{"product_id":"9780857306098","title":"First Class Comrades","description":"Author: J. Boulter\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780857306098\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Oldcastle Books\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 01 May 2025\u003cbr\u003ePages: 732\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo country in history has been more deeply penetrated by spies than divided Germany after the Second World War. Among them were the \u0026amp;#x27;first class comrades\u0026amp;#x27; of the Stasi  the East German Ministry for State Security. The early Cold War saw the Stasi establish itself as one of the world\u0026amp;#x27;s most notorious spy and secret police agencies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on previously unexamined files from the Stasi archives, \u003ci\u003eFirst Class Comrades\u003c\/i\u003e tells the Stasi story from a fresh perspective: how it helped to create a new European state, how its foreign intelligence service became one of the most successful ever, and how its spy-catchers tackled vigorous attempts by the West to infiltrate East Germany  attempts that influenced the decision to build the Berlin Wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull of new insights and little-known facts about the Stasi and Cold War espionage, and featuring newly discovered details of the Stasi\u0026amp;#x27;s operational methods, \u003ci\u003eFirst Class Comrades \u003c\/i\u003eshines a light on this lesser-known period of Stasi history, and why its stories and lessons still matter today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;Boulter\u0026amp;#x27;s thorough research provides an excellent reference for understanding how the Stasi began and how it fulfilled its responsibilities\u0026amp;#x27;  Kevin Riehle, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Russian FSB\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;A fascinating deep dive into the murky waters of Cold War espionage and the early days of East Germany\u0026amp;#x27;s notorious secret police\u0026amp;#x27; - Nick Rennison\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026amp;#x27;An impressive work...Boulter really widens the perspective on the Stasi\u0026amp;#x27;  Dieter Bacher, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for War Studies\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46814082793630,"sku":"ADS-9780857306098","price":59.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9780857306098.jpg?v=1778334464","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9780857306098","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}