An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin's Master Agent

Owen Matthews’ book about Richard Sorge, based on extensive archival materials, is not merely another narrative about the espionage work of this intelligence officer. It is a detailed, well-developed, and multifaceted portrait of a person whose actions significantly influenced the outcome of the Second World War. The biography stands out from previously available literature on Sorge thanks to the wide range of sources used and the author’s ability to craft an absorbing story. In it, no trait or episode from the life of this man—resembling James Bond and known for his intellectual snobbery, as well as his attachment to casinos, brothels, and dance venues in pre-war Shanghai and Tokyo—remains in the shadows.