Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

LIMITED TIME OFFER
Dead Doubles cover art

Dead Doubles

The Extraordinary Worldwide Hunt for One of the Cold War’s Most Notorious Spy Rings

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Amazon Prime member exclusive: get any 2 titles with your free trial. Terms apply.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Dead Doubles

Written by: Trevor Barnes
Narrated by: William Gaminara
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $31.46

Buy Now for $31.46

About this listen

The astonishing but true story of one of the most notorious spy cases from the Cold War—and the international manhunt that seized global attention as it revealed the shadowy world of deep cover KGB operatives.

The dramatic arrest in London on January 7, 1961 of five Soviet spies made headlines worldwide and had repercussions around the globe. Alerted by the CIA, Britain's security service, MI5, had discovered two British spies stealing invaluable secrets from the highly sensitive submarine research center at Portland, UK. Their controller, Gordon Lonsdale, was a Canadian who frequently visited a middle-aged couple, the Krogers, in their sleepy London suburb. But the seemingly unassuming Krogers were revealed to be deep cover American KGB spies—infamous undercover agents the FBI had been hunting for years—and they were just one part of an extensive network of Soviet operatives in the UK.

In the wake of the spies' sensational trial, the FBI uncovered the true identity of the enigmatic Lonsdale—Konon Molody, a Russian who had lived in California before being recruited by the KGB. Molody opened secret talks with MI5 to betray Russia, but before he had the chance, the KGB blackmailed Britain into spy swaps for him and the Krogers.

Based on revelatory, newly-released archival material and inside sources from around the world, Dead Doubles follows the hunt for the highly damaging Portland Spy Ring. As gripping as a le Carré novel, this incredible narrative, layered with false identities, deceptions, and betrayal, crisscrosses from the UK to the USSR to the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, and brings to life one of the most extraordinary spy stories of the Cold War.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

20th Century Europe Freedom & Security Great Britain Modern Political Science Politics & Government Espionage Soviet Union Russia United Kingdom England Imperialism Portland Cold War
All stars
Most Relevant
Wow. This was one of the best books on real life spies I have read. There are five spies at the centre of the story. First, you learn about them as MI5 figures them out, then take them down (most exciting). The book then follows the trials, imprisonment, spy exchanges and life afterwards. Then, a fresh perspective is provided, via life and spy stories from Moscow’s perspective. Lots of spy signal details (“a man scratching his left ear with a bandaged finger” etc)… you’ll learn what dentists and combs have to do with it.
As an audiobook, I appreciated the inclusion of the accompanying PDF: this was great for putting together the pieces, such as the spies (they all have multiple names!), the MI5 players, the maps, etc. (I colour coded my copy).

Outstanding

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.