Customer Reviews

Operation Solo: The FBI's Man in the Kremlin

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Operation Solo tells the story of Morris Childs, a spy for the American government for almost thirty years. He was a dedicated communist in the 1930's. He even visited to the Soviet Union and was taught revolutionary tactics to be used in the violent overthrow of the United States government. By the late 1940's he began to understand the monster he was serving in Stalin and feeling extremely guilty about his activities. While still in the hospital recovering from heart problems, he was visited by two FBI agents who asked straight out if would like to be a spy. He agreed. As luck was have it, he was still a member in good standing with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) so he was able to resume his activities in the Party with no problems. He eventually rose to second in command of the CPUSA.

Mr. Childs knew and was completely trusted by all the Post-Stalin leadership. One story shows how much he was trusted. On one trip to the Soviet Union, he was injured and had to have a finger amputated. He refused anesthetics because he was afraid he would blurt out he was a spy while under. Khrushchev thought he did this so he would not tell Soviet states secrets while under. Khrushchev made a speech in the Politburo congratulating Childs for his courage and had his finger buried Kremlin wall. From this position of trust, he was able Childs was able to obtain top-secret information for almost 30 years. This is only one of numerous improbable but true stories from the book, many of them life-threatening. An unparalleled story of courage and devotion.

As one who knew both Eva and Morris Childs prior to their deaths, I was pleased to see John Barron's published, for it finally provided exposure to one of the great spy stories of all times. I was the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Miami FBI office when I met the Childs in 1986, and maintained contact with them for the remainder of their lives. In particular, after the death of Morris, the FBI became the defacto family of Eva, and even, was at her bedside at the time of her death. The interesting thing about the Childs was they did not cooperate with the FBI for money, but due to a sense of betrayal by the Communists after they had devoted considerable time and energy to the utopian idea of the perfect Soviet society. But Morris went to great lengths one day to explain how his early conversion to communism did not mean he was anti USA. But after he saw the hypocrisy of world communism from an intimate insiders view, he then showed the same zeal in working for the FBI as he did for the early communists. I can attest to the fact Barron is accurate with his account, and even, has shown restraint at times. Operation Solo was the single greatest source of human source reporting available to the US during the time of the Cold War, and Barron's account of this incredible story is not only worthy reading for those with an interest in espionage, etc, but is a great reference source for historians with an interest in the Cole War.

This is a great book. From the second I opened the book to the second I turned the last page I was enthralled. I left this book with a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by people around the world in the overthrow of the Soviet Union, and the protection of the United States.

If you are a history buff, a fan of the spy novel, or are just looking for a good book, you have found your next great read.

This book details the history of a little known FBI espionage operation that may have changed world history. It tells the story of Morris Childs, his wife Eva, and brother Jack and how they came to be secret agents working for the FBI while aiding the highest echelons of the US Communist Party and serving as advisors to the Kremlin throughout the Cold War. Barron begins with a description of Morris Childs' early life, how he immigrated with his family to the US from Russia at the age of 5, how he became a Communist Party activist in the early part of the 20th century, attended training school in the Soviet Union, and was eventually abandoned by the party when stricken by heart disease in his 40s. During the McCarthy era, the FBI approached his brother Jack to see if he might be interested in providing information about US Communist Party operations, and Jack got them in touch with Morris. Subsequently, Morris rose to become the number 2 man in the US Communist Party while Jack served the role of supplying cash from the KGB to the US Communist Party leaders, all under the auspices of the FBI. According to Barron's account, Morris was so trusted by Kremlin leaders, that they hardly dared make a foreign policy decision without consulting him. Brezhnev even sought his advice on what clothes to wear while meeting with Nixon. As a result of Morris' consultations with the Kremlin and his later debriefings with the FBI, US leaders were aware of what the Soviets were thinking as they entered into negotiations with them and with Chinese leaders. Barron suggests that world history during the Cold War would have been much different if it hadn't been for Morris Childs helping to calm Soviet fears and letting US presidents know how far the Soviets were willing to go.

Throughout the book, Barron stresses that Operation SOLO had been a very secret FBI operation, and very few people in the FBI, let alone others outside the FBI, such as CIA operatives knew about the project. This secrecy was what enabled Operation SOLO to continue for decades undiscovered. But with so few people aware of its existence, it's hard now to develop an objective measure of how important Childs' information really was. A few weeks ago, I asked a former CIA operative, who had been a Soviet specialist very high up in the Agency during the Cold War, about Operation SOLO- -was he aware of it? How significant was it? The CIA operative told me that he had never heard of Operation SOLO, and doubted that it amounted to much at all since it was connected with FBI. Such a reaction is just what one would expect, given Barron's description of the secrecy of the project. But it still leaves me with the nagging question, just how significant were Childs' efforts after all? Is there any way to get an answer to this beyond taking Barron's word?

I loved this book. I read it years ago and am still able to fascinate people with the Childs's story. My kids have started asking me about it again now that they are in college (they knew the story, but wanted the name of the book so they could read it themselves.)
If anyone thinks the public should be privy to all the goings-on in the government at all times- I recommend this book. Without these underground heros, the Berlin wall probably would still be standing.

An incredible spy mystery with unbelievable twists and turns that would strain the imagination if it were a novel. That's the amazing part, it's all true. Right down to the surprise birthday party in the Kremlin. Who says that the Communists don't have a sense of humor. It is just difficuly to conceive that this double agent kept it up for 22 years, working with and hob nobbing with all the top dogs of the communist world, all the while reporting directly to the FBI. Morris Childs started out as a dedicated Communist determined to overthrow the government of the United States and ended up as one of the most courageous patriots of the 20th century. No wonder Ronald Reagan awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the highest award to a civilian given by a President. Don't miss reading this book. It is one of the best I have ever read.

Operation Solo is the operation name of a national secret that is among the most protected in history. The reasons are obvious as this remarkable source of high level human intelligence is traced from the birth of two brothers in Russia, their emigration to the U.S., their embrace of Leninism, cultivation of contacts in Russia as youths who became senior officials of Russia during the cold war, their disenchantment and careful recruitment by the FBI in the name of patriotism, the operational side of intelligence gathering, and the value of human intelligence. One of the two brothers, Morris Childs, became the second in command of the American Communist Party and the conduit as he made some 57 missions to the Soviet Union (as well as China and Cuba) for millions of dollars aimed for the American Communist Party, that was diligently accounted for by the dollar by the FBI. The historic estrangement of the Bureau with the CIA is discussed only slightly, but shockingly apparent. The role of presidents and their security advisors is only marginally discussed and could have been amplified by resort to increasing declassification of documents from their presidential libraries, or resort to still living primary sources. The author, John Barron, had the cooperation of Morris Childs and his proud wife before their deaths in the early 1990's, as well as several of the longstanding and admiring hands on case agents, heros of their own right. It is a remarkable story of espionage, recruitment, operation, and use of human intelligence from the 1950's until it finally ended in 1980

I am the son of the FBI agent Richard Hansen. I can attest to the secrecy of this operation by explaining how I learned about it. In 1997 I was looking through the new arrivals at my local library. I started leafing through this book and did a double take when I saw my dad's name. I checked out the book, rushed home, called my dad. Sure enough, he admitted that he was the agent in the book. It is an amazing testament to his fidelity that he did not speak of this operation(even after he retired), until this book came out.

I bought this book for my mom--she tells me about the content. The man in the book was highly trained; these spies who give of themselves on a sacrificial level to preserve the safety and integity of our nation deserve our respect and gratitude. Learn about our heroes in the spy business. A good read!!!

The only thing more incredible than the story of Morris and Jack Childs, brothers who, from the early 1950s through the late 1970s, were FBI assets within the American Communist Party, and who were personal friends of Soviet leaders, is that Hollywood has yet to commit this to celluloid. Here were four brave Americans--to include their intrepid wives, Eva and Roz--who for decades risked their lives to report to the FBI (and from the Bureau to the President) on the thoughts and intentions of Soviet leaders. So trusted by their friends in the Soviet leadership, they served as secret Soviet emissaries to China and Cuba, reporting back to the Soviets the attitudes and positions of Mao and Castro. Thus successive U.S. presidents enjoyed unique intelligence on the thinking of not only the Soviets, but of the Chinese and the Cubans as well. The story told in OPERATION SOLO is spellbinding, frought with tension, occasionally leavened by the earthy humor of its principal players. This is, in short, a terrific story about great Americans--hardworking FBI agents who shied away from the spotlight, and their courageous assets--that demands to be read or, someday, seen on screen.

A couple of points about John Barron's book. It is well written overall and reads quickly. It is not without faults, however. (1) The story is sometimes interrupted to introduce fairly extensive citations of reports written or passed along by the Childs. Without greater historical context, though, these passages are somewhat sterile and dry. Someday, one hopes, a more detailed study will add historical material external to SOLO that would, along with insightful analysis, demonstrate the true value of the SOLO reporting (as another reviewer here has suggested). (2) The section that deals with Martin Luther King is disappointing. For one thing, Barron is historically inaccurate or incomplete when the author states that "No one could have been more sympathetic to King than the Kennedy brothers." See Robert Dallek's excellent book on JFK for a better treatment of the Kennedys' complex relationship with King. Barron also downplays King's true significance as a great civil rights leader in order to discuss Communist ties to his inner circle of advisors. Furthermore, in an egregious departure from journalistic objectivity, Barron appears to excuse FBI's excessive campaign against King, including the infamous hotel wiretaps, on the pretext that King's private behavior was "inconsistent with [that] of a Christian minister and moral exemplar."

These misgivings aside, this is a truly amazing tale. Read the book and then amaze your friends in recounting the story. Are you listening, Hollywood?