First published 2026
Ben Macintyre reveals the untold story of "Redwood," a towering Russian intelligence officer who prevented nuclear catastrophe during the Cold War's most dangerous moment. In 1981, as Tehran burned with revolutionary chaos, the Soviets plotted to topple the Ayatollah's new regime. American leaders secretly considered nuclear retaliation if Moscow succeeded. Into this powder keg stepped a mysterious double agent whose intelligence reached the highest levels of Western governments. This highly trained KGB officer chose betrayal over loyalty, driven by his own shameful secret. With Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Soviet colleagues hunting him, he demanded MI6 extract him from Iran in a desperate escape operation. Macintyre draws on previously unseen archival material and interviews with intelligence officers from MI6, MI5, the KGB, and CIA to reconstruct this hidden chapter of Cold War history. The book exposes the secret machinations that nearly triggered Armageddon and shows how one man's courage changed the world's trajectory.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, military-history, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, double-agent
Setting: Tehran, Iran
Period: Cold War, 1981
416 pages · Hardcover · Crown