Page 93 - All About History - Issue 53-17

Reviews

THE BILLION

DOLLAR SPY

A gripping tale of courage, defiance and revenge

Author David E. Hoffman Publisher Icon Books Price £12.99 Released Out now

ith dead drops, disguises and even on the Soviet Union as possible. Hoffman’s
fake birthday cakes, this tightly- consideration of people, and particularly of
written history of Cold War espionage Tolkachev, makes for compelling reading.
reads something like a thriller. Blunt- Although the events of the book are situated
Wedged sentences hammer home a against the wider context of the era, they take
sense of danger and urgency. However, a thriller a step back from the world stage. The focus of
would allow for convenient plot twists and the book often falls on what might be called
timely escape routes. In The Billion Dollar Spy, hidden history. Bringing together interviews
Pulitzer Prize-winning author David E. Hoffman and previously classified CIA documents, the
vividly captures the perilous reality of the Cold novel explores the internal workings of the
War spy game. But it was not a game to those organisation and its espionage techniques.
individuals involved. It details technology and methods used for
Those people are central to Hoffman’s intelligence gathering, secret meetings between
narrative. This may be a story of spies, but the case workers and agents, as well as other
people he writes about are not anonymous — operations carried out by the CIA.
they have names and faces, families and pasts. In short, this book would appeal to anyone
Adolf Tolkachev, the spy who gives the book with an interest in the history of espionage or
its title, initially lingers on the sidelines of the the Cold War. However, it could also prove a
story. Yet as he emerges, he brings with him his good read for anyone who simply likes their
grim determination to inflict as much damage history ‘hot’.

ALONE IN BERLIN

Inspired by a true story of wartime defiance
Certificate 15 Director Vincent Perez Cast Brendan Gleeson,
Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl Released 30 June

incent Perez’s Alone in Berlin Hiring top-tier actors Brendon
(2016) is like all movies that are Gleeson and Emma Thompson
fit less for the big screen and means that Alone in Berlin is always
more for a Sunday afternoon in watchable. The film’s problems chiefly
Vfront of the telly: well-mounted, arise because, despite having a cracking
visually tasteful, impeccably acted, story to tell (Germans saying ‘nein’
boasts an important theme and to Hitler and his racist ideology), the
message, and comes off as middle-of- pacing and mood is inert, the dialogue
the-road fare. explaining emotion, rather than letting
The film is based on the 1947 novel the audience feel it through action and
of the same name by Hans Fallada, cinematic craft.
in turn inspired by the true-life tale The cat-and-mouse plot should have
of a grieving husband and wife who at least injected a bit of excitement.
mounted an anti-Nazi campaign during What could have been Hitchcockian
WWII. After their only boy died in and full of heightened tension is
combat on the eastern front, Otto and fumbled by Perez. A plot hinging on
Anna Quangel distributed literature the fatalistic inevitability of capture
in the form of pamphlets denouncing and the Quangels’ brave defiance could
Hitler. Needless to say, the SS weren’t have wowed, but holds zero dramatic
too happy and ordered one of their best weight. It’s a missed opportunity —
goons to stop the middle-aged couple watch the similarly themed 2005 film,
from wrecking national morale. Sophie Scholl, instead.
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