Spies in the Family

An American Spymaster, His Russian Crown Jewel, and the Friendship That Helped End the Cold War

By: Eva Dillon

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting true-life thriller and revealing memoir from the daughter of an American intelligence officer - the astonishing true story of two spies and their families on opposite sides of the Cold War.

In the summer of 1975, 17-year-old Eva Dillon's family was living in New Delhi when her father was exposed as a CIA spy. Eva had long believed that her father was a US State Department employee. She had no idea that he was handling the CIA's highest ranking double agent - Dmitri Fedorovich Polyakov, a Soviet general whose code name was TOPHAT. Dillon's father and Polyakov had a close friendship that went back years, to their first meeting in Burma in the mid-1960s. At the height of the Cold War, the Russian offered the CIA an unfiltered view into the vault of Soviet intelligence. His collaboration helped ensure that tensions between the two nuclear superpowers did not escalate into a shooting war.

Spanning 50 years and three continents, Spies in the Family is a deeply researched account of two families on opposite sides of the lethal espionage campaigns of the Cold War and two men whose devoted friendship lasted a lifetime, until the devastating final days of their lives. With impeccable insider access to both families as well as knowledgeable CIA and FBI officers, Dillon goes beyond the fog of secrecy to craft an unforgettable story of friendship and betrayal, double agents and clandestine lives, exposing the commonality between peoples of opposing political economic systems.

Both a gripping tale of spy craft and a moving personal story, Spies in the Family is an invaluable and heart-rending work.

©2017 Eva Dillon (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent Story

Very well written and read. Enjoyed the story of family history and intriguing events in history.

Interesting story that puts a face on real spies we have heard about

I enjoyed hearing this story from the perspective of the daughter of the CIA agent who handled probably the most important and selfless Russian spy of the Cold War.

Thrilling, intriguing, touching, enlightening!

Excellent. Reads like a riveting spy novel, but full of heart and history. Paul Dillon is my mother's uncle... I had no idea he lived such a fascinating and important life until this book.

LOVED it!

The best book club book in over two years! There's nothing better than gaining an amazing education while being thoroughly entertained! I have such a better understanding of the Cold War after reading this book. Highly recommend it!

Incredible true story!

One of the best true spies novel., and what an extraordinary life Paul Dillon, and his Russian agent lived. Both incredible men who shared a sad fate. Men who believe in their causes, confronted their fate with calmness, and conviction. A must listen.

Lovely and tragic book

I have always been fond of Polyakov and it was interesting to hear more about the details of his life - and the tragic final days when KGB parked the ambulance outside his house in anticipation of his suicide.

Loved!

Wow! What a great book! Ms. Dillon writes a sobering account of a period in U.S. History that I find so interesting. Her "front row seat" telling of Cold War espionage and treason is a riveting one. I thoroughly enjoyed her book.

Enjoyed this very much!

An unusual vantage point on a story and players I've encountered in many other books. I truly appreciate this book.

Great story, explained in simple terms.

Outstanding story, narrated simply and with good rythm. Gabra Sackman’s voice is amazing and engaging to continue listening. Very satisfied in general.

Very Informative

This isn't my usual type of book, however my husband thought we could enjoy it together. We listened to it whenever we were driving. Several times we stayed in the truck listening until we could find a good stopping point...

Too bad this author won't have another enthralling story to tell like this one. This is a one off situation and she wrote an excellent book about it.

Bonus this is history that we both remember. My husband's family is multi-generational military and the Aldrich Ames case was something they talked about in depth. I remember the headlines and always wondered what secrets he passed to the Soviets. Now we both agree he got off far to lightly... many of the people he turned over to the Soviets died. In my opinion he is a murderer. Neither of us knew much about the other people who are more central to this book. We learned a lot more about the cold war and the people who worked hard to prevent it from being a hot war. Very interesting and informative.