A gripping book. Especially relevant in our times. The story of Russia's secret agent program, from the Soviet Union to Putin's Russia, and how it shaped both Russia and the West.

A century ago, the new Bolshevik government began sending Soviet citizens abroad as secret agents, training them to pose as foreign aristocrats, merchants, and students. Over time, this evolved into the most ambitious espionage program in human history. Many intelligence services use secret agents, but the KGB was the only one that reached such a level, dedicating years to training its spies to impersonate foreigners who were then sent on missions that could last decades. These spies were known as “illegals.” During the Cold War, the “illegals” were sent to assassinate world leaders and steal technological secrets – the best among them accomplished remarkable feats, while many others failed in their missions or cracked under the pressure of their double lives.

Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the “illegals” and their descendants, as well as archive research in more than a dozen countries, Shaun Walker brings the “illegals” to life in a thrilling masterpiece that takes us to the heart of the KGB’s most secret program. An exciting espionage drama full of interesting characters, The Illegals also reveals a hidden thread in the history of Russia itself. As Putin praises Soviet achievements and the KGB’s espionage skills, and Moscow continues to infiltrate the world with illegal agents, this timely narrative sheds new light on the long course of the Soviet experiment, its chaotic consequences, and its influence on our world at large.