This is one of those books whose title does it a bit of a disservice as it’s a far broader and richer story than one of Soviet spies infiltrating the US. In fact, one of the questions I found myself asking was whether sending a cohort of Russian student engineers openly to study in US universities where they have access to, and contribute to, ongoing research projects which are in the public domain even counts as spying? That’s not to say that Stanislav Shumovsky, the ostensible subject of this book, doesn’t also set up an intelligence network in the US (many of whom were Jews worried about the increasing anti-Semitism of 1930s USA) but the story which ends in 1945 is far richer and more complex than merely one of espionage.

Set against a sweeping history of how Russia drew itself out of the ‘dark ages’ under the tsars where less than 30% of the population was literate, a status to which they were held by deliberate tsarist policies such as imposing taxes on village schools that sought to teach children and adults to read and write (the tsars feared that education and literacy would cause the population to question the status quo and overthrow the autocracy), this places Stalin’s Five-Year Plans within the context of preparing the nation for the predicted invasion by Nazi Germany. Sending Russians to study in the US wasn’t to destroy the US system of government (the Soviets believed that capitalism would implode all by itself) but to strengthen the position of the USSR in the upcoming war.

It’s fascinating to read how this first-generation of Soviet intellectuals and engineers found their feet in American institutions such as MIT and Harvard; even more fascinating to read about WW2 through Russian eyes with a technology focus. Set against Hitler’s aim to dismantle the USSR and exterminate the Slav population, ‘surrender was never on Stalin’s agenda’. And after Pearl Harbour, the uneasy alliance between Russia and the US led to more complicated negotiations as America reluctantly extended credit lines to the USSR ($11 billion, in comparison with the $31 billion sent to the UK) as the 25 million Russian casualties kept the Eastern Front open and the Third Reich occupied.

Even the infiltration of the Manhattan Project (America’s secret development of the atom bomb) was driven more by fear of Hitler’s German who, in 1941, were generally believed to be ahead of the Americans and likely to use the weapon against Russia first – however much things changed after the war.

Based on newly-released archives in Russia, this is a fascinating story that allows us to look at well-known events with fresh eyes.

A very well researched book where the author has spent a number of years combing both Russian and American archives after permission for the former was granted and they became available.
It tells of Stalin's huge and, one must say clever and well thought out, operation to acquire American aviation and eventually atomic knowledge by almost flooding their relevant institutions with agents. It was to bring Russia to an equal if not an advanced position within twenty years.

The naivety of the USA's academic and aviation institutions between the wars is clearly shown with the Russian spies being given free access to the classrooms, laboratories, factories and research establishments leaving the reader in amazement. But, is that with the benefit of hindsight?

A thought provoking read for those interested in factual espionage (not James Bond!) or 20th century Russian/ American history.