Battleground Berlin: CIA Vs. KGB In The Cold War

Battleground Berlin: CIA vs. KGB in the Cold War offers an in depth analysis and account of the most heated period of espionage warfare in Berlin. The book’s conclusion with the building of the Berlin Wall is a logical endpoint to the story as the almost overnight construction of the Berlin Wall represented the closing of the Iron Curtain – as clandestine meetings between agents were no longer possible, thus ended Berlin’s role as a unique operational asset in it’s access to the East. The main strengths of the book come from the backgrounds of its authors. Supplementing first hand accounts with primary source document, existing research in the field, and interviews of the major players, the book is not simply a memoir of Murphy or Kondrashev – it offers an insider perspective of the events balanced with facts and extensive research. In the accounts of the Berlin Blockade, the 1953 uprisings, and the construction of the Berlin wall, the authors merely augment existing accounts

However, the greatest weakness of the book is it often falls short of its claims and commits the act of omission. The book claims to offer a full and balanced perspective, however more often than not the American and Soviet stories focus on completely different aspects, rarely giving us the full perspective on events. Soviet reactions to American exploits are often neglected and the inner structure of the CIA is never as closely examined as that of the KGB. Additionally, its self praising, constant “never before seen” rhetoric gets tiresome fast. Battleground Berlin remains as an invaluable source for any student of Cold War espionage and despite its shortcomings still stands as a valuable contribution to the