Very thoroughly well researched and written history of Russian spies working outside of Russia during the cold was. It will need you focused attention to keep track of the names and details, but very interesting!

The Compatriots by Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan is an interesting and thoroughly-researched novel depicting an in depth timeline and look at expatriates and also Russian government involvement from the end of the Tsars through relatively current times.

It was an in-depth read that surprised me (andI have a fairly decent background of Russian government operatives and espionage) of the lengths the government went to keeping tabs and involving themselves into many facets of current citizens, past citizens, and other governmental operations in the hopes of controlling what could be controlled and kept under tabs. It was also interesting to see how citizens responded to government changes and regimes as they altered throughout the last century.

The authors clearly did their research. This is definitely not a quick, easy read, but very interesting nevertheless.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Public Affairs for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion