Breaking the Ring

by John Barron Narrated by J. Charles

Overview

For 17 years, the Soviets knew every military move we made! That is how damaging the Walker family spy ring was to our national security. For the better part of two decades, John Walker, his son Michael, brother Arthur, and friend Jerry Whitworth comprised the KGB's greatest asset. Meticulously detailing the FBI investigation which finally broke the case, John Barron reveals how close the United States came to disaster - and how the repercussions may linger for decades.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Newspaper readers are familiar with the Walker spy case that made news in 1985, but perhaps few realize the enormous consequences of the family's treason, which are reported here. Barron, a Reader's Digest editor and author of two studies of the KGB, demonstrates how John Walker, a retired naval warrant officer who worked as a private investigator, influenced his brother Arthur, a retired submarine officer, his own son Michael, a navy enlisted man with access to top-secret documents, and Jerry Whitworth, a former student of John's who worked with navy cryptographic systems, to transmit vital information to the Soviets. For 17 years the ring furnished secrets, including technical manuals and keys for U.S. cipher systems that provided insights into the logic behind American cryptography. The repercussions of this, shows Barron, may be with us for decades. An informative book and a page-turner. (March 23)

Library Journal

On August 28, 1986, a federal judge sentenced Jerry Whitworth to 365 years in prison for espionage. During the preceding year, news reports jolted the American public with revelations about the Walker family spy ring. John Walker, brother Arthur, son Michael, and Whitworth, all former Navy men, had at various times over two decades sold the Soviet KGB keys to the U.S. Navy's encrypted communications. Barron, author of The KGB Today and MiG Pilot , details the torturous investigation, painstaking prosecution, and probable damage of perhaps the most serious breach of modern American military security. Frightening, enthralling, and highly recommended for popular collections. James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens

APRIL 2010 - AudioFile

A letter that piqued the interest of San Francisco FBI agents in 1984 provided a lead that would eventually finish the Walker spy ring, led by John Walker and involving his son and brother. J. Charles brings humanity to the account without distracting from the facts, giving unique voices to the many people involved and revealing the personalities of the principals in the case, both agents and suspects. Walker, in particular, makes an interesting antagonist; he was adept at luring others into his work and proud of his spying. He was also good at following the thought processes of both agents and spies. The case, and how it affected relations with the Soviets, is a surprising slice of Cold War history. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172666520
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Edition description:	Unabridged

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