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In August 1972 Polish colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, frustrated by the Soviet domination of his country, took a dramatic step that endangered his own life and the security of his family. He contacted the American Embassy in Bonn and arranged a secret meeting. Over the next nine years, Kuklinski rose quickly in the Polish defense ministry, helping to prepare for a "hot war" with the West. But he also lived a double life of subterfuge-of dead drops, messages written in invisible ink, miniature cameras, and secret transmitters. In 1981, he gave the CIA the secret plans to crush Solidarity. Then, about to be discovered, he made a dangerous escape with his family to the West.

Now in paperback with a new introduction, A Secret Life is a fascinating exploration of the morally complex world of the Cold War, seen through the eyes of a great-and deeply conflicted-spy.

About the Author: Benjamin Weiser has been a metropolitan reporter on the New York Times since 1997, where he has covered legal issues and terrorism. Before joining the Times he spent eighteen years as a reporter for the Washington Post, where he served on the investigative staff. His journalism has received the George Polk and Livingston awards.