Fiction Cannot Compare to the Real-Life Story Laid Bare in “The Billion Dollar Spy” by Author David E. Hoffman

Washington Post contributing editor David E. Hoffman will speak at Potomac Community Village's November 17th meeting about a true story of Cold War espionage and betrayal described in his new book, The Billion Dollar Spy.

Hoffman, author of The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia, and The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy, which won a Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 2010, has been reporting and writing about the Cold War and Russia for over 35 years, principally for The Washington Post. The latest book is a detailed account of how the CIA’s Moscow Station ran an espionage operation right under the nose of the KGB. At the center of the story is Soviet radar engineer Adolf Tolkachev, who delivered thousands of pages of secret documents and blueprints to the CIA that were taken from his top-secret institute.

Tolkachev took huge risks to spy for the United States because of deep-seated feelings about the failings of the Soviet system. He met 21 times with CIA officers on the streets of Moscow to hand over rolls of 35mm film containing photographs of the secret documents.

‘I have done a lot of research on the Cold War and my previous book was about that, but this story of Tolkachev surprised me—especially the details of how an individual spy was handled by the CIA in Moscow,” Hoffman said.

David Ignatius, renowned journalist and author, describes this story as, "full of twists so amazing you couldn't make them up, this is spy fact that really is better than fiction." The book has been optioned by Walden Media for a film, and preliminary work on that is now underway. Copies of the book will be for sale, and Mr. Hoffman will be available to sign them.

Beginning his career with Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Hoffman moved to The Washington Post in 1982, and covered the presidencies of Reagan and George H.W.Bush, and the State Department. He also served as Bureau Chief in Jerusalem, as well as in Moscow, as Asst. Managing Editor for Foreign News, and is now a member of the newspaper's Editorial Board.

The November 17 PCV meeting with Mr. Hoffman starts at 7 p.m., and is free and open to all. At the Bolger Center's Franklin Building, 9600 Newbridge Drive, Potomac. Please use Parking Lot #1.

Potomac Community Village is a non-profit network of neighbors and friends geared to enabling older Potomac residents to age in place in their existing homes by creating social connections and providing volunteer services such as transportation, computer assistance and simple home repairs. For more information, to volunteer or get volunteer help, contact 240-221-1370, info@PotomacCommunityVillage.org or check out www.PotomacCommunityVillage.org or www.Facebook.com/PotomacCommunityVillage.