
The Moscow Rules
The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War
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Narrated by:
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Wilson Bethel
About this listen
From the spymaster and inspiration for the movie Argo, discover the "real-life spy thriller" of the brilliant but under-supported CIA operatives who developed breakthrough spy tactics that helped turn the tide of the Cold War (Malcolm Nance).
Antonio Mendez and his future wife, Jonna, were CIA operatives working to spy on Moscow in the late 1970s, at one of the most dangerous moments in the Cold War. Soviets kept files on all foreigners, studied their patterns, and tapped their phones. Intelligence work was effectively impossible. The Soviet threat loomed larger than ever.
The Moscow Rules tells the story of the intelligence breakthroughs that turned the odds in America's favor. As experts in disguise, Antonio and Jonna were instrumental in developing a series of tactics - Hollywood-inspired identity swaps, ingenious evasion techniques, and an armory of James Bond-style gadgets - that allowed CIA officers to outmaneuver the KGB.
As Russia again rises in opposition to America, this remarkable story is a tribute to those who risked everything for their country and to the ingenuity that allowed them to succeed.
©2019 Antonio J. Mendez, Jonna Mendez (P)2019 Hachette AudioCritic reviews
"Intriguing true stories of the techniques of CIA spying on the dangerous front line of the Cold War." (Dame Stella Rimington, former director of MI5)
"A gripping read. Thanks to Tony Mendez's extraordinary talent, the CIA was able to elude KGB surveillance to carry out high-risk, high-payoff operations with impunity - until tripped up by traitors within our own ranks. It's all in this book - the good, the bad, and the ugly, unflinchingly revealed. Tony and his wife and coauthor, Jonna, were two of the stars from the Office of Technical Service, CIA's version of James Bond's 'Q,' and key to so many of the agency's successes - and nowhere more so than in Moscow during the Cold War." (Jack Downing, former chief of station, Moscow, and the CIA's former deputy director for operations)
"A gripping, interesting and relevant read...reads like a spy novel yet tells a true tale of the darkest days of the espionage war largely fought between the CIA and the KGB." (Cipher Brief)
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Wonderful
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A Great Story, if a Bit Disorganized
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excellent review of espionage
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Great history of cold war spycraft
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Spoiler Alert
There is a part in the story where a Caucasian agent uses identity transfer to appear as an African American embassy worker in order to elude surveillance. I felt like a joke to the effect of “now that’s what I call going black” would have worked really well. But I do understand it’s not that kind of novel.
Great Cold War CIA Historical account
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Truly an amazing insight into the CIA
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amazing detail into an interesting era of America
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Excellent!
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Informative
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Great Story
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