The Billion Dollar Spy cover art

The Billion Dollar Spy

A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Billion Dollar Spy

By: David E. Hoffman
Narrated by: John Moraitis
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

January 1977. While the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station fills his gas tank, a stranger drops a note into the car.

In the years that follow, that stranger, Adolf Tolkachev, becomes one of the West’s most valuable spies. At enormous risk Tolkachev and his handlers conduct clandestine meetings across Moscow, using spy cameras, props, and private codes to elude the KGB in its own backyard - until a shocking betrayal puts them all at risk.

Drawing on previously classified CIA documents and interviews with firsthand participants, The Billion Dollar Spy is a brilliant feat of reporting and a riveting true story from the final years of the Cold War.

©2017 David E. Hoffman (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
Freedom & Security Espionage Cold War Air Force
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Spies, Lies, and Algorithms cover art
The Main Enemy cover art
Spies in the Family cover art
A Pretext for War cover art
GCHQ cover art
Assassination on Embassy Row cover art
The Widow Spy cover art
Farewell cover art
Hunting Eichmann cover art
American Prometheus cover art
Into the Lion's Mouth cover art
The God's Eye View cover art
The Winds of War cover art
Charlie Wilson's War cover art
Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor cover art
Argo cover art

What listeners say about The Billion Dollar Spy

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    141
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    118
  • 4 Stars
    49
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    140
  • 4 Stars
    40
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

First class

Great book and really well read. First time I have given 5 stars in each coloumn.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

not my sort of thing Normally

I don't normally go for this sort of book but really enjoyed it.
I have seen a few comments on the narration but I didn't have any issues with it. I felt it reflected the pace of quite an in depth story I would recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and a real

Hard to believe it’s true and so many secrets were revealed but absolutely fascinating story. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

So interesting. Do read this alongside the other brilliant account covering UK’s intelligence successes The Spy and the Traitor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

what an insight into the art of the spy world and what lengths each side goes to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I haven’t enjoyed an audible so much for ages. Absolutely brilliant. Great story and so well written. The narration was first class too. Congratulations to everyone involved in this production. :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic story, but narration is sometimes jarring

Fantastic story with exceptional detail and supporting context. However, the narrator’s performance of some sentences is irritating. Having not seen the written text; I cannot be sure that the author hasn’t included numerous unneeded commas (although I suspect it’s likely to be the narrators own bizarre structure). On occasions I had to re-listen to paragraphs as there were awkward breaks or continuations that didn’t flow well. Either way; Tolkachev is undoubtedly an unsung hero of the Cold War and subsequent conflicts.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

moving

this was a journey of monumental new appreciation for what has come before us and the sacrifices made

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Espionage history at it's best.

I love this subject and this book is very good at describing the ins and outs of alot of what goes on whilst the CIA runs a high profile agent in the USSR. as the main subject is also little later on in the cold war, it's also little more current than some of the books about espionage that you come across. The side acts are also very famous spies, so I think overall people will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic Cold War Thriller

Very detailed book, very well read. There is a lot to learn even for someone who has read a lot of books on this subject. Very real and felt dangerous.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful