{"product_id":"first-class-comrades-the-stasi-in-the-cold-war-1945-1961-paperback","title":"First Class Comrades: The Stasi in the Cold War, 1945-1961 - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJ. Boulter\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e** 'It is the definitive account, a compelling exploration of a mind-bending ideological experiment, its secret servants and the lives they defined' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e **\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e After the Second World War, divided Germany was saturated with spies. Among them were the 'first class comrades' of the Stasi - the East German Ministry for State Security. The early Cold War saw the Stasi establish itself as one of the world's most notorious spy and secret police agencies. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Drawing on rarely seen files from the Stasi archives, First Class Comrades tells the Stasi story from a fresh perspective: how it helped to create a new European state, how its foreign intelligence service became one of the most successful ever, and how its spy-catchers tackled vigorous attempts by the West to infiltrate East Germany - attempts that influenced the decision to build the Berlin Wall. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFull of new insights on Cold War espionage, and featuring newly discovered details of the Stasi's operational methods, First Class Comrades shines a light on this lesser-known period of Stasi history, and why its stories and lessons still matter today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'Essential for all whose libraries contain an espionage section' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrong Words\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'This is an intricately researched and truly comprehensive survey from the end of WWII and the Stasi's origins to the Berlin Wall... An important addition to the canon of Cold War European history and espionage' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrime Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'Masterful... Whenever we think we know all about the Cold War, we find there's more to discover. Boulter's comprehensive and insightful account of the Stasi in the early rough-and-tumble years of that confrontation is unprecedented' \u003cb\u003eAlan Judd, author of \u003ci\u003eQueen \u0026amp; Country\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'Boulter's thorough research provides an excellent reference for understanding how the Stasi began and how it fulfilled its responsibilities' \u003cb\u003eKevin Riehle, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Russian FSB\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'A fascinating deep dive into the murky waters of Cold War espionage and the early days of East Germany's notorious secret police' \u003cb\u003eNick Rennison, author of \u003ci\u003e1974: Scenes from a Year in Crisis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'An impressive work... Boulter really widens the perspective on the Stasi' \u003cb\u003eDieter Bacher, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on Consequences of War\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerfect for readers interested in twentieth century European politics, military history, true crime and espionage narratives. For fans of \u003ci\u003eBeyond the Wall\u003c\/i\u003e by Katja Hoyer and readers of Ben Macintyre, Christopher Andrew, Alan Judd and Nigel West.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ. Boulter\u003c\/b\u003e is a Londoner who has lived in continental Europe for many years, working principally as a technical writer. Boulter's articles on espionage history and literature have been published in the \u003ci\u003eJournal of Intelligence\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePropaganda and Security Studies\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eAmerican Intelligence Journal, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCrime Time\u003c\/i\u003e magazine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 748\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 06, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47520342638813,"sku":"9780857306098","price":52.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/aBTsvFNTep9780857306098.webp?v=1772239526","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/first-class-comrades-the-stasi-in-the-cold-war-1945-1961-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}