Family Betrayal: Agent Sonya, MI5 and the Kuczynski Network

The Kuczynski family, including Robert Kuczynski, Berta, and their six children, fled Nazism in 1933 and arrived in Britain as refugees. Jürgen, a leading Communist, was of concern to MI5. Ursula, codenamed Sonya, was a colonel in the Red Army and spied on the Japanese in Manchuria. MI5 also kept extensive files on her four sisters. Ursula controlled spies Klaus Fuchs and Melita Norwood, delaying the Soviet atomic bomb for five years. Family Betrayal reveals the operations of a network of spies at the heart of Soviet intelligence in Britain, accessing high-ranking officials for over seventy years.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2021
Publisher: The History Press Ltd

In 1933, the renowned German economist Robert Kuczynski, along with his wife Berta, sought refuge in Britain, escaping the oppressive regime of Nazism. Shortly after their arrival, their six children joined them. Among them was Jürgen, known for his prominent communist affiliations, which sparked significant interest from MI5, the British security service. Ursula, code-named Sonya, held a remarkable background. She was a colonel in the Red Army of Russia, having engaged in espionage activities in Manchuria by spying on the Japanese. Additionally, MI5 maintained extensive files on her four sisters: Brigitte, Barbara, Sabine, and Renate.

In Britain, Ursula exerted control over a network of spies, including Klaus Fuchs and Melita Norwood. Their contributions were instrumental in delaying the development of the Soviet atomic bomb for at least five years. Drawing upon recently declassified files, Family Betrayal unveils the intricate operations of a network that operated at the core of Soviet intelligence in Britain. Spanning over seventy years of espionage activity, the Kuczynskis and their associates gained privileged access to high-ranking officials in the government, civil service, and justice system. Acclaimed historian David Burke has undertaken the task of recounting the entire saga of one of the most accomplished spy rings in history.

Weight: 644g
Dimension: 166 x 241 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780750996600