Seven thrilling true accounts of cold war espionage

There’s something thrilling about the life of a spy; it’s romanticized in countless movies and novels across various genres, from James Bond and Jason Bourne to Natasha Romanoff and Sterling Archer. But what do we find so fascinating about these characters and their stories? The cool gadgets and killer action? The outrageous villains? Perhaps we’re simply fascinated by a person’s ability to disappear and effortlessly become someone else.

Whatever the case, the appeal of spy thrillers only grows stronger over the years. This was especially true during the Cold War, which marked the peak of espionage activity across the globe. Spies took to the global stage and the public became even more enamored with their stories.

But we often forget the realities of espionage — while perhaps not as glamorous, the life of a spy is just as thrilling. With life and death on the line, as well as the fate of a country, how could it not be?

Here are seven thrilling tales of real-life espionage throughout the Cold War.

"The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal" by David E. Hoffman

While pumping gas one day, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station is approached by a man with shocking information: details on top-secret Soviet military technology. Adolf Tolkachev, an engineer in a Soviet military design bureau, quickly becomes one of the most valuable US spies during the height of the Cold War, handing over Soviet secrets that allowed the US to gain superiority in the skies over Europe. But keeping a foothold in Moscow was always a risk, and Tolkachev was no exception. After evading KGB detection for years, a shocking betrayal puts them all at risk. "The Billion Dollar Spy" is a poignant portrayal of a man motivated by the depravity of the Soviet state and spying against his own country. Drawing on details...