The Spy and the Traitor

Who do you think more shaped Colonel Oleg Antonyevich Gordievsky into the man he would become? The family and friends around him: his father (Anton), mother (Olga), brother (Vasili), and colleagues, like Stanislaw “Standa” Kaplan and Mikhail Petrovich Lyubimov? Or was it the politics around him and/or his deep-seated convictions?

What character traits do you think makes for a good spy? And who in this novel best exemplified them?

Do you think it’s possible that you have all the traits necessary to become the level of spy as Oleg Gordievsky and others?

Have you ever met anyone who’s either been “tapped” by the CIA or become a CIA officer?

Did you recognize or have any recall of any of the names and/or situations mentioned?

Based on how this novel is presented, compare the two spies—Oleg Gordievsky vs Aldrich “Rick” Ames—and discuss the varying motives of each. Greed vs no compensation, vengeful vs benevolence, ego vs common good, etc.

When it comes to double and triple agents in this novel, who is the traitor, who is the spy, or where, if any, is there a line of distinction?

Aldrich Ames recruited Russian spies for the US, was (paraphrased) bored but cynical, a drinker, undersexed, underappreciated, intelligent and imaginative, but reality never measured up, later posted to Turkey, Washington DC, NYC, Mexico where he met Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy who due to expenditures forced him to consider spying for Russia when he returned to Washington, then Rome, then back to Washington. As a result, he earned $4.6 million during his career doting on the KGB and especially after the “big dump” of seven pounds of intelligence reports. And, while he ultimately revealed Gordievsky to the KGB, he also warned Britain that their spy was in trouble. (pg 308) Ames and Rosario would get arrested by the FBI on Feb 21, 1994. (pg 312). He got “life” at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana (Prisoner #40087-083) for spying; she got 5 years for tax evasion and conspiracy to commit espionage. If asked, do you think he’d say it was worth it? And, how could he have turned someone over to the KGB and then try to save his life through MI6?

What did Godievsky have to gain by going back to Moscow once he suspected he'd been identified?

Oleg Gordievsky’s ability to memorize immense amounts of information benefited him. Discuss the many ways it helped with his espionage and escape. Discuss also his vulnerabilities and his many other strengths.

What were your feelings for Leila Aliyeva, the devoted wife who was ignorant of Oleg’s many secrets but remained loyal to him after he escaped, despite the interrogations she suffered?

What have you learned about the Britain/US/Russia/Finland and other country’s spy industry?

What as your final take away from this novel? And how does it compare to “Agent Zigzag” about Eddie Chapman, a “wartime crook and double agent” and a novel we discussed on 01/14/13?

The movie “The Courier” is based on Oleg Penkovsky who, in the movie said he was executed but in this book said he was burned alive and filmed to dissuade other Russian counter spies. What are your thoughts on this?