The Sword and the Shield

A New York Times Bestseller

“Deliciously erudite.”—New York Times

“The Sword and the Shield will stand as an indispensable reference work on Soviet espionage for years to come.”—Washington Post

“A sweeping, densely documented history of the KGB ... Thanks to Comrade Mitrokhin, the KGB and most of those who spied for it have been stripped naked.”—New York Times Book Review

“Stranger than fiction ... Afficionados of espionage will be rummaging through this enormously detailed book for years.”—New Republic

“This book is astounding ... Every page brims with the plots for a dozen movies and Robert Ludlum thrillers. Thanks to what they have done, no history of the last half of the Cold War can be written the same way again.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review

“The most important book ever written on the subject ... A monumental volume.”—Washington Times