Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge

Richard Sorge was a complex character. A Journalist, who was acknowledged as a China & Japan expert, through long spells in Shanghai & Tokyo. Deeply engaged in literature and the ability to charm whoever he met, from all walks of life.He also built a formidable spy network in both cities. In Tokyo, he was a confidante of the German Ambassador, while his Japanese counterpart performed a similar role to Members of The Cabinet. Sorge fed accurate Japanese information to the German Ambassador, who would reciprocate with Germany's war aims with respect to the USSR.Sorge would, then, feed this back to his superiors in the Red Army Intelligence section, whom he served as a card carrying Communist and Red Army Officer. He alerted Stalin of Hitler's attack on the USSR (was ignored) and then gave Stalin the assurance that Japan would Not attack Russia's Far East (advice taken), which allowed Stalin to redeploy the troops from Siberia to the defence of Moscow, turning the tide of war.The spy ring was undone by a 57-year old Japanese-American housewife, who had returned to Okinawa and betrayed one of her Japanese friends, under interrogation. Sorge's last word on the gallows " Long Live The Red Army -- Long Live Communism" . The Japanese Prosecutor called him "the greatest mind I ever met".Under Krushchev, the Soviet Union declared Sorge a Hero of The Soviet Union, issued a postage stamp in his honour , launched a ship named after him and built a statue in Moscow.

An amazing story, wonderfully written

This is an exceptionally good read, full of psychological insights into the characters of the spy ring and their motivations and foibles. It is generally backed up with good historical knowledge to provide context.It is spoilt by a small number of factual errors and unnecessary assumptions. Koenigsberg never fell to the Tsar’s armies in the Great War; the Bismarck was a battleship (not a battlecruiser) and was finally sunk by ship launched torpedoes (air launched ones stopped her from escaping). Such errors undermine the faith in other aspects of the reporting. Indicating that the European working classes were often seduced by fascism is a perversion of the historical record. While considerable segments of the working classes may have supported fascist movements (especially after the seizure of power in Germany), fascism’s core support was middle class and its most bitter opposition among the organised working class. Finally, it is unhelpful to introduce Sorge as a ‘bad’ man, when the narrative is often sympathetic to his endurance of enormous stresses.But for these would have got five stars.However, these are minor points in the record, which portrays the effects of Stalin’s terror on the whole soviet apparatus and the crucial effects of the US oil embargo on Japanese policy choices.Great psychological insights; gripping narrative; very good analysis.Recommended for history buffs and those interested in the human condition.

There are many accounts of Richard Sorge, but I am sure this is one the best - about Shanghai and Tokyo in 1930s and 1940s. An idealistic Communist Sorge was also astonishingly spy - as a journalistic, but he ran his only foundation understanding Chinese and Japanese politics. Somehow he got through the also Nazis at the German Embassy, and the spies he he ran through Japanese circles. He drank a lot, a Russian wife and forty girlfriends. He didn't like Japan but China. He smashed a motorcycle and a car. Le Carre thought he was the best spy. He knew about Germany's plans and understood that the Japanese wouldn't invade Manchuria, but they would attack Singapore and British possessions. This is a great narrative, and sad that Sorge told the Japanese he was a Communist and was hanged in 1942. Another film please. A real hero of the twentieth century. The apparatchiks of Stalin didn't rate him - cowardly and stupid, but he did made ultimately, sure that Russians won the war.

I suppose all spies are flawed masters. Richard Sorge, a German born in Baku, and a spy for Moscow for years in China and then Japan, was one of the true masters. He lasted seven years in Tokyo, and it was not his weakness but that of a confrère that betrayed him. In the end it seems Moscow simply forgot about him. Before, of course, hagiographising him some years later. Sorge, with his drinking and womanising, hid in plain sight. That's the way to do it. A masterly portrait. Read this.

The amazing story of Richard Sorge, Russia's phenomenally successful spy in Japan at the start of WW2. He was a man with such charisma that he could fool almost anyone into working with him and feeding him with information. Ironic that the Russians, Stalin in particular, were so suspicious of everyone that they often did not use the information he sent them. Hard to understand how he could continue to work for such an appalling regime. My only criticism of the book is that it fails to really get under his skin and explore his motivations and what kind of future he hoped to have after the war. He was far too intelligent to believe the USSR would ever have welcomed him back and let him live in peace.

A brilliant read ! and a well researched book it told me a great deal about politics in Germany Pre world war 2 ,I didn’t fully understand how strong the communists were in Germany via the work force they were very very active in trying to change opinion and I guess Sorge became a part on this system .It was intriguing his time in China and his relationship with Agnes Smedley and red Sonja who we now know ran the Nuclear Scientist Klaus Fuchs from Oxford when Fuchs was based at Harwell the Atomic weapons establishment.It was strange how Sir Roger Hollis who became head of MI6 was wandering around in Shanghai at the time and mixed with Smedley who was a soviet spy.You can draw conclusion of his involvement with red Sonja in Oxford ,the book implies Hollis was recruited in Shanghai by the Russians and indeed travel home via Moscow which is strange behaviour of an Englishman in those time.I didn’t fully understand that when Hollis was interigated it was never fully disclosed he was a soviet mole but the connection is there.Why would he not be buried in a grave if he hadn’t been a spy it appears there could have been a cover up as the security services didn’t want another scandal after Philby,Burgess,McLean and Sir Anthony Blunt were exposed as soviet agents.A fascinating book that certainly pieces together some of the puzzle on soviet penetration in society in general in that era.