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  • Deep Undercover

  • My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America
  • Written by: Jack Barsky, Cindy Coloma
  • Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
  • Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (104 ratings)

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Deep Undercover cover art

Deep Undercover

Written by: Jack Barsky, Cindy Coloma
Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
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Publisher's Summary

One decision can end everything...or lead to unlikely redemption.

Millions watched the CBS 60 Minutes special on Jack Barsky in 2015. Now, in this fascinating memoir, the Soviet KGB agent tells his story of gut-wrenching choices, appalling betrayals, his turbulent inner world, and the secret life he lived for years without getting caught.

On October 8, 1978, a Canadian national by the name of William Dyson stepped off a plane at O'Hare International Airport and proceeded toward customs and immigration.

Two days later, William Dyson ceased to exist.

The identity was a KGB forgery, used to get one of their own - a young, ambitious East German agent - into the United States.

The plan succeeded, and the spy's new identity was born: Jack Barsky. He would work undercover for the next decade, carrying out secret operations during the Cold War years - until a surprising shift in his allegiance challenged everything he thought he believed.

Deep Undercover reveals the secret life of this man without a country and tells the story no one ever expected him to tell.

©2017 Jack Barsky (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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Wow!

What an amazing book! It’s a detailed story of espionage, political views, ordinary people, and Christ’s Salvation.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Become an interest and end awkward

It is a great book until the final few chapters. Up till that point, his story was incredible and on point, following a predictable line where his real life built up to a climax that you would expect from a great fictional story. I cannot stress enough that this section of the book is interesting, thought provoking, challenging and best of all, fun to read!
However, the final few chapters see a shift to him just talking about god and Jesus. It was at this point that I saw that Jack was just someone who was love lust. Throughout the book it is a common trend that Jack thinks about his current wife in the most devoted way but was unable to do anything for them. But once he was out of the spy game, it’s like he chose religion as an awkwardly strong gesture to his wife to prove she is different than the other families he left behind.
I do not have a problem with the concept of this section but it all feels unnatural, forced and just a way for him to prove to his wife that she impacted a KGB trained agent. It seems as if everything was dramatized for a build up to believing in Jesus. So in one of my most conflicted reviews, this book is awesome and equally awkward & forced.

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Fascinating story

I’m not one to read novels but this audiobook somehow attracted me. And I couldn’t stop listening. Highly recommend it.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Les dernières heures d'écoute sont décevantes

Histoire captivante sauf pour la fin très décevante qui est une apologie de la religion.

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Loved it

Very well written. Very well read. And I loved the ending very nice surprise that I never seen coming.

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Excellent book

Excellent book. Interesting that the far right republicans remind me of the Soviet propaganda of the KGB . It’s unfortunate that the Russian leadership is cemented in the old ideas of hate and jealousy. Bravo to Jack for questioning his early path and finding the truth in love and faith.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Great until the last three hours

I loved the performance of this book and generally I enjoyed the content as well. I thought it was an interesting story and told of a true life that is pretty crazy. With that said, I wasn't as happy with the last three hours where it was mostly about religion.

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GREAT book, gripping tale

Wow, wow, wow…. one of the best books I’ve ever read. Told right from the moment he was approached by Soviet operatives in college, every detail of this young man’s preparation to become a spy is revealed. His initial forays and close calls are truly gripping. It’s all fascinating. His integration into USA society after 10 years is so thorough that he begins to think and truly live as a Westerner. How his identity is ultimately uncovered is stunning, and the outcome surprising. Well narrated. A GREAT listen.

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Hard to put down

I found myself listening until 4 am to finish this book. It is well written and moves along at a good pace.

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ehh

starts meh, and keeps getting worse and worse, kills it with bible thumping in the end

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1 person found this helpful