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This entry in the publisher's Historical Dictionaries on Intelligence and Counterintelligence series delves into the culture and alphabet soup of Russian and Soviet Union intelligence. Former CIA analyst and academic Pringle has done a masterful job of sorting out and describing the world of intelligence, its key participants, and the importance that intelligence has played in Russian and Soviet history from the founding of the first Russian secret service in 1564 to the Putin presidency. Countries that were allies of the Soviet Union, such as East Germany, are also given entries.

Almost as important as the dictionary itself are the chronology of intelligence and the introduction at the beginning of the book. These, along with entries such as Tradecraft ("the art or science of spying") and enona (the code name for the decryption of several thousand Russian intelligence messages in the late 1940s), will give the reader a rudimentary knowledge of how the country ran its sophisticated, deeply entrenched intelligence "business."

Entries are a few sentences to a half page or page in length. See alsoreferences are noted in bold type. Although only 300 entries make up the dictionary portion of the work, it is chock-full of key as well as lesser-known operations, people, and agency information. The information on defectors during the cold war era as well as the numerous double agents and operations is surprising. Key cases, such as those of Igor Gouzenko, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and John Walker, are discussed. The 35-page bibliography is a resource worthy of academics and a useful jumping-off point for those wanting more in-depth information in any number of areas of Russian and Soviet intelligence history.

This is a must for those interested in this subject as well as for universities with programs in Soviet or Russian studies. Terri Tomchyshyn
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Review

It is a useful reference volume. (Studies In Intelligence, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2007 )

This is a must.... (Booklist, 3/15/2007 )

From Viktor Abakumov, the World War II-era head of the Soviet Ministry of State Security, to Nikolai Zubatov, a pre-revolutionary police agent, this historical dictionary by Pringle (a former US foreign service officer and intelligence analyst) covers important individuals, organizations, events, and issues of Russian and Soviet intelligence activities from the time of Ivan the Terrible to the present day in cross-referenced alphabetical entries. Also included in the dictionary are an introductory historical essay, a chronology, and a bibliography, as well as appendixes on the evolution of Soviet state security, KGB chairs, Chiefs of foreign intelligence, heads of military intelligence, and other information. (Reference and Research Book News, November 2006 )