Wynne was an electrical engineer, trained at the university of nottingham, and. As befits the shadow world of espionage, penkovskys activities and motivations are still disputed to this day. Greville maynard wynne 19 march 1919 28 february 1990 was a british spy famous for his involvement with, and imprisonment as a result of, the espionage activities of oleg penkovsky. He was probably the wests most valuable double agent during the cold war. A graduate of the soviet military academy, he was a trusted operative in the soviet intelligence service, and in 1955 was posted as the assistant military attache at the soviet embassy in ankara, turkey, an extremely important position for an intelligence officer.
Oleg penkovsky blev domt til doden og skudt i moskva i foraret 1965. Duns denouement is both startling and convincing a fitting climax to this irresistible reallife thriller francis wheen, m ail on sunday. Scott carmichael talked about his book true believer. Eventually investigators discovered penkovskys hidden cameras, cassettes and. Oleg penkovsky was born in a small town on the 23rd of april in 1919. Penkovsky the spy penkovsky was a colonel in the gru soviet military intelligence and the highest level soviet officer to spy for the united states or great britain up to that time. Soviet military intelligence colonel oleg penkovsky c was.
A graduate of the soviet military academy, he was a trusted operative in the soviet intelligence service, and in 1955 was posted as the assistant military attache at the soviet embassy in ankara, turkey, an extremely important position for an intelligence officer at the height of the cold war. Penkovsky was a colonel in the gru soviet military intelligence and the highest level soviet officer to spy for the united states or great britain up to. Oleg vladimirovich penkovsky soviet officer britannica. Corera dedicated approximately 50 pages to the penkovsky operation in his book the art of betrayal, whose main focus was a larger history of mi6, the british secret intelligence service. Apr 30, 20 thus ended oleg penkovskys career of spying for the united states and great britain. A variety of documents from penkovskys cia case file are available on the spy agencys own site.
The true story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars most. The secret history of disinformation and political warfare by thomas rid. Jun 28, 2018 in 1961 yuri gagarin became the first human in space, and fear escalated in the us and uk. Department of history university of wisconsin eau claire. Western spy in soviet gru this group of documents highlights the highs and lows of the intelligence business. His first attempt was to approach two american students in moscow. He handed them a bulky envelope and pleaded with them to deliver it to the american embassy. Kgb defector vladimir sakharov, suggests penkovsky was genuine, saying, i knew about the ongoing kgb reorganization precipitated by oleg penkovskys case and yuri nosenkos defection. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Meet the russian spy who saved the world from disaster during the cuban missile crisisand then almost provoked the west into launching a. Wynne wrote about his time as a spy in a book entitled the man from odessa, first published in 1981. Kgb defector vladimir sakharov suggests penkovsky was genuine, saying, i knew about the ongoing kgb reorganization precipitated by oleg penkovskys case and yuri nosenkos defection. Russian spy played key role in cuban missile crisis insidehook.
The recruitment of a wellplaced spy, in this case a highranking soviet military intelligence officer, lessened the tensions of the cold war by providing information on the intentions, strength, and. Greville wynne in his book the man from odessa claimed that penkovsky committed. Thus ended oleg penkovskys career of spying for the united states and great britain. George kisevalter, who was oleg penkovskys cia case officer, considered penkovsky one of the most valuable assets in agency history.
We have learned since the end of the cold war that the west had wellplaced spies in the kremlin, and that those double agents provided. Why arent there any memorials dedicated to oleg penkovsky. Jeremy duns reinvestigates oleg penkovsky spybrary spy. Jeremy duns thrilling, evocative and hugely controversial, dead drop blows apart some of the myths about one of the cold wars most wellknown operations as the world stood on the brink of nuclear destruction. Oleg vladimirovich penkovsky, senior soviet military intelligence officer who. Thetrue story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars most dangerous operation by jeremy duns isbn. The case of oleg penkovsky 19 nov 1965 the spectator archive.
The true story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars most dangerous operation. Ebook penkovsky papers as pdf download portable document. In 1965 his journal, the penkovskiy papers, was published in the united states, though the books authenticity has been questioned by some. Thus ended oleg penkovskys career of spying for the united states and great. Many intelligence experts now believe that polyakov made a far more important contribution than a more famous gru turncoat, colonel oleg penkovsky, who was executed in 1963 for supplying the u. By 1939 he had graduated from a soviet military school and had been part of a group called komosomol, meaning young communists. Colonel oleg vladmirovich penkovsky essay biography on. Sep, 2012 normally renound for cold war fiction novels, mr duns in his new nonfiction book, dead drop, reveals the true story of russian defector oleg penkovsky who would be the wests greatest source of information with regards to russia political and military secrets at the pinnacle of cold war tensions at the start of the 1960s. Penkovsky papers start download portable document format pdf and ebooks electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader.
The true story of oleg penkovsky with author jeremy duns. Amidst this climate, kgb colonel, oleg penkovsky desperate to defect, came knocking on the doors of the cia and mi6. Oleg penkovsky has appeared in the following books. Colonel oleg penkovsky stands trial fro espionage in moscow in 1963. In the aquarium book written by gru defector to britain vladimir rezun, he said he saw a black and white film where oleg penkovsky was burned alive by pushing him into a cemetery crematorium while tied to a strecher. In this capacity, he handled two of the most important soviets ever to spy for the westpyotr popov and oleg penkovsky. Oleg vladimirovich penkovsky codenamed hero, was a soviet military intelligence gru. Ebook penkovsky papers as pdf download portable document format. In august 1960, a soviet colonel called oleg penkovsky tried to make contact with the west. As important as popov was to the united states and the west, it was colonel oleg penkovsky, another soviet gru officer, who has earned the sobriquet, the spy who saved the world.
Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Duns denouement is both startling and convincing a fitting climax to this irresistible reallife thriller. Greville maynard wynne was a british spy famous for his involvement with, and imprisonment as a result of, the espionage activities of oleg penkovsky. October 15, 2002 clip of colonel oleg penkovsky this clip, title. He was transferred to mi6 and assisted with the 1959 defection. Jul 11, 2017 the spy who saved the worldthen tried to destroy it. Search the history of over 418 billion web pages on the internet. They focused on human intelligence and the impact that the. For years greville received secrets from soviet colonel oleg penkovsky, an intelligence officer who revealed. Jun 24, 2001 many intelligence experts now believe that polyakov made a far more important contribution than a more famous gru turncoat, colonel oleg penkovsky, who was executed in 1963 for supplying the u.
Author jeremy duns returns to the spybrary spy podcast. Oleg penkovsky was a colonel in the soviet army, assigned to military intelligence. The authors provide an argument for how and when they believe hero was discovered, whether he was a double agent, and whether or not he was truly a hero for the west. Jeremy duns reinvestigates oleg penkovsky spybrary. The late spys journal was published in 1965 as the penkovsky papers. Search the history of over 411 billion web pages on the internet. Normally renound for cold war fiction novels, mr duns in his new nonfiction book, dead drop, reveals the true story of russian defector oleg penkovsky who would be the wests greatest source of information with regards to russia political and military secrets at the pinnacle of cold war tensions at the start of the 1960s. Oleg vladimirovich penkovsky served as an agentinplace for u. In 1961 yuri gagarin became the first human in space, and fear escalated in the us and uk. After identifying him as a potential traitor, the cia history says that in the fall of 1962 kgb drugged penkovsky while he was out at a restaurant, so they could search his apartment while he was in the hospital. The capture and execution of colonel penkovsky, 1963 central. The book concludes with a gripping account of how penkovsky was caught by the kgb, his trial and 1963 execution.
Former kgb majorgeneral oleg kalugin does not once mention penkovsky in his comprehensive book. Penkovsky is considered one of the most valuable assets in agency history. A history of mi6 that reads like a spy novel mi6 may be the worlds most legendary secret service, but fiction and film cant uncover its actual history. Handler of the spy who saved the world american diplomacy. In the wake of the penkovsky case, the cia undertook the unprecedented measure of bringing to press in 1965 the penkovskiy papers sic. Like popov, penkovsky volunteered his services and kissevalter was called in to handle the spy, in league with two counterparts from the british secret intelligence service mi6. Jeremy duns thrilling, evocative and hugely controversial, dead drop blows apart some of the myths about one of the cold wars most wellknown operations. Oleg penkovsky went from a russian world war ii military hero, to becoming americas best human intelligence asset in the soviet union.
The case of oleg penkovsky in their own highly bizarre fashion, these two books represent what seems to be the first public encounter, via the literary confrontation of its agents, between the soviet kgb and the ameri can cia. Character profile for oleg penkovsky from legacy of ashes. Top 5 weird ww2 german prototypes that actually flew duration. With this action, col, oleg penkovsky, the trial of colonel penkovsky and his. Penkovsky was decorated four times during his 19391940 tour of duty. Contemporary, trackback beachcombing has never quite known what to make of oleg penkovsky, the most important double agent run by mi6, indeed by any power in the cold war. He also went to war serving as a unit commander of an artillery unit. The authors call penkovsky a fearless prophet whose heroism saved the world from nuclear war. There is much less scholarship focusing solely on oleg penkovsky. Other articles where the penkovsky papers is discussed. One sees the standard treatment given by gordon corera.
Prisoner exchanges across the bridge of spies, from powers to shcharansky. Mi6 and the cia came to believe penkovsky was genuine and so the two agencies decided to run the operation jointly. The true story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars most dangerous operation 9781507539040. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The true story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars most dangerous. May 31, 2010 oleg penkovsky, six breaths and world destruction may 31, 2010 author. His first attempt was to approach two young american students in moscow. Penkovsky papers top results of your surfing penkovsky papers start download portable document format pdf and ebooks electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader. For that brief and critical moment in time, history turned on the material provided by one man, oleg penkovsky. The capture and execution of colonel penkovsky, 1963.
The story line of this book is compelling, but the writing is uneven. Oleg penkovsky, six breaths and world destruction may 31, 2010 author. An astonishing true story of how the cia, mi6 and a soviet defector saved. The true story of oleg penkovsky and the cold wars. This book has also created something of a sensation, partly because of its contents and. Ive been reading a lot of cold war spy nonfiction lately. He has been described by former deputy director for intelligence ray cline as the most successful cia secret agent of the late dullesearly mccone era. Major talked about intelligence gathering during the cuban missile crisis and the interrogation of col. The information he provided as a double operative would change the course of history. Oleg vladimirovich penkovsky, senior soviet military intelligence officer who was convicted of spying for the united kingdom and the united states. This excellent book contains lessons that are still valid in the 21st century oleg gordievsky the career of oleg penkovsky reads like a story by john le carre. Penkovsky joined the soviet red army in 1937 and served as an artillery. Inside was an offer to work as a soldierwarrior for the free world.
The spy who saved the worldthen tried to destroy it. Clarence ashleys book is the life story of george kisevalter framed around these two intelligence operations. Sep, 2012 top 5 weird ww2 german prototypes that actually flew duration. The russian who spied for the west, doubleday, new york, 1966. Jeremy duns in august 1960, a soviet colonel called oleg penkovsky tried to make contact with the west. In 1965 his journal, the penkovskiy papers, was published in the united states, though the book s authenticity has been questioned by some. Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. By middecember the spy story inv these two had been. The book was commissioned by the central intelligence agency see howard hunt, everette.
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