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Agent Sonya
- Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy
- Narrated by: Ben Macintyre
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
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Agent Sonya
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Summary
The incredible story of the greatest female spy in history, from one of Britain's most acclaimed historians.
In the quiet Cotswolds village of Great Rollright in 1944, a thin and unusually elegant housewife emerged from her cottage to go on her usual bike ride. A devoted mother of three, attentive wife and friendly neighbour, Sonya Burton seemed to epitomise rural British domesticity.
However, rather than pedalling towards the shops with her ration book, Sonya was heading for the Oxfordshire countryside to gather scientific secrets from a nuclear physicist. Secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the atomic bomb.
Far from an obedient homemaker, Sonya Burton was a dedicated communist, a decorated colonel and a veteran spy who risked her life to keep the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race. Her husband was also a Soviet agent, and her children had three different fathers from lovers she'd encountered throughout her incredible career.
In Agent Sonya, Ben Macintyre reveals the astonishing story behind the most important woman spy in history and the huge emotional cost that came with being a mother, a wife and a secret agent at once.
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What listeners say about Agent Sonya
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LondonLass
- 29-07-21
Solid research, fascinating story, well told.
This is a story of a person for whom I have no respect and who I think deserved far worse than she got out of life. However the research was good. The writing was marvellous. The story was engagingly told - and there were many characters, It could have been impossibly complicated. Macintyre is a real artist in the way he relates the events. I am especially impressed with his almost superhuman self-control when outlining Sonya's treachery to the country which gave her sanctuary. I'm sure I would have descended to criticism at that point. Despite how angry it made me, I'm glad I listened to this. Not a minute was wasted.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SC
- 29-05-21
Superb
A real life spy story with twists and turns that match any spy thriller novel
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Traverso
- 23-10-21
Gripping
Macintyre really knows how to spin a yarn and make the most of the incredible stories he has to tell. One suspects that he embellishes the bare facts quite a bit but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment.
There are a few inaccuracies, and as in some of his other books he has his protagonists listening to transistor radios in the 1920s or 30s - at least a decade before the transistor was invented.
Those niggles aside, a great book and well worth listening to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. R. Taylor
- 26-10-22
Sonys Spy
This is a account of a Russian agent who spied at many place in the world. There is so much details that at times thought of giving up reading it but it was worth staying with it to the end
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sanj
- 20-07-23
Gap filled
Having finished the brilliant “The Traitor and the Spy” I was desperate to find something to fill the gap, stared a few, then settled on this. Glad I did. Excellent accompaniment to watering the garden on warm summer evenings. Only problem now is.. what next?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 09-09-21
Fantastic Read
This book has been on my TBR list for a while, the wait was definitely worth it
Highly recommend
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- theonlysew
- 25-05-21
Female spy!
I listened to an interview the author had done and was intrigued that all things in the book were true and verifiable. What a brilliant story/memoir/telling of events. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- "mhca"
- 02-10-21
Great Spy Story I’d read/ listen again
I really enjoyed this book well written and read perfectly….what an eye opener on its era
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jude Uk
- 30-10-21
Incredible
I’m working my way through Ben MacIntyre books & nearly missed this one. Very pleased I didn’t. It’s one of the most amazing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Morris
- 03-04-21
Better than fiction
This is a brilliant book about an incredible woman who lived a quite unbelievable life. As they say, you couldn't make this stuff up. Whatever you think of her politics, Ursula Kuczynski led the most extraordinary life during some of the most turbulent years of the twentieth century. Ben Macintyre's prose is lucid and succinct, and his narration is clear and moving. I had to laugh at some of his more deadpan comments.
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