Without minimizing the kgb's murderous nature, The Haunted Wood provides photographs and text humanizing Russian operatives such as Peter Gutzeit, Itzhak Akhmerov, and Vassily Zarubin. They and others inhabited a grim world where careers and lives depended on the vicissitudes of lethal Soviet purge campaigns. Moscow complained on several occasions about Martha Dodd's numerous liaisons. Nor can it adjudge Alger Hiss or Julius Rosenberg innocent of high crimes. That Soviet espionage predated the Cold War should surprise no one, however.
Governments monitor allies and enemies alike.
The Haunted Wood is a good book, based on rich documents. It falls short of greatness only where it fails fully to utilize corroborating materials from other archives. Still, its detailed, inside portrayal of Soviet espionage makes it must reading for all who study the Cold War. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.