'Absolutely fascinating' Andrew Marr AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 'A brilliant
historical investigation that's as gripping as a Le Carré novel' Tom Burgis 'Shaun Walker
skilfully shows how Russia's modern-day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and
trickery of the bad old days. This is a fascinating read.' Oliver Bullough 'A gripping
history critical to understanding many of Russia's influence operations today.' Catherine
Belton 'Sinister clandestine and deadly - this is essential history and it is happening
now.' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'A riveting spy thriller which doubles as a secret history of
Russia.' Peter Pomerantsev In 2010 two decades after the Cold War had ended ten Russian
spies were arrested in America having hidden their true identities from their friends
neighbours and even their children. They were part of a spy programme that had begun nearly a
century earlier when the revolutionary Bolshevik government began sending Soviet citizens
abroad to pose as foreign aristocrats merchants and students. These deep-cover missions - some
remarkable feats of espionage others high-profile failures - could last for decades. Drawing
on hundreds of hours of interviews as well as newly discovered archival material Shaun Walker
brings this history to life in a page-turning tour de force that goes to the heart of what
became the most ambitious espionage programme in history. As Moscow continues to infiltrate
illegals across the globe The Illegals shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet
experiment and its messy aftermath - and on how that hidden history shaped Russia and the West.
