Journalist and author Hagedorn (Beyond the River; Savage Peace) has written another fast-paced historical account with themes of intrigue and prejudice. Here, she focuses on George Koval (1913–2006), born in the United States to a Russian Jewish family. Amidst virulent antisemitism, the family returned to Russia, and Koval studied chemistry in Moscow as a Soviet citizen. After the GRU (Soviet military intelligence) engaged and trained him, Koval returned to the United States in 1940 and became a U.S. army draftee and an agent who would “sleep” under cover until his activation by the Soviet Union. The reclusive Koval was the only Soviet military spy with security clearance on the Manhattan Project (he tendered information that accelerated the 1949 detonation of the Soviet A-bomb), but he lacked the notoriety of high-profile spies like Klaus Fuchs; he preferred to keep details of his life hidden. Hagedorn effectively tells how Koval returned to the Soviet Union in 1948 to live quietly and eventually receive posthumous recognition. This expertly researched, psychologically thrilling history makes good use of available primary sources, such as FBI reports, letters, and interviews, as well as secondary literature.

VERDICT: Engaging narrative nonfiction that will thrill readers who are drawn to works by Ben Macintyre and Kate Moore.

Reviewed by Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Lib. of Congress, Washington, DC , Jul 01, 2021

*   *   *   *

Booklist calls SLEEPER AGENT “compelling” and “well-researched.”

*   *   *   *

Publisher’s Weekly says the book is “doggedly researched . . . enlivened by its brisk pace and lucid scientific details, this is a rewarding introduction to a noteworthy episode in the history of Soviet espionage.” 

*   *   *   *

Kirkus Reviews describes Sleeper Agent as an “eye-opening account,” “fascinating,” and an “intriguing narrative.”

*   *   *   *

 Author James Tobin calls SLEEPER AGENT both “an important work of history and a story that’s hard to put down.”

 *   *   *   *

Author Bob Shacochis praises Hagedorn’s “superlative investigative talents”

 *   *   *   *

Author Blanche Cook says SLEEPER AGENT is “dazzling” and“captivating.”

 *   *   *   *

Author Bill Tuttle calls Hagedorn “a masterful historical sleuth and a superb writer.”

 *   *   *   *

Russian historian Stephen M. Norris says Hagedorn’s biography of the spy is “a gripping page-turner, almost unbelievable yet true.”