From Warsaw with Love - by John Pomfret (Hardcover)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>"In 1990, less than a year after the Polish people participated in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Polish government sent a veteran spy, who had battled the West for decades, to rescue six American officers trapped in Baghdad. The CIA had asked the Polish government for help, as the U.S. was desperately cobbling together allies to counter Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. The captured Americans held valuable intelligence and were they compromised, it could've spelled ruin for Desert Storm. John Pomfret's gripping account of the highly unusual mission reveals the surprising relationship between Poland and the U.S. The CIA had long been a fan of the tradecraft of Polish intelligence officers who back during the Carter administration had robbed America of its military secrets. Once the Berlin Wall fell, the agency signed Poland's ex-communist spies on as allies and they worked for America around the world. This cooperation didn't end with Poland's accession to NATO in 1999. Polish operatives conducted operations for America in Iran and North Korea. After 9/11, the Polish government even allowed the CIA to open a so-called black site in Poland to interrogate and waterboard suspected terrorists. As the U.S. teeters on the edge of a new cold war with Russia and China, Pomfret, who first uncovered this story during his long career at the Washington Post, revisits these little-known events as a reminder of the importance of allies in a dangerous world"--<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><b><i>From Warsaw with Love</i> is the epic story of how Polish intelligence officers forged an alliance with the CIA in the twilight of the Cold War, told by the award-winning author John Pomfret.</b> <p/>Spanning decades and continents, from the battlefields of the Balkans to secret nuclear research labs in Iran and embassy grounds in North Korea, this saga begins in 1990. As the United States cobbles together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, six US officers are trapped in Iraq with intelligence that could ruin Operation Desert Storm if it is obtained by the brutal Iraqi dictator. Desperate, the CIA asks Poland, a longtime Cold War foe famed for its excellent spies, for help. Just months after the Polish people voted in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Solidarity government in Warsaw sends a veteran ex-Communist spy who'd battled the West for decades to rescue the six Americans. <p/>John Pomfret's gripping account of the 1990 cliffhanger in Iraq is just the beginning of the tale about intelligence cooperation between Poland and the United States, cooperation that one CIA director would later describe as "one of the two foremost intelligence relationships that the United States has ever had." Pomfret uncovers new details about the CIA's black site program that held suspected terrorists in Poland after 9/11 as well as the role of Polish spies in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. <p/>In the tradition of the most memorable works on espionage, Pomfret's book tells a distressing and disquieting tale of moral ambiguity in which right and wrong, black and white, are not conveniently distinguishable. As the United States teeters on the edge of a new cold war with Russia and China, Pomfret explores how these little-known events serve as a reminder of the importance of alliances in a dangerous world.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>"Pomfret's book is eye-opening in the best sense...colorful...disquieting."<br><b>--<i>The Washington Post</i></b> <p/>"An eye-opening account of America's relations with Poland and its intelligence service...A lively and insightful exploration of an overlooked international alliance."<br><b>--<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>, *starred review*</b> <p/>"Written in crisp, novelistic prose, this is an insightful study of the ins and outs of international spycraft."<br><b>--<i>Publishers Weekly </i></b> <p/>"In his revealing behind-the-scenes account...Pomfret draws strong portraits of principal spies and diplomats on both sides, and recounts significant events, including Poland's daring rescue of six high-value American diplomats from Kuwait during the Gulf War. All in all, an important contribution to the study of U.S.-European relations."<br><b>--<i>Booklist</i></b> <p/>"Hold onto your hats for a journey of espionage, bravery, great escapes and jolting change at the hands of Polish and American intelligence officers. John Pomfret's <i>From Warsaw With Love</i> takes you on a gripping roller-coaster ride through the final years of the Cold War and into the blinding sunlight of a new age. This is an odyssey not to be missed."<br><b>--David E. Hoffman, Pulitzer-prize winning author of <i>The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal</i></b> <p/>"Put down your John le Carré, Pomfret's book is the real deal."<br><b>--Alex Storozynski, Chairman of the Kosciuszko Foundation and author of <i>The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution</i></b> <p/>"<i>From Warsaw with Love</i> is a real-life and riveting spy story. John Pomfret reveals how American spymasters seduced the Poles away from the embrace of the KGB, and enlisted them in American adventures and misadventures from Iraq to North Korea to a CIA black site. The cast of characters comes wonderfully alive. I loved this book and learned so much."<br><b>--Barbara Demick, author of <i>Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town</i> and <i>Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea</i></b> <p/>"<i>From Warsaw With Love</i> is more than an amazing piece of reporting. It deserves to be read by as many as possible."<br><b>--Nicholas Meyer, author of <i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution </i>and director of <i>Star Trek ll: The Wrath of Khan</i> and <i>Time After Time</i></b> <p/>"An astonishing account of one of the most consequential spy-agency collaborations since the Cold War. Fast-paced, with startling revelations and exquisite storytelling, <i>From Warsaw with Love</i> is a portrait of an unlikely and largely secretive relationship between Americans and Poles, spanning dozens of operations ranging from daring rescue missions to a 'black site' prison for suspected terrorists. For Poland, the journey underscores the rewards and occasionally painful costs of loyalty."<br><b>--Joby Warrick, Pulitzer-prize winning author of <i>Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS</i></b> <p/>"Sometimes former enemies make the best of friends...Brilliant reporting that reveals a riveting and untold chapter of our modern history."<br><b>--Samuel M. Katz, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of</b> <b><i>Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi <p/></i></b>"In an age of cyber attacks and satellite surveillance, the central role of human intelligence can be lost and forgotten. Through spy tales riveting to experts and novices alike, John Pomfret reminds us of the harrowing and sometimes shocking work of operatives in the little-known but enormously impactful partnership between US and Polish intelligence. From Iraq to Afghanistan to Europe and beyond, the former adversaries had thrilling victories, agonizing misses, and troubling betrayals."<br><b>--Jim Sciutto, Anchor and Chief National Security Correspondent for CNN </b></p><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>John Pomfret</b>, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, served as a correspondent for the <i>Washington Post</i> for two decades, covering wars, revolutions, and China. His book <i>The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom</i> won the Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. The recipient of numerous journalism awards, he lives with his wife and three children in Berkeley, CA.
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