The Moscow Rules

Two legendary former CIA operatives reveal the tactics they developed to survive the Cold War in Moscow and turn the odds in America’s favor

“Devilishly fun.” —New York Times Book Review

Antonio and Jonna Mendez were CIA technical operations officers in Moscow during the dangerous final years of the Cold War. Soviets kept files on all foreigners, studied their patterns, and tapped their phones. Intelligence work was effectively impossible. The Soviet threat loomed larger than ever.

A vivid exposé that reads like a le Carré novel, The Moscow Rules sheds light on the brave collaborations between CIA operatives and Russian informants, and the innovative ways they avoided Soviet surveillance. As experts in disguise, Antonio and Jonna were instrumental in developing a series of tactics—from Hollywood-inspired identity swaps to an armory of James Bond–style gadgets—that allowed CIA officers to outmaneuver the KGB.

The Moscow Rules is the remarkable story of the undercover spies who risked everything for their country, and a tribute to the ingenuity that allowed them to succeed.