The Spy Who Was Left Behind: Russia, The United States, And The True Story Of The Betrayal And Assassination Of A Cia Agent

  • Author: Michael Pullara
  • Narrator: Michael Pullara
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Duration: 12:21:20
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Synopsis

The shocking true story of international intrigue —“a highly detailed, engrossing work” (Kirkus Reviews)—involving the 1993 murder of CIA officer Freddie Woodruff by KGB agents and the extensive cover-up that followed in Washington and in Moscow. “In a post-truth era, we need a lot more fearless writers like Michael Pullara” (Robert Baer, author of See No Evil).

On August 8, 1993, a single bullet to the head killed Freddie Woodruff, the Central Intelligence Agency’s station chief in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Within hours, police had a suspect—a vodka-soaked village bumpkin named Anzor Sharmaidze. A tidy explanation quickly followed: It was a tragic accident. US diplomats hailed Georgia’s swift work, and both countries breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet the bullet that killed Woodruff was never found and key witnesses have since retracted their testimony, saying they were beaten and forced to identify Sharmaidze. But if he didn’t do it, who did? Those who don’t buy the official explanation think the answer lies in the spy games that played out on Russia’s frontier following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Woodruff was an early actor in a dangerous drama. American spies were moving into newborn nations previously dominated by Soviet intelligence. Russia’s security apparatus, resentful and demoralized, was in turmoil, its nominal loyalty to a pro-Western course set by President Boris Yeltsin, shredded by hardline spooks and generals who viewed the Americans as a menace.

At the time when Woodruff was stationed there, Georgia was a den of intrigue. It had a big Russian military base and was awash with former and not-so-former Soviet agents. Shortly before Woodruff was shot, veteran CIA officer Aldrich Ames—who would soon be unmasked as a KGB mole—visited him on agency business. In short order, Woodruff would be dead and Ames, in prison for life. Buckle up, because The Spy Who Was Left Behind reveals the full-throttle, little-known thrilling tale.

Chapters

  • 001 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Open

    Duration: 40s
  • 002 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter1 DeathOnALonelyRoad

    Duration: 26min
  • 003 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter2 DoTheyThinkWe'reIdiots

    Duration: 32min
  • 004 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter3 TheTestimonyOfTwoSpiesAndAHousewife

    Duration: 46min
  • 005 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter4 AnObscureHint

    Duration: 47min
  • 006 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter5 MrAmericanLawyer

    Duration: 42min
  • 007 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter6 HometownOfASpy

    Duration: 30min
  • 008 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter7 TheThiefInLaw

    Duration: 45min
  • 009 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter8 TheAmericansKnewEverything

    Duration: 52min
  • 010 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter9 AVisitToTheProsecutorGeneral

    Duration: 45min
  • 011 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter10 NoOneInterviewsMarina

    Duration: 51min
  • 012 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter11 AGeorgianEducation

    Duration: 38min
  • 013 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter12 YouNeedToGetThatFile

    Duration: 38min
  • 014 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter13 ALetterFromTheAmericanAmbassador

    Duration: 27min
  • 015 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter14 TheSearchForTheRealKiller

    Duration: 37min
  • 016 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter15 TheyBeatMe

    Duration: 30min
  • 017 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter16 OfficialInterrogations

    Duration: 40min
  • 018 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter17 AReporter'sQuestions

    Duration: 49min
  • 019 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Chapter18 ConfessionsOfAnOldSoldier

    Duration: 45min
  • 020 TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind Epilogue TheSpyWhoWasLeftBehind

    Duration: 09min
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