Oleg Gordievsky was the highest-ranking KGB officer working in Britain in the heart of the Soviet system. His escape, meticulously planned and executed with the help of the British, is described here for the first time. Some of the revelations include: British MPs, trade unionists and organizations who helped and took money from the KGB; Societ attempts to manipulate British public opinion; what Gordievsky told Thatcher and the leaders of the West, which made him the most valued of all former Soviet officials; the illegals - KGB officers masquerading as private citizens designed to penetrate Western societies; the KGB's preparations for Gorbachev's visit to Britain; characters so bizarre, dangerous and corrupt that they are uninventable; the enormous size and power of the KGB; and intriguing comparisons of the British and Russian mentality.