Oleg Kalugin oversaw the work of American spies; matched wits with the CIA; and became one of the youngest generals in KGB history. Even so; he grew increasingly disillusioned with the Soviet system. In 1990; he went public; exposing the intelligence agency's shadowy methods. Revised and updated in the light of the KGB's enduring presence in Russian politics; Spymaster is Kalugin's impressively illuminating memoir of the final years of the Soviet Union.
#36958 in Books Plume 1993-11-01 1993-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .86 x 5.96l; .90 #File Name: 0452271681400 pagesGreat product!
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. North and SouthBy RogerThe book is well written; introspective and gentle in its characterization of Yankees; village people; family members and soldiers; despite their bad behavior. Le Ly Hayslip lived in the South; near DaNang; but her family included brothers who fought for both the North and the South. Her village was divided in its loyalties and there was inevitable spying and reporting on each other.Le Ly portrays her village social harmony before the war and how it disappeared during the conflict. She describes her parents' behavior and reaction to the extreme danger and turmoil of the times. She describes her village in loving terms without being overly sentimental. There are many scenes of high adventure as she tries to navigate safely within a powder-keg environment. There are other scenes with parents; siblings; friends that seek to make sense out of the senseless; choices when no good ones are available.She discusses the behavior of American GIs; including her involvement with them. The reader can begin to understand the predicament of young Vietnamese women and their social entrapment. The case studies of several American soldiers is not flattering; but their behavior is portrayed in a straight-forward manner and it is allowed to speak for itself.When Heaven and Earth Changed Places explains a very complicated situation and underlying reasons that American soldiers couldn't recognize the enemy and their methods couldn't match the commitment of the North Vietnamese. It shows how technological advantage and superior gun powder can't overcome one's love of home and the need to defend it.Le Ly fled to the States and then returned to reunite with her family twenty years later. Her mother is still alive and her siblings rise to the occasion in unpredictable ways. But there's a kind of completion; a unity of spirit; despite the loss of tradition; ancestors; the father and the mutuality of village life. This book neither resolves nor concludes; but it gives hope we can survive; and even thrive; when we proceed with our best intentions.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. War questions reconciled!By Dale GriggsTo the Vietnam Veteran Li Ly Hayslip gives priceless insight into the mind of the enemy we fought and the villagers we tried to help. Being a Viet Cong spy and villager herself Ms Hayslip reveals the mindset of a people we could not hope to understand even if we served ten tours. Taught from birth the ideals of the importance of Mother Earth; ancestral accomplishments and sacrifices and village life and tradition; coupled with over one hundred years of oppression perpetrated by colonial masters; the Vietnamese people could do none else but support those who promised cultural freedom and self governance. As a Vietnam War Veteran my struggles with many issues have been reconciled by this frank account of what it was really all about. Thank You; Ms Hayslip.Sgt. Dale V. GriggsVietnam; 1969-19720 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A radically different view of Vietnamese cultureBy tspiaAmazing. For the first 3/4 of the book; I was given the opportunity to understand a culture from the inside; clearly and via honoring the specific perspective of the Vietnamese villagers vs global politics and what I had read in newspapers and magazines over the past 50 years. The last section did veer into politics / explanation and felt as if there were an agenda. Not disqualifying to the majority of the book; but of less impact for me.
