The Sword and the Shield

The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB

In 1992 Vasili Mitrokhin defected to England and brought along an extensive archive of military intelligence from the Soviet Union. A career KGB officer who served as chief archivist for its foreign operations, Vasili Mitrokhin became disillusioned with the Soviet system and its constant repression of dissidents at home and abroad. Determined to preserve the truth, he secretly compiled a detailed record of the agency's worldwide espionage network. The Sword and the Shield offers an unprecedented look into the KGB's top-secret activities. It is described by the FBI as "the most complete and extensive intelligence ever achieved from any source."

Supplementing this trove of KGB secrets with extensive research in other archives, published and unpublished, Christopher Andrew has written an extraordinary book which forces you to acknowledge that there was indeed an enemy - and that he was very much in our midst.
Revelations from The Sword and the Shield:

• The massive role that the KGB played in the Cold War and the state-sanctioned paranoia behind it
• The KGB's attempts to discredit J. Edgar Hoover, and their eavesdropping activities against Henry Kissinger
• Details of secret radio and arms caches buried throughout Western Europe and the United States
• The real identities of the KGB's most senior spies in Britain and the United States
• The internal repression of dissidents within the Soviet Union, including the KGB's own most capable and best educated officers

(P)16 9

learned more than I thought

a very unusual but fascinating book that I would encourage anybody to read. it is very interesting to listen to the history of the KGB from someone who has an inside view

a must follow up to

For anyone who loved "The Company" by Robert Littell. The sword and the shield is a must read/listen.

A fine record of the other company.

Enriching Book Astounishing Reading

Great narrator, great story, but for those folks who suggested The Company is the same kind of book, I disagree. This book is fact base and everything is real. The Company is fiction and all made up. My only regret is this audiobook is not unabridged.
In point of fact I think abridge book should be allowed unless the author himself cut it.

If you are looking for Cold War and James Bond ...

... type stories, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for an accurate history of the KGB, then this is a solid book.

Interesting and sometimes enthralling

First point- this is an abridged version of the original text.
Second point-It gives the active listener a very good overview.
Third point- I would say that somethings were not expounded on due to the nature of classification of material.
Forth point- excellent reference for research papers and a starting point for some more in depth research of certain events.