Spy Who Would Be Tsar: The Mystery of Michal Goleniewski and the Far-Right Underground

Michal Goleniewski was a senior officer in the Polish intelligence service who defected to the CIA and exposed several important Soviet spies. He later claimed to be Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia, leading to him becoming embroiled in a bizarre demi-monde of Russian exiles, anti-communist fanatics, right-wing extremists, and chivalric orders. This biography will be of interest to students and researchers of the Cold War, intelligence history, and right-wing extremism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 17 September 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Michal Goleniewski, a pivotal figure in the Cold War, has been largely overlooked in the extensive literature on the intelligence battles between the Western Powers and the Soviet Bloc. In this captivating biography, renowned investigative journalist Kevin Coogan unveils Goleniewski's extraordinary story for the first time.

Goleniewski's ascent within the Polish intelligence service granted him privileged access to both Polish and Russian secrets. Dissatisfied with the Soviet Bloc, he initiated contact with the CIA, providing them with valuable intelligence through letters. Deciding to defect, he executed an intricate escape plan in Berlin in 1961, ultimately fleeing to America. His revelations resulted in the exposure of several significant Soviet spies in the West, including the Portland spy ring in the UK, the MI6 traitor George Blake, and a high-ranking spy within the West German intelligence service.

Despite his profound contributions to the Cold War, Goleniewski faced abandonment by the CIA when he made the audacious claim of being Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia, the last surviving member of the Romanov Russian royal family, and entitled to the lost treasures of the Tsar. This outrageous assertion plunged him into a bizarre demi-monde of Russian exiles, anti-communist fanatics, right-wing extremists, and chivalric orders with deep historical roots in America's racist and antisemitic underground.

This captivating and enlightening biography holds immense interest for students, researchers, and enthusiasts of the Cold War, intelligence history, right-wing extremism, and general readers captivated by these intriguing subjects.

Weight: 582g
Dimension: 155 x 235 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367506650