20th May - Shaun Walker, The Illegals

Tuesday 20th May, 7:30pm

Backstory, 71 Balham High Rd, SW12 9AP

Guardian journalist Shaun Walker has hit on a fascinating true story of espionage with The Illegals, which tells the story of Russian spies in America ten years after the Cold War ended. He brings the story to life with interviews and fascinating insight from the archives, ultimately shining a light on our current political climate.

About the book:

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.

Tickets Available:

Ticket only - £15 (This ticket does not include a copy of the book. You can decide to buy a copy on the night, but this will be charged in addition, at the full price of the book.)

Ticket & book  (RRP £22) - £28 (To collect on the night or in advance, after its publication date on 17th April.)