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Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia
A thrilling, critically-acclaimed account of the Cold War spies and spycraft that changed the course of history, perfect for readers of Bomb and The Boys Who Challenged Hitler .
The Cold War spanned five decades as America and the USSR engaged in a battle of ideologies with global ramifications. Over the course of the war, with the threat of mutually assured nuclear destruction looming, billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives were devoted to the art and practice of spying, ensuring that the world would never be the same.
Rife with intrigue and filled with fascinating historical figures whose actions shine light on both the past and present, this timely work of narrative nonfiction explores the turbulence of the Cold War through the lens of the men and women who waged it behind closed doors, and helps explain the role secret and clandestine operations have played in America's history and its national security.
The Cold War spanned five decades as America and the USSR engaged in a battle of ideologies with global ramifications. Over the course of the war, with the threat of mutually assured nuclear destruction looming, billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives were devoted to the art and practice of spying, ensuring that the world would never be the same.
Rife with intrigue and filled with fascinating historical figures whose actions shine light on both the past and present, this timely work of narrative nonfiction explores the turbulence of the Cold War through the lens of the men and women who waged it behind closed doors, and helps explain the role secret and clandestine operations have played in America's history and its national security.
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 17, 2021
History is not my strong suit. Communism, the Cold War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile crisis -- I know what these things are and have a general sense of what they mean, but if you ask me to provide any sort of details or analysis, I am likely to come up blank. Favreau frames these Cold War event around chapters describing spies on both sides of the Iron Curtain. While it was geared towards younger readers, the style and organization greatly appealed to this adult reader. If you'll excuse me, I need to go scour my home for KGB bugs and wiretaps now...
November 7, 2020
Honestly...one of my students is super into the Cold War and I try to latch on to any tiny bit of interest/passion with these kids and history. So I told him about my nuclear warfare class from college and we’ve spent the past couple months exchanging fun facts about nuclear warfare. Well...one day, he walked in with this book and told me I should read it because he loved it.
Incredibly boring. Disliked almost every page. Ha!
But hey—gave me something to talk about with a student so still a win for literature!!!
Incredibly boring. Disliked almost every page. Ha!
But hey—gave me something to talk about with a student so still a win for literature!!!
November 7, 2019
Give this to fans of James Bond or Steve Sheinkin's Bomb.
December 16, 2021
A great introduction to the Cold War through the lens of spycraft. Defectors, spies, double agents, witch hunts, prison breaks, and more: there's plenty of excitement and while it is the case that most players and episodes are given only a brief treatment, the book includes comprehensive endnotes and a bibliography for further reading. Readers (especially teens) should be advised to take a look at the indices before tackling the book. In addition to the bibliography, notes, and index, they'll find two separate glossaries (one for spycraft terms and one for Cold War terms) and a helpful timeline of key events in the Cold War. A little long for middle schoolers, but high schoolers should have no problems.
April 27, 2020
The history of spying during the Cold War between the United States and Russia. The CIA started in 1947 and the KGB was founded in 1954 (ended in 1991). Highlights of notorious and daring spys are chronicled of both the US and Russia. The book provides an overview and doesn't detail missions and only hints at motives. References to a loyalty of leader or government-type or just driven by supplying what the 'enemy' will pay cash for. Covers about fifty years after World War II.
April 28, 2021
I had to read this book as part of the literature section of my pentathlon textbook this year, but I just wasn't able to finish it. It could be the whole notion of not being able to read books that are forced upon you for school, or it could just be that I just didn't enjoy it that much. I am not sure. I was able to make it halfway through the book before losing interest. Despite not being able to finish the book, I still think that it covered really interesting topics and I would love to try picking it up again soon. I would recommend it to a person interested in the Cold War and some of the operations that happened away from the public eye.
February 4, 2020
I'm fascinated by The Cold War and the intelligence network that developed during that time, no doubt due in part to the show The Americans. This nonfiction book (written for teens, but honestly good for adults, too) covered spies, double agents, political leaders, and key events during The Cold War. It's always a little scary to think about what is going on in the world while we're busy living our lives. This was a great illustration of secrets being traded by two world powers throughout my childhood. I was sad when it came to an end!
June 30, 2019
@Kidlitexchange #Partner
Thank you to @littlebrownyoungreaders and @thenovl for sharing this advance copy of Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia by Marc Favreau with the #KidLitExchange Network. This book is set to be released in October 2019.
Secrets, lies, and lots of spies. This book is a narrative nonfiction account of the Cold War period between the U.S. and Russia. Specifically, the book focuses on spies and spycraft and how they changed the course of history. Readers get a deeper look at the men and women who were on the front lines of the Cold War working for the CIA, FBI, KGB, MI6, more. Each chapter denotes a different spy's story and together they form a larger picture of the overall conflict. This book is full of mystery, intrigue, and espionage.
This was a very captivating book, and I loved learning more about a time period that often gets overlooked or glazed over in U.S. history classes. YA readers will be instantly sucked in by the title and cover (I mean who doesn't like spies), but they'll stick around for the well-researched and engagingly written narrative. The book is very well researched and focuses on spies from both sides and both male and female spies. Some of these names I had heard of before (like the Rosenbergs), but others who played huge roles in history, I'd never heard of before. This would be a great book for those who enjoyed Steve Sheinkin's Bomb. I think this would also be fun text to pair with The Crucible as it's an allegory for the McCarthyism period. This book might give students more insight into what was going on during the Cold War that led to the witch hunts of the era.
Thank you to @littlebrownyoungreaders and @thenovl for sharing this advance copy of Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia by Marc Favreau with the #KidLitExchange Network. This book is set to be released in October 2019.
Secrets, lies, and lots of spies. This book is a narrative nonfiction account of the Cold War period between the U.S. and Russia. Specifically, the book focuses on spies and spycraft and how they changed the course of history. Readers get a deeper look at the men and women who were on the front lines of the Cold War working for the CIA, FBI, KGB, MI6, more. Each chapter denotes a different spy's story and together they form a larger picture of the overall conflict. This book is full of mystery, intrigue, and espionage.
This was a very captivating book, and I loved learning more about a time period that often gets overlooked or glazed over in U.S. history classes. YA readers will be instantly sucked in by the title and cover (I mean who doesn't like spies), but they'll stick around for the well-researched and engagingly written narrative. The book is very well researched and focuses on spies from both sides and both male and female spies. Some of these names I had heard of before (like the Rosenbergs), but others who played huge roles in history, I'd never heard of before. This would be a great book for those who enjoyed Steve Sheinkin's Bomb. I think this would also be fun text to pair with The Crucible as it's an allegory for the McCarthyism period. This book might give students more insight into what was going on during the Cold War that led to the witch hunts of the era.
August 3, 2020
A history of spycraft between the USSR and the USA during the Cold War.
This is pretty succinct and really just touches on some of the biggest moments in spying during the Cold War. You learn some of the biggest spies on each side, and moments when things got really dicey. I have just read an extensive biography of Oleg Gordievsky so I was interested to compare Favreau's chapter on his tale with The Spy and the Traitor. For the sake of space, Favreau simplifies some bits and leaves out many, many details. The two books only major disagreement in his story was how they described MI6's plan to get Oleg out of the USSR. The more extensive book by McIntyre (that is even referenced in Favreau's bibliography) said that MI6 had planned for years to get Gordievsky and his entire family out. Favreau says MI6 told Oleg they would only get him out. Due to the amount of details included in Ben McIntyre's relating of the history, I'm more inclined to believe his version than Favreau's, but I do wonder why they differed on this point. Overall, this was a very readable and fascinating look at spycraft and the Cold War. Favreau relates it to modern history by talking about the investigation into whether the Russian's messed with the last election or not. Highly recommended to those interested in true spy stories and Cold War history.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. It is stated that some spies were executed (not described). Perilous situations mentioned, but nothing graphic.
This is pretty succinct and really just touches on some of the biggest moments in spying during the Cold War. You learn some of the biggest spies on each side, and moments when things got really dicey. I have just read an extensive biography of Oleg Gordievsky so I was interested to compare Favreau's chapter on his tale with The Spy and the Traitor. For the sake of space, Favreau simplifies some bits and leaves out many, many details. The two books only major disagreement in his story was how they described MI6's plan to get Oleg out of the USSR. The more extensive book by McIntyre (that is even referenced in Favreau's bibliography) said that MI6 had planned for years to get Gordievsky and his entire family out. Favreau says MI6 told Oleg they would only get him out. Due to the amount of details included in Ben McIntyre's relating of the history, I'm more inclined to believe his version than Favreau's, but I do wonder why they differed on this point. Overall, this was a very readable and fascinating look at spycraft and the Cold War. Favreau relates it to modern history by talking about the investigation into whether the Russian's messed with the last election or not. Highly recommended to those interested in true spy stories and Cold War history.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. It is stated that some spies were executed (not described). Perilous situations mentioned, but nothing graphic.
July 27, 2020
Pretty good overview (for young adults) of the espionage that happened between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R during the Cold War. I think it could have been written better, in a more compelling, drawn-0ut way (I'm spoiled by Steve Sheinkin's exciting nonfiction)--there's a lot about spying that is pretty fascinating and intense and dark, perfect to draw in teens. But this one was just okay.
December 11, 2021
I specifically read this book for an AP United States history class assignment. I expected this book to be uninteresting and repetitive, but instead it was quite interesting and informative. I find history and spies during wars very interesting to learn about. This book taught me more about the Cold War and the dispute between the United States and Russia during this time. I personally found the book intriguing because I enjoy learning about US wars from the past.
This non-fiction book introduces themes from the lives of spies during the Cold War not usually taught in history class. The author’s use of facts and language makes each of the spies relatable. There is another level of depth created through personal experience. The author also describes the experiences of the spies and how someone is not always who or what they say. He also talks about the harsh reality of living as a spy. Many of the agents make hard decisions and some suffer from them. These true facts also allow the reader to rediscover what the Cold War was and about.
This book was very well written with content, however, it was hard to follow. Overall, it was very fascinating and informative. I would recommend this book to high school students learning history because of the increased knowledge one can gain from the book. I would also recommend this book to people that are interested in past wars and spies. This book incorporates the facts with the interesting topic of spies during the Cold War.
This non-fiction book introduces themes from the lives of spies during the Cold War not usually taught in history class. The author’s use of facts and language makes each of the spies relatable. There is another level of depth created through personal experience. The author also describes the experiences of the spies and how someone is not always who or what they say. He also talks about the harsh reality of living as a spy. Many of the agents make hard decisions and some suffer from them. These true facts also allow the reader to rediscover what the Cold War was and about.
This book was very well written with content, however, it was hard to follow. Overall, it was very fascinating and informative. I would recommend this book to high school students learning history because of the increased knowledge one can gain from the book. I would also recommend this book to people that are interested in past wars and spies. This book incorporates the facts with the interesting topic of spies during the Cold War.
July 27, 2019
@kidlitexchange #partner “Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the
review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.”
Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia by Marc Favreau is a thrilling account of men and women involved in espionage throughout the Cold War, an era in history that seems glossed over in many classrooms. Yet the ramifications of spying, agents, double-agents, the KGB, the CIA, the FBI, the M16, to name a few, leave an indelible mark on modern day warfare through the use of sophisticated technology. It is absolutely fascinating and terrifying at the same time! With the Cold War lasting five decades and the threat of nuclear destruction so conceivable, Favreau captivates his readers with fascinating historical figures - some well-known and some obscure. He devotes a chapter to each of these men’s and women’s accounts and somehow ties them all together so that the reader can see how the timeline evolves.
This is the perfect book for a YA classroom and for students who enjoy tales of mystery, espionage, deceit, and a bit of luck while learning a great deal about the facts of the Cold War between the United States and Russia. The author has done a commendable job of research and provides the historical accuracy necessary for this non-fiction account.
review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.”
Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia by Marc Favreau is a thrilling account of men and women involved in espionage throughout the Cold War, an era in history that seems glossed over in many classrooms. Yet the ramifications of spying, agents, double-agents, the KGB, the CIA, the FBI, the M16, to name a few, leave an indelible mark on modern day warfare through the use of sophisticated technology. It is absolutely fascinating and terrifying at the same time! With the Cold War lasting five decades and the threat of nuclear destruction so conceivable, Favreau captivates his readers with fascinating historical figures - some well-known and some obscure. He devotes a chapter to each of these men’s and women’s accounts and somehow ties them all together so that the reader can see how the timeline evolves.
This is the perfect book for a YA classroom and for students who enjoy tales of mystery, espionage, deceit, and a bit of luck while learning a great deal about the facts of the Cold War between the United States and Russia. The author has done a commendable job of research and provides the historical accuracy necessary for this non-fiction account.
April 7, 2020
The Novel “Spies” by Marc Favreau is a nonfiction account that addresses the secret shakedown between America and Russia. Throughout the novel Favreau reveals the thrilling account of the Cold War spies and spy craft that changed the course of our history. The Cold War spanned five decades as America and Russia engaged in a battle of ideologies with global destruction. Over the course of the war, the threat of mutually assured nuclear destruction was looming in the air. Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives were devoted to the art and practice of spying, ensuring that the world would never be the same.
Marc Favreau's Spies is narrative nonfiction at its finest. The novel is insightful, very educational, and impossible to put down. I consider myself a bit of a history buff as I am fascinated by learning about our country's past. This novel would be the most engaging for people like myself who enjoy reading about our country’s history. In the novel, Favreau weaves vivid accounts of the volatile U.S vs. Soviet relationship into his intriguing spy stories. There are multiple Black-and-white photos which enhance the reader's understanding of this timely topic in our country’s tumultuous years.
Marc Favreau's Spies is narrative nonfiction at its finest. The novel is insightful, very educational, and impossible to put down. I consider myself a bit of a history buff as I am fascinated by learning about our country's past. This novel would be the most engaging for people like myself who enjoy reading about our country’s history. In the novel, Favreau weaves vivid accounts of the volatile U.S vs. Soviet relationship into his intriguing spy stories. There are multiple Black-and-white photos which enhance the reader's understanding of this timely topic in our country’s tumultuous years.
November 16, 2020
Spies by Marc Favreau is a thrilling nonfiction novel that highlights the tensions between the US and the USSR and their spy operations during the height of the Cold War. I like this book because it’s interesting to learn about these stories that never saw the light of day until reading it and I don’t dislike anything about the book. This book motivates the reader to keep turning the pages because of the interesting stories that are compiled into this book. This book focuses on the men and women who, behind closed doors, set up spy operations and waged the Cold War spending billions of dollars in the process. The many operations that occurred are highlighted in this book with some even being highly secretive until the book was written. One such spy was Klaus Fuchs who was a German theoretical physicist and gave information from the US, British and Canadian to the Soviet Union. In this book there’s not really a set character just stories of operations spies worked in. Spies helps to explain lots of operations that took place during this period of time and keeps the reader interested from start to finish and is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the Cold War era.
February 4, 2023
I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it but couldn't help contrast it with Steve Sheinkin's Fallout. Both are narrative non-fiction, but Sheinkin's writing is much more compelling. Maybe I'd have liked it more if I had read it instead of listening to it.
I well remember several of the events recounted here and especially the feelings I had growing up during the Cold War--feelings of tremendous fear of Russia and its leaders. The amount of money and manpower expended on espionage during this time is astounding. The ingenuity of both the Russians and the Americans is mind boggling. Amazingly, nuclear war was averted, the USSR ceased to exist, and the Berlin Wall came down. What will a book written thirty years from now have to say about events happening today? I won't know, but I hope somehow the world will be a safer, kinder place for my children and their children and grandchildren.
I well remember several of the events recounted here and especially the feelings I had growing up during the Cold War--feelings of tremendous fear of Russia and its leaders. The amount of money and manpower expended on espionage during this time is astounding. The ingenuity of both the Russians and the Americans is mind boggling. Amazingly, nuclear war was averted, the USSR ceased to exist, and the Berlin Wall came down. What will a book written thirty years from now have to say about events happening today? I won't know, but I hope somehow the world will be a safer, kinder place for my children and their children and grandchildren.
July 5, 2023
The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union began shortly after the end of World War II and continued over the next fifty years. With spies acting as double and triple agents on both sides, each nation was constantly updating its surveillance tactics and trying to identify agents who could be trusted and moles inside their organizations who might compromise their security in an effort to win the spy war. Favreau identifies the spies working on both sides, the circumstances of their espionage, and the consequences of their activities on world politics. Specific examples of how spies were caught and evaded capture are the highlight of the book. If you wonder how the Cold War came to pass, this is a great book to try.
September 25, 2020
This is a non-fiction book that mostly reads as fiction. There are a LOT of names to keep up with, as non-fiction books tend to be. Anyone who likes real-life intrigue will really enjoy this book.
Each chapter is about a different spy - sometimes an American spy, sometimes a Russian spy and sometimes a double agent.
As you read about all these amazing things going on in American and Russian governments, you have to wonder about what we don't know RIGHT NOW about the subversive shenanigans going on. It's a timely book, that's for sure!
I would definitely recommend this book to boys who prefer non-fiction over fiction when they can choose their own reading materials.
Each chapter is about a different spy - sometimes an American spy, sometimes a Russian spy and sometimes a double agent.
As you read about all these amazing things going on in American and Russian governments, you have to wonder about what we don't know RIGHT NOW about the subversive shenanigans going on. It's a timely book, that's for sure!
I would definitely recommend this book to boys who prefer non-fiction over fiction when they can choose their own reading materials.
April 20, 2022
A very good read of the history of successes and losses between the USA and Russia or USSR. This book is a great background for our recent CIA and they’re wins and losses. This book isn’t exactly flattering but it does seem real for back in time and looking forward.
Best question: How did the Intelligence Community miss the fall of The Berlin Wall?
Both scary and feel good at times on how fragile our world is concerning real intelligence and it’s interpretation.
The world relies on a balance and without that we’re all in peril.
Today one must wonder if Putin would use Nuclear Weapons? If so what’s the world’s response? Someone knows. . .
A good read.
Best question: How did the Intelligence Community miss the fall of The Berlin Wall?
Both scary and feel good at times on how fragile our world is concerning real intelligence and it’s interpretation.
The world relies on a balance and without that we’re all in peril.
Today one must wonder if Putin would use Nuclear Weapons? If so what’s the world’s response? Someone knows. . .
A good read.
February 3, 2023
Very simple to digest, the beginning was slow as it was topics I was familiar with, written for readers less familiar with the topic. The book picked up once he began discussing escapades of different spurs and how they carried out their espionage.
Wasn’t written completely objectively, double crossers who deferred to the soviets are framed as traitors, while those who defer to the Americans are framed as noble heroes. Also only really shows the points of view of American spies , and less so for soviets.
Wasn’t written completely objectively, double crossers who deferred to the soviets are framed as traitors, while those who defer to the Americans are framed as noble heroes. Also only really shows the points of view of American spies , and less so for soviets.
January 27, 2020
This was on the nytimes best 25 kids' books for 2019. I learned from it and I think it gave some good background to the history between the US and Russia today, while not talking about today specifically at all. I find it hard to believe it's one of the 25 best books, but I did like it and would recommend it to people who want some history and don't know a lot about our spying history. Hoping H will read it.
February 2, 2023
A deeply fascinating history of the Cold War, through the lens of espionage. I'm sure that the focus meant some events that were important in the larger story of the Cold War got glossed over or ignored entirely, but I also don't think that you need much, if any, background knowledge to understand the overall narrative. The writing was at least engaging enough for me, so I think interested teens would also be engaged throughout. I would've liked a few more pictures, though.
April 14, 2024
This book was informative, but it was also exciting enough that It kept me reading. I liked how it took one spy for each chapter and told there story and all the stories that were involved. I also liked the back matter about the the spy agencies in the modern day. This isn't the authors fault, but I kept getting confused by all of the long Russian names while reading. Reccomended for those who are intrested in the Cold War and spies.
April 22, 2020
Very easy to read, not only because of the large printing font.
I knew most of the stories and, because all the chapters are very short, I learned very little about the cases I read about for the first time.
I bought it from a discount book cart outside the Strand Book Store for only $2 despite being recently printed. The heavy discount was correctly applied.
I knew most of the stories and, because all the chapters are very short, I learned very little about the cases I read about for the first time.
I bought it from a discount book cart outside the Strand Book Store for only $2 despite being recently printed. The heavy discount was correctly applied.
June 28, 2021
This is a great story of the history of Spies between Russia and America, that culminates in the Cold War, but leaves some serious questions as to how/if this is continuing on today. The author gives just enough detail to keep you interested, but not enough to bog down the reading.
It was very clean and well written.
It was very clean and well written.
November 29, 2019
I’m a fan of the Cold War. Not the cold war itself, but the spy craft and the stories from around that time. And this book has some good ones. Of agents and double agents and tunnels and salt in shoes to make dictators beards fall out. I couldn’t put it down.
July 5, 2020
This book tells some of the stories of spies during the cold war that served the US and USSR. The author's tone is somewhat surprising to equivocate a free country with one that held its citizens as prisoners.
August 2, 2021
Very good overview of American and Russian espionage during the Cold War. I learned so much in this book and was fascinated by all the methods of communication and escape. I would highly recommend this book, as it is suspenseful, interesting, and an awesome read!
Want to read
June 28, 2019Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019.
February 26, 2020
A fascinating look at the spies at work during WWII. Very readable and highly recommended for research.
March 20, 2020
Fascinating. Not sure if middle school students will find it as interesting as I did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews