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Redwood

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What to expect

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Makes real events read like a thriller' The Times
'Everything you could want in a Cold War thriller' New York Times
'Redwood might be his best yet' John Grisham
'Ben Macintyre has a knack for finding the most fascinating storylines in history' David Grann, author of The Wager

From the multi-million copy bestselling historian, the remarkable, unknown Cold War story of how one spy saved the world from nuclear war

The year is 1981. Tehran is in violent turmoil in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Soviets are planning to overthrow the Ayatollah’s fledgling Islamist regime. If they do so, one response from America – unknown to the public – would be to use nuclear weapons. This is the story of how at the height of the Cold War, one mysterious double agent, known to MI6 as ‘Redwood’, revealed the Kremlin’s secret plot and prevented Armageddon.

This unsung, hitherto unknown hero of the Cold War, a six-foot-four Russian intelligence officer, had a problem, a sexual secret, one that if revealed, would turn his life upside-down. So he reached out to MI6, believing it to have the only solution – in return for the KGB’s deepest secrets. And then, facing exposure, he demanded that the British try to smuggle him out of Iran in a high-stakes escape plan.

This is the gripping tale of one man’s courage; about friendship, marriage, betrayal and sexual dysfunction; and about how decisions made in secret can have huge, long-term ramifications.

Drawing on never-before-seen material from archives in multiple countries, and interviews with officers from MI6 and MI5, the KGB and CIA, Redwood lifts the lid on how espionage really works, and on an unknown and highly significant Cold War victory. For without Redwood, our world would be very different – and might not exist at all.

© Ben Macintyre 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

'I grab each new book by Ben Macintyre and read it as fast as possible. He has a rare ability to turn history and espionage upside down and give us true, colourful stories that are at times difficult to believe. Redwood might be his best'
John Grisham
'There are twists, turns, desires, betrayals and unexpected outcomes…But what makes this tale so engaging is how close we feel to both the key spies and the history at the book’s heart…a triumph'
Clare Mulley, Spectator
'A tale of brilliant tradecraft…a moral inquiry…Terrific'
Guy Walters, Independent
‘Much of his ability to make real events read like a thriller also stems from his talent for getting sources to talk. Macintyre’s narrative of Kuzichkin’s desperate solo run for the Turkish border is pulse-hammering…Topical in its subject matter, deft in its depiction of the Polaroid colours of Tehran of the time, it is also a masterclass in the ethics of espionage. Above all, it brings to life the strains and responsibilities, the emotions and passions and inspirations — the eternally human concerns — of the spy’s world’
James Owen, The Times
‘Macintyre is incapable of writing a dull sentence, and his turn of phrase is often deliciously wry’
The Telegraph
‘Macintyre has made an illustrious career of taking dusty government archives and transforming them into propulsive nonfiction thrillers. With his latest, “Redwood,” he has done it again.’
Joseph Finder, New York Times
'The latest from the author of “The Siege” has everything you could want in a Cold War thriller: a defected KGB agent with a dark secret, revolutionary turmoil egged on by the Kremlin, and the threat of nuclear Armageddon. As an added bonus, it all really happened'
New York Times
'Redwood is the most thrilling non-fiction I've read all year.'
William Moore, Evening Standard
'Classic Macintyre: a gripping story you won't believe is real life.'
Hannah Stephenson, The Scotsman
‘His style: the journalist’s eye for salacious detail combined with a historian’s rigour. I devoured it in a single sitting…By all means give Redwood to your father for Christmas, but make sure you read it yourself first: it’s superb’
Oliver Bullough, Guardian
Author Ben Macintyre
Narrator Ben MacIntyre
Duration 17 hours and 31 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781405982146
Format Audiobook
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Genre Biography: historical, political and military, Cold wars and proxy conflicts, Espionage and secret services, True war and combat stories
Availability AU, GB, IE

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