable, and at times unbearably tense, the billion dollar spy is a brilliant feat of reporting that unfolds like an espionage thriller. It hits the sweet spot between pageturning thriller and solidly researched history even the footnotes are informative and then becomes something more, a shrewd character study of spies and the spies who run. The true story of a man who became the pentagons most valuable spy during. The billion dollar spy is the fascinating true story of adolf tolkachev, a soviet engineer who for personal reasons wanted to pass critical engineering secrets to the united states. Test your spy knowledge with a live online trivia game about the real and the fictional wilderness of mirrors. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal david e. A scrupulously researched work of history that is also a gripping thriller, the billion dollar spy is an unforgettable journey into cold war espionage.
Hoffmans the billion dollar spy with akiva goldsman producing, variety has learned exclusively. The nga stands for the national geospatialintelligence agency and its basically in charge of all the ultrahigh definition imagery that our satellites and. The billion dollar spy quotes showing of 45 the one thing that proved to me you were cia and not kgb is when you gave me those medicines to test on my daughter. Smashwords the billion dollar spy summary a book by. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal, about adolf tolkachev, a read. Jul 06, 2015 the title the billion dollar spy refers to the research and manufacturing costs saved by the united states as a result of mr. The billion dollar spy movie is currently in development. A true story of cold war espionage and betrayal duration. Mar 29, 2016 as is the style of histories published these days, the billion dollar spy opens not at the beginning of the story but with a dramatic event briefly recountedin this case, a cia officers attempt in december 1982 to recontact tolkachev, who had not been able to communicate for several months. Mar 16, 2018 a look at the the billion dollar spy behindthescenes crew and production team.
This spellbinding story pulses with the dramatic tension of running an agent in sovietera moscowwhere the kgb is ubiquitous and cia officers and russian assets are prey. The true story of a man who became the pentagons most valuable spy during the last years of the c. In one meeting alone he provided almost 200 rolls of film, and over 150 rolls in another meeting. Hoffman chronicles the six year relationship between the central intelligence ag. The true story of a man who became the pentagons most valuable spy during the last years of the cold war. Nov 05, 2016 hoffmans look into the story of tolkachev, the billiondollar spy, is exciting and thrilling, while also being a tragic emotional roller coaster. Drawing on previously classified cia documents and interviews with firsthand participants, the billion dollar spy is a brilliant feat of reporting and a riveting true story from the final years of the cold war. Hoffmans look into the story of tolkachev, the billiondollar spy, is exciting and thrilling, while also being a tragic emotional roller coaster. The billion dollar spy is the fascinating true story of adolf tolkachev, a soviet engineer who for personal reasons wanted to pass critical engineering secrets to the united. The billion dollar spy the billion dollar spy audiobook, by david e. The billion dollar spy is the true story of an electronics engineer at a secret military aviation institute in moscow who for almost seven years provided the cia with a huge volume of sensitive and valuable intelligence on soviet research and development r%d activities concerning radars, avionics, aa missiles, and other technologies. The billion dollar spy reads like the very best spy fiction yet is meticulously drawn from real life.
Streaming into the comfort of your living room, stay in your yoga pants, grab your computer. The billion dollar spy and millions of other books are available for instant. Hoffman is a scrupulous, meticulous writer whose pages of footnotes and references attest to how carefully he sticks to his sources. Book discussion on the billion dollar spy internet archive. From the author of the pulitzer prizewinning history the dead hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the cias moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the cold war while driving out of the american embassy in moscow on the evening of february 16, 1978, the chief of the cias. The date is supplied courtesy of a september 25, 1986 politburo document referring to tolkachevs execution yesterday note however that the prevailing tolkachev story as presented in this post is disputed by cia historian benjamin fischer, who has argued that adolf tolkachev was a kgb prank on its opposite number in the cold wars spy vs. In the following video, right wing news looks at the potential the nga has to dramatically increase the level of surveillance the deep state already exerts over our daily lives. Waterstones nonfiction book of the month august 2018 and a sunday times bestseller an astonishingly detailed picture. We also learn growing up in the 70s and 80s, the cold war and its concomitant threat of nuclear extinction was constantly in our faces in the form of. Every meeting, whether between tolkachev or another of the spies featured in the book is supplemented by the exact right amount of background information. While most americans would consider the cia, and perhaps the nsa, household names, one u. Capitol in size has managed to keep to the shadows while possessing cutting edge tools of the. Air force adolf tolkachev is shown here on vacation near the baltic sea in the early 1970s.
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