Author:Christopher Andrew,Vasili Mitrokhin
'One of the biggest intelligence coups in recent years' The Times
For years KGB operative Vasili Mitrokhin risked his life hiding top-secret material from Russian secret service archives beneath his family dacha. When he was exfiltrated to the West he took with him what the FBI called 'the most complete and extensive intelligence ever received from any source'. This extraordinary bestselling book is the result.
'Co-authored in a brilliant partnership by Christopher Andrew and the renegade Soviet archivist himself ... This is a truly global exposé of major KGB penetrations throughout the Western world' The Times
'This tale of malevolent spymasters, intricate tradecraft and cold-eyed betrayal reads like a cold war novel' Time
'Sensational ... the most informed and detailed study of Soviet subversive intrigues worldwide' Spectator
'The most comprehensive addition to the subject ever published' Sunday Telegraph
Fascinating ... a moving account of survival
—— YoursThis fascinating delve into family history reveals the ways in which women’s lives have – and haven’t – changed
—— Readers DigestOne would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved
—— Economist, Message from an Unknown Chinese MotherExtraordinary and eye-opening
—— Jon Snow, The Good Women of ChinaAn absorbing, often startling, always persuasive exploration of contemporary China
—— SpectatorThe gripping sea story which helped to inspire Moby-Dick
—— Christopher Frayling , ObserverA fascinating journey through English social history, with Cliveden at its heart.
—— Country LifeFluently written, the book interweaves [these] personal stories with historical snippets illuminating each era and glimpses of life at the pinnacle of society… The broad sweep through 300 years of social change is packed with plenty of colourful details that capture the heady essence of Cliveden and the bold, spirited women who shared its history
—— History TodayThis lively story of 400 years of aristocratic high jinks and intrigue is told with expert relish.
—— Saga MagazineSearing, compelling and refreshingly devoid of the hyperbole of war-reporting . . . This is an important reminder of the culpability of so many – including the West for averting its gaze. It also serves as a potent warning of the fragility of humanity.
—— Alex Russell , Financial TimesLucid, passionate, urgent
—— Rory MacLeanThis is first class history and in a year swamped with First World War centenary books, it’s the one you should read first
—— Andrew RobertsA compelling and fascinating read...a shadowy assassin brought to life by an writer who gets to grips with a century of Balkan intrigue
—— Kate AdieA marvellously absorbing book... A triumph of research, it will appeal to the layman and historian alike
—— Ian Thomson , Financial TimesExtremely well written, taut and evocative... Despite its complex subject, Butcher makes this an easy and engaging read with his breezy style and fascinating encounters
—— Misha Glenny , Daily TelegraphIlluminating... Butcher achieves something remarkable with Princip. He promotes him quite plausibly from mad man to everyman; a warning to the future whom the future foolishly forgot
—— Giles Whittell , The TimesArguably the most important story of the war
—— Michael Hodges , Mail on SundayAs a travel writer, Butcher takes some beating. He packs balls as well as ballpoints
—— John Lewis-Stempel , Sunday ExpressA triumph of storytelling... [A] highly original gem of a book
—— Victor Sebestyen , SpectatorInformative and powerful
—— John Horne , Irish TimesA page-turning exploration of how the forgotten past continues to inform the present... Important, and relevant
—— Oliver Poole , Independent on Sunday[Princip’s] story as Butcher now tells it has a resonance far beyond the Balkans
—— Iain Morris , ObserverElegant, horrifying and enlightening… A book which is not only a good piece of detective work, it is the finest contribution so far this year to the rapidly expanding literature on the Great War
—— Mark Smith , HeraldTim Butcher has produced the most imaginative and singular book on the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War to date. It is a lot more than a study of Princip… It is a piece of expeditionary journalism, an investigation in time, place and spirit, of the highest order
—— Robert Fox , ScotsmanA revealing insight into the mind and journey of the boy who escaped the narrow confines of his village, and whose political aspirations for his native country had such far-reaching effects on the world
—— Philippa Logan , Oxford TimesUtterly absorbing… If journalism is the first draft of history, Butcher marries both disciplines with boldness and originality – as well as sympathy for his shadowy subject
—— BBC History MagazineInsightful and entertaining, this blows the cobwebs off the history of that day
—— Evening Echo (Cork)Positive proof that fact can be as gripping as fiction…rich and timely… Amongst so many books published around the anniversary of the First World War, this one stands out
—— CGA MagazineA fascinating investigation… An absorbing read
—— Irish IndependentDespite its serious subject matter, the book is a rollicking read, full of amusing details and sarcastic humour
—— The EconomistA brilliant and haunting journey through the Balkans
—— Sinclair McKay , Daily TelegraphIn the centenary year of the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, what better read than Tim Butcher’s The Trigger
—— Paul Routledge , Tablet[A] fascinating and lively history
—— 4 stars , Daily TelegraphVery complex – but you will grasp it
—— William Leith , Evening StandardA fascination exploration
—— Mail on SundayHighly readable but profoundly researched, The Trigger represents a bold exception to the deluge of First World War books devoted to mud, blood and poetry
—— Ben Macintyre , The Timesa fascinating original portrait of a man and his country
—— Country and Town House