
Operation Whisper
The Capture of Soviet Spies Morris and Lona Cohen
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Narrated by:
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John Pruden
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By:
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Barnes Carr
About this listen
Born and raised in the Bronx and recruited to play football at Mississippi State, Morris Cohen fought for the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War and with the US Army in World War II. He and his wife, Lona, were as American as football and fried chicken, but for one detail: They'd spent their entire adult lives stealing American military secrets for the Soviet Union. And not just any military secrets but a complete working plan of the first atomic bomb, smuggled direct from Los Alamos to their Soviet handler in New York. Their associates Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who accomplished far less, had just been arrested, and the prosecutor wanted the death penalty. Did the Cohens wish to face the same fate? Federal agents were in the neighborhood, knocking on doors, getting close. So get out. Take nothing. Tell no one.
In Operation Whisper, Barnes Carr tells the true story of the most effective Soviet spy couple in America, a pair who vanished under the FBI's nose only to turn up posing as rare book dealers in London, where they continued their atomic spying. The Cohens were talented, dedicated, worldly spies - an urbane, jet-set couple loyal to their service and their friends. Most people they met seemed to think they represented the best of America. The Soviets certainly thought so.
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What listeners say about Operation Whisper
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Liz
- 09-27-17
A little hard to follow via audio
I loved the book and performance but think that having a hard copy would have made it easier to follow all the characters. I found myself having to go back and re-listen to follow the complete story and cast. It's a fascinating read.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Vignesh Krishnan
- 11-24-21
Good listen and recommended, but a bit undirected
Overall, it’s a great story . It’s recommended it you like and listen to real life Cold War stories . I did the book could have been more streamlined and seemed to contain unnecessary information and character building.
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- H. Flowers
- 09-05-17
Facinating.
This story was a fascinating look into the nitty gritty details of spycraft as really practiced.
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1 person found this helpful
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- J and B
- 05-04-19
Intriguing
This was an excellent book. Having just worked on the play Pack of Lies I wanted to learn more. This was hugely informative!
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- Rebecca C. Browne
- 10-02-17
Too many facts details
The story gets lost in all the dates and details and you can't tell who's who and what's going on
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