Redwood

'I grab each new book by Ben Macintyre and read it as fast as possible. He has a rare ability to turn history and espionage upside down and give us true, colourful stories that are at times difficult to believe. Redwood might be his best'

John Grisham

'There are twists, turns, desires, betrayals and unexpected outcomes…But what makes this tale so engaging is how close we feel to both the key spies and the history at the book’s heart…a triumph'

Clare Mulley, Spectator

'A tale of brilliant tradecraft…a moral inquiry…Terrific'

Guy Walters, Independent

‘Much of his ability to make real events read like a thriller also stems from his talent for getting sources to talk. Macintyre’s narrative of Kuzichkin’s desperate solo run for the Turkish border is pulse-hammering…Topical in its subject matter, deft in its depiction of the Polaroid colours of Tehran of the time, it is also a masterclass in the ethics of espionage. Above all, it brings to life the strains and responsibilities, the emotions and passions and inspirations — the eternally human concerns — of the spy’s world’

James Owen, The Times

‘Macintyre is incapable of writing a dull sentence, and his turn of phrase is often deliciously wry’

The Telegraph

‘Macintyre has made an illustrious career of taking dusty government archives and transforming them into propulsive nonfiction thrillers. With his latest, "Redwood," he has done it again.’

Joseph Finder, New York Times

'The latest from the author of "The Siege" has everything you could want in a Cold War thriller: a defected KGB agent with a dark secret, revolutionary turmoil egged on by the Kremlin, and the threat of nuclear Armageddon. As an added bonus, it all really happened'

New York Times

'Redwood is the most thrilling non-fiction I've read all year.'

William Moore, Evening Standard

'Classic Macintyre: a gripping story you won't believe is real life.'

Hannah Stephenson, The Scotsman

‘Sometimes comical, always gripping, utterly eye-opening’

Radio Times

'Ben Macintyre has a knack for finding the most fascinating storylines in history'

David Grann, author of The Wager

'Ever-brilliant'

The Bookseller

'Macintyre is one of the most gifted espionage writers around'

Annie Jacobsen, author of Nuclear War

'One of the great spy dramas of the past half-century'

ITN

'The pre-eminent historian of the secret world . . .'

Mick Herron author of Slow Horses