Soviet Leaders and Intelligence

During the Cold War, the political leadership of the Soviet Union avidly sought intelligence about its main adversary, the United States. Although effective on an operational level, Soviet leaders and their intelligence chiefs fell short when it came to analyzing intelligence. Soviet leaders were often not receptive to intelligence that conflicted with their existing beliefs, and analysts were reluctant to put forward assessments that challenged ideological orthodoxy. There were, however, important changes over time. Ultimately the views of an enlightened Soviet leader, Gorbachev, trumped the ideological blinders of his predecessors and the intelligence service's dedication to an endless duel with their ideologically spawned "main adversary," making it possible to end the Cold War. Raymond Garthoff draws on over five decades of personal contact with Soviet diplomats, intelligence officers, military leaders, and scholars during his remarkable career as an analyst, senior diplomat, and historian. He also builds on previous scholarship and examines documents from Soviet and Western archives.Soviet Leaders and Intelligence offers an informed and highly readable assessment of how the Soviets understood-and misunderstood-the intentions and objectives of their Cold War adversary.

Garthoff's contribution is valuable because it places Soviet intelligence deficiencies in the context of state leadership and points to the need for additional comparative research on U.S.-Soviet leaders, perceptions, and intelligence... Measured, insightful, and valuable to students of Cold War or espionage history. Library Journal Mr. Garthoff is uniquely qualified for such a study... Much of his book is based on personal conversations with Soviet officials-including intelligence officers who spoke candidly about their own service-and declassified Soviet documents. -- Joseph C. Goulden The Washington Times

Raymond L. Garthoff is a senior fellow (emeritus) at the Brookings Institution and served as US ambassador to Bulgaria and as a Cold War-era CIA analyst. His many books include A Journey through the Cold War, Detente and Confrontation: American-Soviet Relations from Nixon to Reagan, and The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War.