Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Top positive review

MacIntyre does it again

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018

A truly superb work of true life spy craft. Other reviewers have more than adequately outlined the content of this work. I will just comment on my continued amazement at how during the Cold War so many liberals in the West were Soviet apologists blaming the West for all the world's problems. In the UK particularly, so many in the Labour Party took money from Moscow while undermining democratic institutions. The Soviet Union was a hell hole from beginning to end. How anyone could support it in any way is inexplicable.

319 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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Paul V. Troy

Too much unnecessary detail.

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

The story is very interesting and well researched. Author Macintyre tries to dazzle the reader with an
overwhelming quantity of extraneous and trivial details. This is his writing style and the second of his books
that I have read. Because of this, I will not read any more of his work. This book is too long by about 100 pages.

14 people found this helpful

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From the United States

WBS

Untrustworthy

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

The book starts with the absurd premise that the Soviets disfavored or even wouldn't allow the playing of or listening to Bach?!
To anyone with any familiarity with Soviet and Russian musical tastes and traditions, this idea is absurd, even offensive. Clearly nothing in this book can be trusted, so why waste your time reading it?

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

S. Jeffrey Bastable

Errors by publisher in printing the book...

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

The book arrived today...it has been printed in error with the cover upside down with the copy of the inside of the book...in addition, the pages in instances were not cut cleanly.....see photos for the error and damage to this new paperback book....I am in a reading group which meets in early March so i am unable to return the book..I wish I could because it’s not a saleable product as it is...I am sure others are experiencing the same errors...

You may send a new book and I will return the damaged book...or I prefer a 100% refund....

Thanks Jeff BASTABLE

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ron Calabrese

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

The book was bound upside down and back cover on front and front on back.
Cannot believe it was done by a reputable publisher. Makes one curious of its origin.
Will return to bring to their attention.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dzmitry Tsumarau

Seller attempted to hide damaged book cover with a sticker

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

While the book is great and delivery was very fast, seller made a terrible sneaky attempt to cover damaged product with a sticker. The book cover material was not sticker friendly at all and seeing a sticker on it was rather odd. When I removed the sticker I saw why it was there - it was covering damage. So sad and disappointing.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Missing 30 pages!

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

Just when the story was getting interesting the book (new and not cheap) was missing 30 pages! What's wrong with the publisher releasing a book missing part of the book? How many more people got a raw deal besides me? I'm going to quit buying books on Amazon.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jacqueline Capobianco

Printed WRONG

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

Printed the cover on incorrectly. This is very upsetting since this was a Christmas gift.

3 people found this helpful

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Hoss

Book cover was adhered back to front.

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

Book cover is incorrect.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

RBNB

This was suppose to be a gift!

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very disappointed, received this book along with some other items this evening for a gift. When I picked it up to check it out, I thought what is this? About 3/4 of the way through it, their are multiple pages torn, almost shredded and crinkled. I then looked it over good and see the outside binder is also damaged.