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Title: Soviet Leaders and Intelligence

Subtitle: Assessing the American Adversary During the Cold War

Author: Raymond L. Garthoff

Narrator: Will Tulin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-12-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

During the Cold War, the political leadership of the Soviet Union avidly sought intelligence about its main adversary, the United States. Although effective on an operational level, Soviet leaders and their intelligence chiefs fell short when it came to analyzing intelligence.

There were, however, important changes over time. Ultimately, the views of an enlightened Soviet leader, Gorbachev, trumped the ideological blinders of his predecessors and the intelligence service's dedication to an endless duel with their ideologically spawned main adversary, making it possible to end the Cold War.

Raymond Garthoff draws on over five decades of personal contact with Soviet diplomats, intelligence officers, military leaders, and scholars during his remarkable career as an analyst, senior diplomat, and historian. He also builds on previous scholarship and examines documents from Soviet and Western archives. Soviet Leaders and Intelligence offers an informed and highly listenable assessment of how the Soviets understood, and misunderstood, the intentions and objectives of their Cold War adversary.

Critic Reviews:

"Mr. Garthoff is uniquely qualified for such a study." (

The Washington Times)

"Raymond L. Garthoff has been the towering dean of experts on Soviet foreign policy for more than half a century. He now provides a definitive and fascinating account of how intelligence as distinct from other influences did, and more to the point often did not, shape the views of Moscow's leaders as they interacted with their American adversary." (Richard K. Betts, Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and Columbia University)

"Raymond Garthoff is unmatched in his knowledge of Soviet leaders and Soviet intelligence." (Robert Jervis, Columbia University)

Members Reviews:

waxing nostalgic on the Litvinov-Maisky era

It's fascinating the way the author develops his theory, or rather hypothesis on the pre-Putin era thrust and parry between the two super powers. Is it true the current confrontation between the two countries is nothing like a declaration of cold war? The author stays mum on whether the Russian leader Putin would someday be proven to be a worst "Ogre in his Den," as Clementine Churchill once berated Stalin.

Hardcover Edition Not Worth the Cost

I haven't read it yet, but this book (booklet actually might be a better term) isn't worth the price, at least for the hardcover edition. Fifty dollars for just over 100 pages of actual text is a little steep. Of the advertised 160 pages, 36 are notes and the index, and another 12 are the introduction and appendixes. You can buy it used, maybe, but certainly don't pay full price.