The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

3 1/2 of 5 stars I find myself reading more war books than are my taste because of the History Buff Book Club through the Milwaukee Public Library. This was no exception (though a Cold War). And also, the second non-fiction Spy book I've read this year. I enjoyed the second half of the book. The first half I found myself bogged down in Russian names and dates. But when we got to the actual escape I was riveted. The urgency and realizations everyone made during the escape. I especially liked the crisps and the dirty nappy distraction. But also the idea of best laid plans. We've finally triggered the extraction and we can't execute what we have been planning for so long because it would be immediately suspicious. The HBBC books are usually outside of my comfort zone, but I usually find that when we get to the discussion, I liked the book more than I thought when I was reading it. This book was the December selection for the MPL History Buff Book Club https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37542581-the-spy-and-the-traitor