Book Review – Spy Handler

Spy Handler – Memoirs of a KGB Officer – Victor Cherkashin with Gregory Feifer (2005) – In the last 30 years two spies for the U.S.S.R./Russia did more damage to American security than any others – Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen.  Victor Cherkashin was the man who “ran” both of them for the Soviets from their recrutiment to the time of his retirement. Ames was a C.I.A. employee, Hanssen was an F.B.I. agent. When it comes to the number of American agents betrayed Hanssen is number one and Ames is number two.  Cherkashin takes the reader to the other side of the story to see the Soviets reaction to the information and how the two spies were eventually exposed.

Espionage is a difficult subject in democratic societies.  It feels dishonest some how, harking back to the days of Secretary of State Henry Stimson who famously said “Gentlemen do not read each other’s mail”.  The Soviet Union had no such compunctions.  They also take a simple approach to those who betrayed them.  A quick trial followed by an equally quick bullet to the back of the head.  The actions of the two American spies resulted in at least dozens, if not a hundred deaths.  Fortunately for them they were convicted in the United States where they only received life imprisonment without possibility of parole as their sentences.

At the same time we need to realize that when we (the U.S.A.) convince people in other countries to do the exact same thing as Hanssen and Ames we consider them “good guys”.  That doesn’t excuse either of them but we need to face the uncomfortable reality of the intelligence world.

Cherkashin presents that world without any pretense that it is the world of James Bond.  Intelligence work is painstakingly slow with mountains of paperwork.  The spies who betray their countries are rarely ideological purists.  Both the Soviets who spied for us and the Americans who spied for them were usually people with some kind of ax to grind.  They wanted money, they wanted revenge, they felt that they weren’t being properly appreciated in their own countries.  The motivations are simple, sad and unpleasant.

Because of that this doesn’t really qualify as an “exciting” read.  No car chases, no beautiful female spies.  It’s a straight forward look at the most important espionage cases in recent U.S. history from the side who had the most to gain.  If you are as fascinated by the real world of espionage as I am, you’ll find the book well worth your time.

Rating – *** Worth A Look