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Stalin's Spy: Richard Sorge and the Tokyo Espionage Ring
Stalin's Spy Richard Sorge and the Tokyo Espionage Ring Author:Robert Whymant Richard Sorge was one of the most successful international spies of modern times. Born to a Russian mother and German father, he ran a highly sophisticated espionage ring under the noses of Japan's infamous secret police. He penetrated the German embassy in Tokyo as a trusted Nazi journalist and rapidly established himself as a confidant of th... more »e ambassador, privy to highly secret information of a military and political nature relayed from Berlin. From 1933 until he was finally caught late in 1941, Sorge transmitted a steady stream of priceless information to Red Army intelligence (GRU). His group of dedicated men and women not only kept Stalin informed about German and Japanese intentions, but also exerted considerable influence on decisions made by both governments. In one of several intelligence coups, Sorge told Stalin of the planned German invasion of the Soviet Union--intelligence that the Soviet leader disbelieved and disregarded. Later in the same year he reported, via the network's clandestine transmitter, that the Japanese had decided against attacking Siberia. Sorge's prediction that Japan had opted for war with America and Britain, rather than with the Soviet Union, enabled Stalin to concentrate on saving Moscow from the German advance--and thus contributed significantly to the defeat of Nazism. Ultimately abandoned to his fate by Stalin, Sorge became the first European to be sentenced to death by a Japanese court. After a prolonged ordeal, he was executed in Sugamo prison in 1944. Using hitherto unpublished Russian papers, as well as the testimony of Japanese and German contemporaries, Robert Whymant brings to life one of the great spy dramas of this century. More compelling than any spy fiction, Whymant's book is the fullest account to date of Sorge's extraordinary life, and reveals the extent to which a series of passionate sexual liaisons, along with his mesmerizing hold over people, played a central part in Sorge's career as a spy.« less