2008
First Published
3.73
Average Rating
392
Number of Pages
More fascinating than fiction, Seduced by Secrets takes the reader inside the real world of one of the most effective and feared spy agencies in history. The book reveals, for the first time, the secret technical methods and sources of the Stasi (East German Ministry for State Security) as it stole secrets from abroad and developed gadgets at home, employing universal, highly guarded techniques often used by other spy and security agencies. Seduced by Secrets draws on secret files from the Stasi archives, including CIA-acquired material, interviews and friendships, court documents, and unusual visits to spy sites, including "breaking into" a prison, to demonstrate that the Stasi overestimated the power of secrets to solve problems and created an insular spy culture more intent on securing its power than protecting national security. It recreates the Stasi's secret world of technology through biographies of agents, defectors, and officers and by visualizing James Bond–like techniques and gadgets. In this highly original book, Kristie Macrakis adds a new dimension to our understanding of the East German Ministry for State Security by bringing the topic into the realm of espionage history and exiting the political domain.
Avg Rating
3.73
Number of Ratings
49
5 STARS
27%
4 STARS
31%
3 STARS
33%
2 STARS
10%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads
Author
Kristie Macrakis
Author · 3 books
Kristie Macrakis is Professor of History in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Tech. She is the author of many books, including Seduced by Secrets and Prisoners, Lovers, and Spies.
