Owen Matthews's riveting biography chronicles Richard Sorge, the charismatic Soviet master spy often hailed as the greatest of the twentieth century. Posing as a Nazi journalist in Tokyo, Sorge infiltrated the highest circles of German and Japanese power, providing crucial intelligence—including warnings of Operation Barbarossa and Japan's decision not to attack the Soviet Union—that helped shape the outcome of World War II. Despite his brilliance and devotion, Stalin dismissed his reports amid paranoia, leading to Sorge's arrest, torture, and execution in 1944, highlighting the tragic ironies of espionage, loyalty, and betrayal.
