{"product_id":"the-illegals-russias-most-audacious-spies-and-the-plot-to-infiltrate-the-west-9781788167789","title":"The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pacy, character-driven history of the KGB's deepest cover spies in the West, a system that took decades to unravel\u003c\/p\u003e'Absolutely fascinating' Andrew MarrAN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025AN i PAPER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025'A brilliant historical investigation that's as gripping as a Le Carré novel' Tom BurgisIn 2010, two decades after the Cold War had ended, ten Russian spies were arrested in America, having hidden their true identities from their friends, neighbours and even their children. They were part of a spy programme that had begun nearly a century earlier. These deep-cover missions - some remarkable feats of espionage, others high-profile failures - could last for decades.Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, and newly-discovered archival material, The Illegals is a page-turning tour de force, that shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment and its messy aftermath - and on how that hidden history shaped Russia and the West.\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781788167789\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 448\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: Main\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 14 Jul 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Profile Books Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.8(H)x12.8(L)x3.4(W)380\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 380\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eShaun Walker is   a foreign correspondent for \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian, \u003c\/i\u003ecurrently covering   central and eastern Europe.  He was the\u003ci\u003e Guardian's\u003c\/i\u003e Moscow   Correspondent between 2013 and 2018, prior to which he spent six years as   Moscow Correspondent for \u003ci\u003eThe Independent. \u003c\/i\u003eHe studied Russian   and Soviet History at Oxford University.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eOne of the most compelling and perceptive books on intelligence of the past decade -- 'The Best Books of 2025' * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eThrilling ... grabs you by the lapels from the very first page * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e[A] gripping account of the agents who lived in the West under the deepest of covers ... Walker makes the sparkling most of an outlandish cast of characters * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eEngrossing ... exciting ... by turns suspenseful, funny, chilling and surprisingly poignant * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eAbsolutely fascinating -- Andrew Marr\u003cbr\u003eWalker has unearthed some eye-popping stories to fashion this history of the weirdest and most dedicated Russian agents ... his interpretation of this remarkable story is the most sympathetic and interesting I have yet read -- Misha Glenny * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eThe strange lives of the illegals make compelling stories ... very readable -- Adam Sisman * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eFilled with astonishing personal details, The Illegals reveals the paranoia and drama of the secret lives devoted to undermining the west. A gripping history critical to understanding many of Russia's influence operations today. -- Catherine Belton, author * Putin's People *\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant historical investigation that's as gripping as a Le Carré novel -- Tom Burgis, author * Kleptopia *\u003cbr\u003eA splendid and most important book ... readers will leave The Illegals wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the stories of the illegal spies, but also with a new understanding of Russian political history * Scotsman *\u003cbr\u003eAn authoritative history of Moscow's continuing deep-cover spy programme * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eShaun Walker skilfully shows how Russia's modern day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and trickery of the bad old days. A fascinating read -- Oliver Bullough, author * Butler to the World *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating and brilliantly researched account of an opaque approach to espionage -- Eliza Manningham-Buller, former head of MI5\u003cbr\u003eSinister, clandestine and deadly - this is essential history, and it is happening now. A fascinating study of the Russian use of illegal deep undercover agents against the West -- Simon Sebag Montefiore\u003cbr\u003eA riveting spy thriller, which doubles as a secret history of Russia that's too current for comfort. -- Peter Pomerantsev, author * How to Win an Information War *\u003cbr\u003eA gripping, brilliantly researched history of the biggest group of deep-cover spies in intelligence history. Shaun Walker shows that Russia's secret illegals were far more successful in both Britain and the United States under Stalin than under Putin -- Christopher Andrew, author * The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5 *\u003cbr\u003eThis gripping account takes you into a world of shadows and mystery, the long and chequered history of the Kremlin sleeper agents. In the annals of espionage, they were Russia's great gamble. Shaun Walker has written a spying classic -- David E. Hoffman, author * The Billion Dollar Spy *\u003cbr\u003eAn incredibly moving history of the Soviet Union's boldest and most secretive spy program. Walker shows how a nation torn between survival and nostalgia invented a form of espionage that was both inspired and fanatical, delving into the deepest levels of espionage where even spies fear to tread -- Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, Executive Producers * The Americans *\u003cbr\u003eGroundbreaking, authoritative and exhilarating - this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Russia's clandestine malign activities. Built on true life stories as good as any spy novel, it blows open the secrets of Russia's deep cover illegals spy program, beloved as much by Putin today as previous dictators in the Kremlin like Stalin -- Calder Walton, author * Spies: The Epic Intelligence War between East and West *\u003cbr\u003ePraise for The Long Hangover:   The Long Hangover is considered and careful and humane,   and should be compulsory reading for any politician considering engagement   with either Moscow or Ukraine. It's not only the best book I've read on   Putin's Russia, but also has great resonance for the age of Donald Trump and   Brexit. -- Oliver Bullough * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eThe author must be a great listener and a careful interviewer to win the trust and confidence of all these individuals. -- Svetlana Savranskaya * Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003eShaun Walker has not only done the hard and necessary work of reporting from Russia and Ukraine, he has also reflected, with remarkable historical and literary sensibility, on what it means when a great power gives up on its own future and decides instead to market its past. -- Timothy Snyder, Yale University\u003cbr\u003eThe best history of the ideologies and politics behind the headlines ... Walker's meticulous documentation of the annexation of Crimea and the subsequent occupation of Ukraine makes this exemplary political history, but The Long Hangover will be remembered, and re-read, as a history of memory. -- Linda Kinstler * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eSome of the finest journalism of the post-Soviet era. Highly recommended. * Library Journal, starred review *","brand":"Shaun Walker","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49180371222745,"sku":"9781788167789","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781788167789_c7d6f1d5-c68d-427f-bbab-34c70e2c0a1a.jpg?v=1788354530","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/the-illegals-russias-most-audacious-spies-and-the-plot-to-infiltrate-the-west-9781788167789","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}