From Warsaw with Love

Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance

By: John Pomfret

Narrated by: Donald Corren

From the award-winning and acclaimed author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom, From Warsaw with Love tells the epic story of how Polish intelligence officers forged an alliance with the CIA in the twilight of the Cold War. In 1990, soon after the Polish people voted in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Polish government sent a veteran spy, who’d battled the West for decades, to rescue six American officers trapped in Baghdad. As the US cobbled together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, the CIA asked the Polish government for help. The American officers held valuable intelligence that, if discovered by Saddam, could have spelled ruin for Desert Storm.

John Pomfret’s gripping account of the cliff-hanger in Iraq is just the beginning of a saga about intelligence cooperation between Poland and America, cooperation that a CIA director would describe as “one of the two foremost intelligence relationships that the United States has ever had”. Poland’s ex-communist spies snooped for America from Havana to Moscow, Pyongyang to Tehran. Pomfret also reveals shocking details about the CIA’s “black site” program that held suspected terrorists in Poland after 9/11 as well the role of Polish spies in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

As the US teeters on the edge of a new cold war with Russia and China, Pomfret explores these little-known events as a reminder of the challenges and importance of alliances in a dangerous world.

Contributor Bio(s): John Pomfret, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, served as a correspondent for the Washington Post for two decades, covering wars, revolutions, and China. His most recent book, The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom, won the Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. The recipient of numerous journalism awards, he lives with his wife and three children in Berkeley, CA.

©2021 John Pomfret (P)2021 Recorded Books

Superb - All Americans should know about its recent and colonial history if strayegic partnership with the USA

I enjoy historical non fiction books, and found From Warsaw with Love full of information and facts that surprised and enlightened me. A must read.

The relationship of Poland and the US

Explains US Polish interdependence and recognizing Poland as a true friend to the United States

Great book

Really enjoyed this book. Narrator is wonderful. Can’t wait to read more books by John Pomfret.

Fascinating and well researched

I’m a Pole and I had lived throughout this era, I actually knew some people mentioned in the book. I had no idea about behind the scene intrigues and circumstances. Thank you for opening my eyes. I’m recommending it to many of my closest friends.

Fascinating

Great book, growing up in Poland there was so much kept from us, propaganda, omission and straight lies. It was great to revisit the history from this perspective, I never knew how intertwined our spy services were. I highly recommend this story, it doesn't matter whether you are familiar with it or will you be learning about it for the first time, it is very well explained, easy to follow and well written.