Book Review: Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America

Archives

by John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr

New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999. xiii, 487 pp. Illus, glossary, append, notes, index. $30.00. ISBN:0-300-07771-8

Venona is but latest in a series of works revealing the extent of Soviet intelligence operations in the U.S. and the complicity of the CPUSA in those operations. The work deals particularly with “Venona,” a highly secret service that during the Cold War successfully decrypted thousands of messages between the KGB intelligence service and Soviet agents in the U.S. Although Venona and a number of other similar revelatory works have now firmly established the guilt of the Rosenbergs and Alger Hiss, among others, while identifying numerous other agents, and confirming the deep involvement of the CPUSA in espionage, it goes without saying that true believers and their apologists will not be convinced. Invaluable for anyone interested in the Cold War.
Reviewer: A. A. Nofi   


Buy it at Amazon.com

X

ad

Help Keep StrategyPage Open

First came Facebook, then came Twitter, and finally, AI has arrived. They have all caused a decline in our business, but AI may be the deadliest innovation. We are currently in survival mode. Our writers and staff receive no payment in some months, and even when they do, it is below the minimum wage for their efforts. You can support us with your donations or subscriptions. Please help us keep our doors open.

Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on X.

Subscribe   Donate   Close