The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Do you think Gordievsky spared his family or betrayed them when he left them in the Soviet Union and escaped alone during Operation PIMLICO? Examine both sides of the issue and explain your conclusion.

Compare and contrast the cases of Oleg Gordievsky and Kim Philby, who spied for the KGB while working for MI6. How are they similar? How are they different? What motivated each of them?

Macintyre notes certain aspects of the Soviet Union’s authoritarian system that at times allowed Gordievsky to get away with something or escape surveillance. In what ways does this authoritarian system work in Gordievsky’s favor? How is this evidence of Gordievsky’s belief that the system was corrupt or repressive?