In the post-World War II era, the Soviet Union and the United States wanted to gain an advantage over one another in the international security environment. To do so, both engaged in a variety of intelligence-gathering strategies―some of which involved espionage. This single-volume work provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the espionage game during the Cold War and in the post-Cold War security environment.

Details how and why the United States and the Soviet Union maintained and evolved their robust spying capabilities from the end of World War II to the present era

Highlights how the espionage and spying employed by the United States and Soviet Union involved far more than just people placed to obtain and transmit information

Provides a foundation of knowledge to understand the tension between United States and the Soviet Union over current issues such as Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine, as well as the expansion of NATO into Central and Eastern Europe

Includes compelling stories in espionage history, including the Manhattan Project, the convicted Rosenberg spy couple, the U-2 incident, and the discovery of Russian "sleeper" cells in the United States in 2010.