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From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance
From Warsaw with Love is the epic story of how Polish intelligence officers forged an alliance with the CIA in the twilight of the Cold War, told by the award-winning author John Pomfret.
Spanning decades and continents, from the battlefields of the Balkans to secret nuclear research labs in Iran and embassy grounds in North Korea, this saga begins in 1990. As the United States cobbles together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, six US officers are trapped in Iraq with intelligence that could ruin Operation Desert Storm if it is obtained by the brutal Iraqi dictator. Desperate, the CIA asks Poland, a longtime Cold War foe famed for its excellent spies, for help. Just months after the Polish people voted in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Solidarity government in Warsaw sends a veteran ex-Communist spy who’d battled the West for decades to rescue the six Americans.
John Pomfret’s gripping account of the 1990 cliffhanger in Iraq is just the beginning of the tale about intelligence cooperation between Poland and the United States, cooperation that one CIA director would later describe as “one of the two foremost intelligence relationships that the United States has ever had.” Pomfret uncovers new details about the CIA’s black site program that held suspected terrorists in Poland after 9/11 as well as the role of Polish spies in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
In the tradition of the most memorable works on espionage, Pomfret’s book tells a distressing and disquieting tale of moral ambiguity in which right and wrong, black and white, are not conveniently distinguishable. As the United States teeters on the edge of a new cold war with Russia and China, Pomfret explores how these little-known events serve as a reminder of the importance of alliances in a dangerous world.
Spanning decades and continents, from the battlefields of the Balkans to secret nuclear research labs in Iran and embassy grounds in North Korea, this saga begins in 1990. As the United States cobbles together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, six US officers are trapped in Iraq with intelligence that could ruin Operation Desert Storm if it is obtained by the brutal Iraqi dictator. Desperate, the CIA asks Poland, a longtime Cold War foe famed for its excellent spies, for help. Just months after the Polish people voted in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Solidarity government in Warsaw sends a veteran ex-Communist spy who’d battled the West for decades to rescue the six Americans.
John Pomfret’s gripping account of the 1990 cliffhanger in Iraq is just the beginning of the tale about intelligence cooperation between Poland and the United States, cooperation that one CIA director would later describe as “one of the two foremost intelligence relationships that the United States has ever had.” Pomfret uncovers new details about the CIA’s black site program that held suspected terrorists in Poland after 9/11 as well as the role of Polish spies in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
In the tradition of the most memorable works on espionage, Pomfret’s book tells a distressing and disquieting tale of moral ambiguity in which right and wrong, black and white, are not conveniently distinguishable. As the United States teeters on the edge of a new cold war with Russia and China, Pomfret explores how these little-known events serve as a reminder of the importance of alliances in a dangerous world.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2021
About the author
John Pomfret
37 books51 followersJohn Pomfret is an American journalist and writer. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in New York. He attended Stanford University, receiving his B.A. and M.A. in East Asian Studies. In 1980, he was one of the first American students to go to China and study at Nanjing University. Between 1983 and 1984 he attended Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies as a Fulbright Scholar, researching the Cambodian conflict.
He started his journalistic career at the Stanford Daily as a photographer, from where he was fired. After that he worked at a newspaper in Riverside County, California, and after a year was hired by Associated Press to work in New York, covering the graveyard shift.
After two years with the AP in New York, in 1988, he was sent to China as a foreign correspondent, thanks to his knowledge of Mandarin and Asian studies background. After that, he worked in several countries, including Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. For over 15 years he covered the armed conflicts in these countries and the politics of the post-Cold War era. Currently, he is the editor of the Washington Post's weekend opinion section, Outlook.
During his career, he received several awards, including 2003's Osborne Elliot Prize for the best coverage of Asia by the Asia Society and 2007's Shorenstein Prize for coverage of Asia.
The experiences he had when he attended Nanjing University, and his perspective of the Chinese opening, are narrated in his 2006 book "Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China."
Pomfret won an Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellowship[1]] in 2004 writing about education in China.
He speaks, reads and writes Mandarin, and also speaks French, Japanese and Serbo-Croatian. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and family
pomfretjohn@gmail.com
He started his journalistic career at the Stanford Daily as a photographer, from where he was fired. After that he worked at a newspaper in Riverside County, California, and after a year was hired by Associated Press to work in New York, covering the graveyard shift.
After two years with the AP in New York, in 1988, he was sent to China as a foreign correspondent, thanks to his knowledge of Mandarin and Asian studies background. After that, he worked in several countries, including Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. For over 15 years he covered the armed conflicts in these countries and the politics of the post-Cold War era. Currently, he is the editor of the Washington Post's weekend opinion section, Outlook.
During his career, he received several awards, including 2003's Osborne Elliot Prize for the best coverage of Asia by the Asia Society and 2007's Shorenstein Prize for coverage of Asia.
The experiences he had when he attended Nanjing University, and his perspective of the Chinese opening, are narrated in his 2006 book "Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China."
Pomfret won an Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellowship[1]] in 2004 writing about education in China.
He speaks, reads and writes Mandarin, and also speaks French, Japanese and Serbo-Croatian. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and family
pomfretjohn@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 18, 2021
Disclaimer: ARC via a Librarything Giveaway.
Most people love spy stories. Some of these people love them because of the romanticized aspect – more of a James Bond view than the Le Carre. Pomfret’s book is a spy story, but it is also a how spying impacts international relations between countries.
Pomfret details the relationship between the Polish spy service, both during and after the Cold War, with America. The first part of the book concerns the Polish service spying on American, focusing on industrial spy craft. What is interesting about this section is the reason the Polish spy becomes a spy and the ability he has to “turn” the American source. The second half of the book details not only tells the story of a Polish spy getting Americans got of Iraq during the invasion of Kuwait but what occurs after.
I should note that I am usually not interested in Cold War history, but Pomfret’s writing style is so engrossing that I read over one hundred pages before I looked up. There is something compelling about Pomfret’s style. In part, this is because he does not editorial to a great degree, any degree really. It is like you are reading a report of the action as it comes in.
Pomfret’s relating of the Iraq mission is particularly good, and he uses it to highlight how relations between countries in terms of spy craft do not only shift from respected enemy to friend to friend who has been used and now has complex feelings.
It would be accurate to say that Pomfret is more sympathetic to Poland in the later part of the book. The focus on making a deal with a hippo that rolls over on you because it is a hippo attests to this. But there is also a sense of that is what it is, what did you think was going to happen. But it also raises the question of morality and responsibility as well as the cost that is not always paid by the spies themselves.
It is interesting that some of the spies that Pomfret writes about seem to have decided to become spies because of the whole romantic view of James Bond. Popular, accomplished, and loved, if at least physically. This is not true of the more professional spies whose views are a little cutthroat if realistic.
This is an enjoyable read that moves quickly.
Most people love spy stories. Some of these people love them because of the romanticized aspect – more of a James Bond view than the Le Carre. Pomfret’s book is a spy story, but it is also a how spying impacts international relations between countries.
Pomfret details the relationship between the Polish spy service, both during and after the Cold War, with America. The first part of the book concerns the Polish service spying on American, focusing on industrial spy craft. What is interesting about this section is the reason the Polish spy becomes a spy and the ability he has to “turn” the American source. The second half of the book details not only tells the story of a Polish spy getting Americans got of Iraq during the invasion of Kuwait but what occurs after.
I should note that I am usually not interested in Cold War history, but Pomfret’s writing style is so engrossing that I read over one hundred pages before I looked up. There is something compelling about Pomfret’s style. In part, this is because he does not editorial to a great degree, any degree really. It is like you are reading a report of the action as it comes in.
Pomfret’s relating of the Iraq mission is particularly good, and he uses it to highlight how relations between countries in terms of spy craft do not only shift from respected enemy to friend to friend who has been used and now has complex feelings.
It would be accurate to say that Pomfret is more sympathetic to Poland in the later part of the book. The focus on making a deal with a hippo that rolls over on you because it is a hippo attests to this. But there is also a sense of that is what it is, what did you think was going to happen. But it also raises the question of morality and responsibility as well as the cost that is not always paid by the spies themselves.
It is interesting that some of the spies that Pomfret writes about seem to have decided to become spies because of the whole romantic view of James Bond. Popular, accomplished, and loved, if at least physically. This is not true of the more professional spies whose views are a little cutthroat if realistic.
This is an enjoyable read that moves quickly.
June 26, 2022
Świetna książka. Przeczytana podczas dwóch posiedzeń na lotnisku - Wizzair i jego notorycznie spóźnione loty, jak można mieć im za złe? 🤓
Autor skupił sie w niej na historii współpracy polskiego wywiadu i CIA oraz skutkami tejże (w wymiarze politycznym - wstąpienie Polski do NATO i inne). Lektura jest niesamowicie pasjonująca, nawet jesli jej część jest już publicznie znana od dawna (operacja „Przyjazny Saddam”). I bez wątpienia to historia z której możemy byc dumni, zaś autor wystawia polskim służbom laurkę. Także (albo przede wszystkim) tym oficerom, którzy zaczynali służbę w ustroju komunistycznym. Nawet kiedy opisuje gorzkie momenty (tajne więzienia), nie potępia polskich służb i polityków, którzy po prostu zaufali Amerykanom. Raczej stawia zarzuty CIA. Zresztą, przytacza sporo faktów, np. gdyby nie arogancja i biurokracja CIA bin Laden zostałby dorwany znacznie wcześniej. Jesli obwinia Polskę to raczej religijną prawicę z Macierewiczem na czele. Akurat ten człowiek, moim zdaniem, zasłużył na szczyt listy hańby w sposób wybitny, ale to inna historia.
Lektura, jak pisałem, jest pasjonująca. Wnioski bywają smutne, ale i krzepiące. Jak zawsze, kiedy jeszcze historia nie zostanie zdefiniowana.
Autor skupił sie w niej na historii współpracy polskiego wywiadu i CIA oraz skutkami tejże (w wymiarze politycznym - wstąpienie Polski do NATO i inne). Lektura jest niesamowicie pasjonująca, nawet jesli jej część jest już publicznie znana od dawna (operacja „Przyjazny Saddam”). I bez wątpienia to historia z której możemy byc dumni, zaś autor wystawia polskim służbom laurkę. Także (albo przede wszystkim) tym oficerom, którzy zaczynali służbę w ustroju komunistycznym. Nawet kiedy opisuje gorzkie momenty (tajne więzienia), nie potępia polskich służb i polityków, którzy po prostu zaufali Amerykanom. Raczej stawia zarzuty CIA. Zresztą, przytacza sporo faktów, np. gdyby nie arogancja i biurokracja CIA bin Laden zostałby dorwany znacznie wcześniej. Jesli obwinia Polskę to raczej religijną prawicę z Macierewiczem na czele. Akurat ten człowiek, moim zdaniem, zasłużył na szczyt listy hańby w sposób wybitny, ale to inna historia.
Lektura, jak pisałem, jest pasjonująca. Wnioski bywają smutne, ale i krzepiące. Jak zawsze, kiedy jeszcze historia nie zostanie zdefiniowana.
July 2, 2022
Love the topic of the book. Made me understand the special relationship between the Polish and American intelligence communities pre- and post- the fall of the Berlin Wall. I also appreciate the readability of the book, though it seems that Pomfret from time to time simply pasted together phrases/paragraphs that had been birthed in very disparate locations, which can be jarring from time to time.
July 9, 2023
From warsaw with love a 9 hour unabridged audiobook.
The first half of the book details Polands spy history, and the latter half about the post Cold War times. I can see Polands conundrum. Punish former communist spies or reward those that eventually helped forge diplomatic relations with the west. This book showed all sides nicely.
The first half of the book details Polands spy history, and the latter half about the post Cold War times. I can see Polands conundrum. Punish former communist spies or reward those that eventually helped forge diplomatic relations with the west. This book showed all sides nicely.
December 8, 2021
Poland today appears to be evolving into fascism. But it’s not the mirror image of what it was for more than four decades under the iron thumb of the Soviet Union. The country is no longer a police state. Democracy of a sort is in place, and capitalism reigns. The country’s membership in the European Union and NATO restrain the excesses of its right-wing government. At least on paper, a long-standing alliance between Polish spies and the CIA continues to serve as a moderating influence. In the final analysis, the attitudes of the country’s leadership resemble more closely those of the reactionary and anti-Semitic noblemen and militarists who ran Poland during its two-decade interlude of independence between the two World Wars. But since 2015 the country has been languishing under what is politely called “illiberal” government, which is steadily eroding hard-won democratic liberties.
POLISH SPIES AND THE CIA: A STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ALLIANCE
However, in the late 1980s and early 90s, as the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet state collapsed, and the Communist regime in Warsaw began to crumble, Poland was a hopeful place. And it was during that time that the unlikely alliance of the American, British, and Polish intelligence agencies took root. Journalist John Pomfret tells that story in his eye-opening book, From Warsaw With Love. Focusing on collaboration between the CIA and the various iterations of Poland’s spy agency, he follows the course of the strategically important alliance from 1989 to the present.
THE CIA HELPED POLAND REBUILD ITS INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AFTER THE FALL OF COMMUNISM
Pomfret draws a sharp distinction between the US strategy toward Poland in 1990 and its bungled “de-Baathification” of Iraq in the 2000s. The Poles chose not to purge everyone who had worked in the Soviet-allied regime, as the Americans later did with Saddam Hussein’s officials in Iraq. Instead, they government followed the lead of the CIA and forged a working relationship between the activists of Solidarity and veteran spies whose loyalty to the USSR had been simply a matter of convenience. Together they built a new foreign intelligence agency that was effective from the start.
Pomfret explains: In Poland “[t]here were ‘shock therapy‘ measures being taken to salvage Poland’s economy. There were the negotiations on the withdrawal of Soviet troops. A whole new generation of entrepreneurs was diving into the sea of private business. The Communists had lost control of the old world but the new world had yet to take hold.” Instead of turning Polish society inside out in the obsessive belief that everyone who had served the Communist regime was an agent of the Soviet Union, the country’s new leaders sensibly weeded out those who were from those who weren’t. The result proved to be of immense value in securing Poland’s independence and in serving US strategic objectives. And all that painstaking work has been negated since 2015, as anti-Communist zealots have seized control of the levers of power.
FLAMBOYANT SPIES ON OPERATIONS “STRANGER THAN FICTION”
In From Warsaw With Love, Pomfret tells the tale of a flamboyant Polish spy in the 1970s and 80s who plundered top-secret documents from the aerospace industry, including early US stealth technology. “As an agent from the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, [Marian] Zacharski robbed the United States of its most closely held military secrets. . . A 1982 CIA report . . . estimated that Warsaw Pact forces saved hundreds of millions of dollars in research and development and ‘put in jeopardy existing weapons and advanced future weapons systems of the United States and its allies.'” But some of those secrets proved to show the Poles and Russians that American military technology was so advanced that they might never catch up. However, Zacharski was later ensnared by the FBI, tried, and convicted of espionage. Years after serving time in prison, he was returned to Poland in a spy swap.
The author later profiles the men at the helm of the alliance between the two countries, both Polish and American. Some of their stories are “stranger than fiction,” indeed. There’s material here for a dozen spy novels. Pomfret traces the formation of Poland’s crack special operations force, GROM, which the US trained and funded. He recounts highlights of joint intelligence and special operations all over the world, from Europe to Africa to Asia. Polish spies and special forces operators, we learn, played central roles in Operation Desert Storm, the dramatic exfiltration of six American officers from the besieged US Embassy in Baghdad in 1990, and, in the 2000s, the US war in Iraq and the tense standoff with Iran.
POLISH SPIES IN NORTH KOREA, CUBA, IRAN, ANGOLA, AND PALESTINE
“The CIA found itself working with Polish spies across a wide range of activities, spanning the globe. . . Poland was in an unusual position. It had embassies in countries that Americans couldn’t access.” Among them were North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Angola, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And “Poland’s spies did some of their best work in the former Soviet Union.” There are few better illustrations of the value of allies in a hostile world.
Naturally, Pomfret traces the origin of the first of the notorious CIA “black sites” where Americans tortured high-value Al Qaeda prisoners. The US strong-armed Poland into permitting the site’s location at the country’s Intelligence Training Center. “In all, at least seven and possibly as many as eleven ‘high-value detainees’ cycled through the CIA’s secret prison.” Some were among the planners of 9/11. That episode proved to be embarrassing not just for the Americans but for the Poles as well. And, as we now know, the CIA’s claims that its “enhanced interrogation” of prisoners there and at other black sites elsewhere in the world had been productive proved to be illusory.
THE “SCORCHED-EARTH TACTICS” THAT DESTROYED THE ALLIANCE
From 1990, when George H. W. Bush served as President of the USA, until the 2000s, when his son sat in the Oval Office, “Poland continued to ‘assist us in just about every major foreign policy issue that we had. . . Yet, starting in the 2010s, many in the US government considered that Poland had crossed the Rubicon in terms of democratic and economic transformations and had become a normal country. As a result, America disengaged from Poland, to the detriment of Poland’s democracy and of the alliance as well.”
The “special relationship” between the two countries on intelligence lasted for a quarter-century but appears to be no more despite the NATO connection. The “scorched-earth tactics” instituted by Poland’s new right-wing government, purging its intelligence agency of anyone who bore any connection whatsoever to the former Communist regime, “damaged Poland’s ability to protect itself and to maintain its alliance with the United States.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Pomfret, born in 1959, was raised in New York City. He holds BA and MA degrees in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, attended Nanjing University, and then spent a year in Singapore as a Fulbright Scholar continuing his education. Pomfret spent several years reporting from China but was expelled following the 1989 student demonstrations. He served for several years based in Warsaw as chief correspondent in Eastern Europe for the Washington Post. From Warsaw With Love is his third book. He is also the author of a book based on his experiences at Nanjing University and an acclaimed history of US-Chinese relations.
POLISH SPIES AND THE CIA: A STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ALLIANCE
However, in the late 1980s and early 90s, as the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet state collapsed, and the Communist regime in Warsaw began to crumble, Poland was a hopeful place. And it was during that time that the unlikely alliance of the American, British, and Polish intelligence agencies took root. Journalist John Pomfret tells that story in his eye-opening book, From Warsaw With Love. Focusing on collaboration between the CIA and the various iterations of Poland’s spy agency, he follows the course of the strategically important alliance from 1989 to the present.
THE CIA HELPED POLAND REBUILD ITS INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AFTER THE FALL OF COMMUNISM
Pomfret draws a sharp distinction between the US strategy toward Poland in 1990 and its bungled “de-Baathification” of Iraq in the 2000s. The Poles chose not to purge everyone who had worked in the Soviet-allied regime, as the Americans later did with Saddam Hussein’s officials in Iraq. Instead, they government followed the lead of the CIA and forged a working relationship between the activists of Solidarity and veteran spies whose loyalty to the USSR had been simply a matter of convenience. Together they built a new foreign intelligence agency that was effective from the start.
Pomfret explains: In Poland “[t]here were ‘shock therapy‘ measures being taken to salvage Poland’s economy. There were the negotiations on the withdrawal of Soviet troops. A whole new generation of entrepreneurs was diving into the sea of private business. The Communists had lost control of the old world but the new world had yet to take hold.” Instead of turning Polish society inside out in the obsessive belief that everyone who had served the Communist regime was an agent of the Soviet Union, the country’s new leaders sensibly weeded out those who were from those who weren’t. The result proved to be of immense value in securing Poland’s independence and in serving US strategic objectives. And all that painstaking work has been negated since 2015, as anti-Communist zealots have seized control of the levers of power.
FLAMBOYANT SPIES ON OPERATIONS “STRANGER THAN FICTION”
In From Warsaw With Love, Pomfret tells the tale of a flamboyant Polish spy in the 1970s and 80s who plundered top-secret documents from the aerospace industry, including early US stealth technology. “As an agent from the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, [Marian] Zacharski robbed the United States of its most closely held military secrets. . . A 1982 CIA report . . . estimated that Warsaw Pact forces saved hundreds of millions of dollars in research and development and ‘put in jeopardy existing weapons and advanced future weapons systems of the United States and its allies.'” But some of those secrets proved to show the Poles and Russians that American military technology was so advanced that they might never catch up. However, Zacharski was later ensnared by the FBI, tried, and convicted of espionage. Years after serving time in prison, he was returned to Poland in a spy swap.
The author later profiles the men at the helm of the alliance between the two countries, both Polish and American. Some of their stories are “stranger than fiction,” indeed. There’s material here for a dozen spy novels. Pomfret traces the formation of Poland’s crack special operations force, GROM, which the US trained and funded. He recounts highlights of joint intelligence and special operations all over the world, from Europe to Africa to Asia. Polish spies and special forces operators, we learn, played central roles in Operation Desert Storm, the dramatic exfiltration of six American officers from the besieged US Embassy in Baghdad in 1990, and, in the 2000s, the US war in Iraq and the tense standoff with Iran.
POLISH SPIES IN NORTH KOREA, CUBA, IRAN, ANGOLA, AND PALESTINE
“The CIA found itself working with Polish spies across a wide range of activities, spanning the globe. . . Poland was in an unusual position. It had embassies in countries that Americans couldn’t access.” Among them were North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Angola, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And “Poland’s spies did some of their best work in the former Soviet Union.” There are few better illustrations of the value of allies in a hostile world.
Naturally, Pomfret traces the origin of the first of the notorious CIA “black sites” where Americans tortured high-value Al Qaeda prisoners. The US strong-armed Poland into permitting the site’s location at the country’s Intelligence Training Center. “In all, at least seven and possibly as many as eleven ‘high-value detainees’ cycled through the CIA’s secret prison.” Some were among the planners of 9/11. That episode proved to be embarrassing not just for the Americans but for the Poles as well. And, as we now know, the CIA’s claims that its “enhanced interrogation” of prisoners there and at other black sites elsewhere in the world had been productive proved to be illusory.
THE “SCORCHED-EARTH TACTICS” THAT DESTROYED THE ALLIANCE
From 1990, when George H. W. Bush served as President of the USA, until the 2000s, when his son sat in the Oval Office, “Poland continued to ‘assist us in just about every major foreign policy issue that we had. . . Yet, starting in the 2010s, many in the US government considered that Poland had crossed the Rubicon in terms of democratic and economic transformations and had become a normal country. As a result, America disengaged from Poland, to the detriment of Poland’s democracy and of the alliance as well.”
The “special relationship” between the two countries on intelligence lasted for a quarter-century but appears to be no more despite the NATO connection. The “scorched-earth tactics” instituted by Poland’s new right-wing government, purging its intelligence agency of anyone who bore any connection whatsoever to the former Communist regime, “damaged Poland’s ability to protect itself and to maintain its alliance with the United States.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Pomfret, born in 1959, was raised in New York City. He holds BA and MA degrees in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, attended Nanjing University, and then spent a year in Singapore as a Fulbright Scholar continuing his education. Pomfret spent several years reporting from China but was expelled following the 1989 student demonstrations. He served for several years based in Warsaw as chief correspondent in Eastern Europe for the Washington Post. From Warsaw With Love is his third book. He is also the author of a book based on his experiences at Nanjing University and an acclaimed history of US-Chinese relations.
November 27, 2021
Every November I try to squeeze in at least one nonfiction book in honor of the trendy #nonfictionnovember challenge. While I enjoy nonfiction, I have to really be sure to read a topic I’m truly interested in or else the reading becomes more of a burden than a joy. I’ve always been fascinated with history and espionage so “From Warsaw With Love” by John Pomfret instantly peaked my interest. It was a fascinating, fast read and at times read as more of a spy thriller than a nonfiction account. Pomfret’s writing style is engaging, addicting and at the same time educating. The history of the Polish intelligence forming an alliance with the CIA during the Cold War is fascinating and even more impressive is the length of time that alliance has held strong. As much as I loved the overall story of the operation to send an ex-communist spy to rescue the trapped US officers, it’s how the events in the book made me think bigger picture that really took it next level for me. Considering the state of our world currently, it’s a scenario that reminds us how important alliances are with our neighbors around the world during a time of turmoil and unease.
December 3, 2021
This book was really quite informative and well written. Unfortunately, the last two chapters are very weird and out-of-place puff pieces for Joe Biden. Which, it doesn't matter to me if you like Biden or not, but they felt completely forced and ruined what could have otherwise been a good book. It never makes sense to me why people writing about history wish to perpetually inject their thoughts modern politics.
January 13, 2022
Didn't quite fulfill my expectations - as in, I thought there would be more on the subject of establishing first contacts and then the actual alliance between US and Polish intelligence services. There is some of that, but far more space is devoted (for instance) to the case of Marian Zacharski spying in the US for Communist Poland. The special ops GROM unit also gets "preferential treatment", even though they are the action guys, not intelligencers (albeit, OK, the unit was established by intelligence officers and drew some of its initial personnel from that pool). Oh well.
April 11, 2024
Continuing my trend of spy novels for 2024, this was really really entertaining and informative at the same time. It tells the story of how the Polish and US intelligence operational groups reestablished its relationship after Communism collapsed in Poland. It is a really interest story of enemies turned allies and shows how fast relationships between countries can shift and the global implications on these decisions. Some really crazy stories in this book about how the US agents were able to hide as Polish agents to achieve their objectives before the world realized they were working together.
April 30, 2024
The book is a very good history of US-Polish intelligence cooperation until the last 40 pages and then totally collapses into a frothing tangent that uses the phrase right-wing like a slur and attempts to paint all human history as a Manichean battle between Republicans and Democrats. Did he need to pad the page count for his publisher? Did every book in 2021 have to include some nonsensical about January 6th? He almost destroys the entire credibility of his narrative by descending into childish namecalling.
November 8, 2021
Rehash of well-known stories
December 28, 2021
Everyone loves a good spy story, this definitely reminded me a bit of but a romanticized version of James Bond but more dealings with international intelligence during the Cold War which I always love learning more about. A very enjoyable read.
July 2, 2022
Jestem pod wrażeniem, rewelacyjna książka, chyba mój top 5 przeczytanych w tym roku!
November 11, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I had a hard time putting it down. It might be because I've always had a fascination/softspot for Poland due to its tragic history. The chapters about the evacuation of U.S. citizens from Baghdad reads kind of like a spy thriller, and its a nice chance of pace if you're not interested in just reading the history of collaboration between the intelligence services.
August 15, 2021
From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, The CIA and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance. By John Pomfret
I had previously read Pomfret’s, The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom about the early relationship between the US and China. En excellently thoroughly original and well researched book. I expected the same and was not disappointed.
In this book Mr. Profret explains how to former foes on opposite sides of the Cold War came to work together with the break-up of the Soviet Union and her Eastern European neighbor. What is unique about this story is the first real cooperation between the US and Poland was their intelligence services. This includes spies on both sides who worked against each other now in complete cooperation.
The Polish Intelligence was considered perhaps the 5th best in the world behind the US, Soviets, Israel and the UK; Heady company. Much of the cooperation was new to me including the leading role Polish Intelligence played in the planning of the War on Iraq and safely getting CIA members out of Baghdad. Perhaps more important was the slowness of many countries to change the status of Poland. So Polish Intelligence made a significant upgrade in the US understanding of places like North Korea and Cuba due to their close ties and large embassies in these countries.
Most of the stories are easy to understand and are told in an almost Ben MacIntyre was using individual accounts rather than dry statistics.
All in all, I heartly recommend this book for a detailed account of the US and Polish Intelligence agencies building a cooperative team effort in a rapidly changing world.
I had previously read Pomfret’s, The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom about the early relationship between the US and China. En excellently thoroughly original and well researched book. I expected the same and was not disappointed.
In this book Mr. Profret explains how to former foes on opposite sides of the Cold War came to work together with the break-up of the Soviet Union and her Eastern European neighbor. What is unique about this story is the first real cooperation between the US and Poland was their intelligence services. This includes spies on both sides who worked against each other now in complete cooperation.
The Polish Intelligence was considered perhaps the 5th best in the world behind the US, Soviets, Israel and the UK; Heady company. Much of the cooperation was new to me including the leading role Polish Intelligence played in the planning of the War on Iraq and safely getting CIA members out of Baghdad. Perhaps more important was the slowness of many countries to change the status of Poland. So Polish Intelligence made a significant upgrade in the US understanding of places like North Korea and Cuba due to their close ties and large embassies in these countries.
Most of the stories are easy to understand and are told in an almost Ben MacIntyre was using individual accounts rather than dry statistics.
All in all, I heartly recommend this book for a detailed account of the US and Polish Intelligence agencies building a cooperative team effort in a rapidly changing world.
January 2, 2022
Meh ... The story the author wanted to tell needed only a few chapters, so it appears he turned the book into the story of how the CIA didn't turn one Polish agent but instead, the entire Polish intelligence agency. Makes the story a little uneven and it dragged toward the end. And, of course, it concludes, like every non-fiction book these days, with the obligatory Orangeman Bad trope.
January 12, 2022
From Warsaw With Love, John Pomfret, author
This book is about an incident and a developing relationship between Poland and the United States with many ups and downs, that are far from well known. When six military personnel, too valuable to be captured because of the secrets they knew, were trapped in Iraq when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the United States asked the Poles to help rescue them. With a daring escape plan drawn up by a renegade Pole, that was more like a movie script, the men were rescued from Baghdad where they had been hiding out.
The Poles were always expert in espionage. They broke and deciphered Germany’s Enigma Code. This book explains in extraordinary detail, the unique alliance that developed between Poland and the United States, at the end of The Cold War. Before the Cold War ended, Poles spied on the United States for Russia, After, they spied on Russia and other enemy nations of the United States, for the United States. The United States wanted to establish Operation Unity as a way of working with their former enemies for their own benefit. The Poles were eager to comply.
The Poles worked hard to cultivate a friendship with the United States at the end of the Cold War. They wanted to join NATO and the European Union and believed, as the years passed, that the friendship would help, but they also believed they were like kinsmen, thinking alike. Unfortunately, the United States participants were not as magnanimous. However, the Poles were led to a more democratic society by the United States when they funded the country and trained their spies to work for us. Today, however, the country has moved further to the right and is less tolerant.
The Poles helped in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and other countries to which America had no access. They warned us of a major terrorist attack on a vessel and were ignored. Then the attack on the Kohl occurred, and we were totally unprepared for it. The soldiers and agents who helped the USA during the Iraq War, were surprised that the same effort expended in Poland, to maintain the country by incorporating all sides, even enemies into the new Poland, was reversed in Iraq. The successful past experience in Poland was totally ignored even when the Poles suggested they use the same protocol. It is one of the reasons for the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was no true shared experience as all former enemies were not given the chance to become friends, but instead were expunged. This created further enemies.
Poland engaged in clandestine efforts for the CIA and put themselves in personal danger in order to curry favor with the United States, in combination with its great respect for America. Ultimately, the United States betrayed those that helped them over the course of several Presidencies, from Clinton to Both Bushes, to Obama and Trump. The Poles and Poland were betrayed by Obama and Bush when they were called upon to help as the Polish government changed hands, which it often did as it matured. Ex-communists, former heroes, were condemned, and those involved in the LGBT community were condemned, as well. The leaders of the free world remained silent then, on the sidelines, in much the same way as they did with the invasion of Crimea by Russia. Oddly, the author chose to cast the worst light on the one least involved, you guessed it President Trump, and this behavior is getting to be a tiresome and disingenuous practice of liberal authors.
Poland was used as a site for Black Ops, which violated international law, but the poles were loyal to the USA and agreed to do it. Then they were betrayed by the very same people or organizations they risked their lives and reputations to help. When the leadership in Poland changed and ex-Communists who had helped the USA were persecuted, no one stepped forward to help them even though their betrayal exposed them to punishment. This occurred largely during the Bush and Obama administrations. Clinton was also not helpful, but he had at least paved the way for Poland’s entry into NATO. Although Trump was blamed by the author, as well, the die was pretty much cast for foreign policy when he took over.
There is a wealth of knowledge in these pages. It does not paint a pretty picture of the USA and its spy network or the behavior of its Security agencies. Although they wanted the help of the Poles and their excellent spy network, and they helped to build up their post-Cold War security programs, Americans thought that they were far superior to the Poles at everything. Often, however, it was the Americans whose arrogance made them seem incompetent, disloyal, and outpaced by their Polish counterparts. They behaved more like Ugly Americans, if the author is to be believed, and he documents much of the book very well.
The research was obviously extensive. I am not a student of history, although I enjoy learning about it, so much of what I read was foreign to me, at first. I had to do my own research as I read. I think it might have been an easier read had the book been better organized and edited, because like tying shoelaces, the steps are automatic. The author may have been well versed in all of the events, but readers need the gaps filled in, in a bit more orderly fashion.. The timeline is not linear as the narrative jumps back and forth describing varied missions and events, which sometimes made the message repetitive. In addition, the alphabet soup of names and places was very confusing, so perhaps a list of characters and places, with pronunciation and a brief description to refer to, would be helpful in the front or at the end of the print copy.
I was disappointed to learn of the deceptive behavior of America, of its disloyalty to those that offered aid to them in these nefarious endeavors, and of its cruel interrogation procedures. The book might require a second read, but it would be well worth it.
This book is about an incident and a developing relationship between Poland and the United States with many ups and downs, that are far from well known. When six military personnel, too valuable to be captured because of the secrets they knew, were trapped in Iraq when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the United States asked the Poles to help rescue them. With a daring escape plan drawn up by a renegade Pole, that was more like a movie script, the men were rescued from Baghdad where they had been hiding out.
The Poles were always expert in espionage. They broke and deciphered Germany’s Enigma Code. This book explains in extraordinary detail, the unique alliance that developed between Poland and the United States, at the end of The Cold War. Before the Cold War ended, Poles spied on the United States for Russia, After, they spied on Russia and other enemy nations of the United States, for the United States. The United States wanted to establish Operation Unity as a way of working with their former enemies for their own benefit. The Poles were eager to comply.
The Poles worked hard to cultivate a friendship with the United States at the end of the Cold War. They wanted to join NATO and the European Union and believed, as the years passed, that the friendship would help, but they also believed they were like kinsmen, thinking alike. Unfortunately, the United States participants were not as magnanimous. However, the Poles were led to a more democratic society by the United States when they funded the country and trained their spies to work for us. Today, however, the country has moved further to the right and is less tolerant.
The Poles helped in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and other countries to which America had no access. They warned us of a major terrorist attack on a vessel and were ignored. Then the attack on the Kohl occurred, and we were totally unprepared for it. The soldiers and agents who helped the USA during the Iraq War, were surprised that the same effort expended in Poland, to maintain the country by incorporating all sides, even enemies into the new Poland, was reversed in Iraq. The successful past experience in Poland was totally ignored even when the Poles suggested they use the same protocol. It is one of the reasons for the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was no true shared experience as all former enemies were not given the chance to become friends, but instead were expunged. This created further enemies.
Poland engaged in clandestine efforts for the CIA and put themselves in personal danger in order to curry favor with the United States, in combination with its great respect for America. Ultimately, the United States betrayed those that helped them over the course of several Presidencies, from Clinton to Both Bushes, to Obama and Trump. The Poles and Poland were betrayed by Obama and Bush when they were called upon to help as the Polish government changed hands, which it often did as it matured. Ex-communists, former heroes, were condemned, and those involved in the LGBT community were condemned, as well. The leaders of the free world remained silent then, on the sidelines, in much the same way as they did with the invasion of Crimea by Russia. Oddly, the author chose to cast the worst light on the one least involved, you guessed it President Trump, and this behavior is getting to be a tiresome and disingenuous practice of liberal authors.
Poland was used as a site for Black Ops, which violated international law, but the poles were loyal to the USA and agreed to do it. Then they were betrayed by the very same people or organizations they risked their lives and reputations to help. When the leadership in Poland changed and ex-Communists who had helped the USA were persecuted, no one stepped forward to help them even though their betrayal exposed them to punishment. This occurred largely during the Bush and Obama administrations. Clinton was also not helpful, but he had at least paved the way for Poland’s entry into NATO. Although Trump was blamed by the author, as well, the die was pretty much cast for foreign policy when he took over.
There is a wealth of knowledge in these pages. It does not paint a pretty picture of the USA and its spy network or the behavior of its Security agencies. Although they wanted the help of the Poles and their excellent spy network, and they helped to build up their post-Cold War security programs, Americans thought that they were far superior to the Poles at everything. Often, however, it was the Americans whose arrogance made them seem incompetent, disloyal, and outpaced by their Polish counterparts. They behaved more like Ugly Americans, if the author is to be believed, and he documents much of the book very well.
The research was obviously extensive. I am not a student of history, although I enjoy learning about it, so much of what I read was foreign to me, at first. I had to do my own research as I read. I think it might have been an easier read had the book been better organized and edited, because like tying shoelaces, the steps are automatic. The author may have been well versed in all of the events, but readers need the gaps filled in, in a bit more orderly fashion.. The timeline is not linear as the narrative jumps back and forth describing varied missions and events, which sometimes made the message repetitive. In addition, the alphabet soup of names and places was very confusing, so perhaps a list of characters and places, with pronunciation and a brief description to refer to, would be helpful in the front or at the end of the print copy.
I was disappointed to learn of the deceptive behavior of America, of its disloyalty to those that offered aid to them in these nefarious endeavors, and of its cruel interrogation procedures. The book might require a second read, but it would be well worth it.
February 2, 2023
It’s not that long ago that Polish jokes were a very popular American form of humor. (They were replaced by blonde jokes.) Ignored was the strong, positive relationship between Poland and the United States beginning with the Revolutionary War.
In FROM WARSAW WITH LOVE, John Pomfret supplies that missing information.
Poland’s relationship with the United States began with Revolutionary War when Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski were recognized as heroes by people such as Thomas Jefferson. Many German immigants were already living here.
The first country in Europe to have a constitution (1791), Poland was the first country to stand up to Germany during WWII and one of the first to be taken over by Germany during the war. In 1939, Polish mathematicians broke the Germany’s Enigma codes and gave the information to France and Britain.
The relationship changed after 1945 when Truman and Churchill agreed to shrink Poland by 20%. It’s western border pushed 50 miles into Germany and 12 million people were forced out.
In 1978, Time considered Poland’s intelligence agency the fifth best in the world. Some of its results, including some stolen from the US, had been deliberately falsified to mislead the Soviets.
Poland’s goal was protecting Poland, 1987. Job of Polish intelligence was to ensure the security of Poland, not to protect socialism. With the CIA’s approval, Poland kept many former security people because it believed they could be turned and be useful. Shirley Temple Black, gave President Vaclav Havel list of names of spies that might cause problems. He retired them with their pensions.
In 1990, Poland snuck six Americans out of Baghdad.
The US was able to get important information from Poland because the latter had relationships with countries that the US did not.
Changes in both Poland’s and the US’s government led to changes between the two governments. Some CIA officers leaked information damaging to Poland and balked on supporting some of Poland’s needs and requests.
Poland felt it could no longer trust the US. It’s people became the only European country to support Donald Trump in 2016.
Using specific names and actions, FROM WARSAW WITH LOVE is a readable, well-written, fact-filled book that explores the relationship between the countries.
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
In FROM WARSAW WITH LOVE, John Pomfret supplies that missing information.
Poland’s relationship with the United States began with Revolutionary War when Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski were recognized as heroes by people such as Thomas Jefferson. Many German immigants were already living here.
The first country in Europe to have a constitution (1791), Poland was the first country to stand up to Germany during WWII and one of the first to be taken over by Germany during the war. In 1939, Polish mathematicians broke the Germany’s Enigma codes and gave the information to France and Britain.
The relationship changed after 1945 when Truman and Churchill agreed to shrink Poland by 20%. It’s western border pushed 50 miles into Germany and 12 million people were forced out.
In 1978, Time considered Poland’s intelligence agency the fifth best in the world. Some of its results, including some stolen from the US, had been deliberately falsified to mislead the Soviets.
Poland’s goal was protecting Poland, 1987. Job of Polish intelligence was to ensure the security of Poland, not to protect socialism. With the CIA’s approval, Poland kept many former security people because it believed they could be turned and be useful. Shirley Temple Black, gave President Vaclav Havel list of names of spies that might cause problems. He retired them with their pensions.
In 1990, Poland snuck six Americans out of Baghdad.
The US was able to get important information from Poland because the latter had relationships with countries that the US did not.
Changes in both Poland’s and the US’s government led to changes between the two governments. Some CIA officers leaked information damaging to Poland and balked on supporting some of Poland’s needs and requests.
Poland felt it could no longer trust the US. It’s people became the only European country to support Donald Trump in 2016.
Using specific names and actions, FROM WARSAW WITH LOVE is a readable, well-written, fact-filled book that explores the relationship between the countries.
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
December 16, 2021
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance by John Pomfret traces the relationship between ex-communist Poland’s intelligence service and the American intelligence services. Mr. Pomfret is an American journalist and published author.
This is certainly a fascinating book, well-written and, indeed, documented. From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance by John Pomfret captures the relationship of the US and its allies in a most exciting narrative.
The book chiefly describes the decades long relationship between Polish and US intelligence agencies. Without a doubt, Poland has been trying to come out from under the heavy hand of the Russians. Intelligence agencies, however, are not known for their trusting nature, and the Poles had to prove themselves, over and over again, to be an upstanding ally.
The turning point, however, was a nail-biting escape of six Americans from Iraq. The men were led by a Polish agent, specifically Deputy Head of Polish Intelligence. All six made it out alive, however the event was never publicized for decades afterwards.
Gradually, the US trained, as well as equipped our Polish allies. However, this was not an equal relationship and as much as the Poles tried to prove their friendship, it was sometimes taken advantage of – with serious geopolitical consequences.
The fickle nature of US politics is undeniably in the background. Soldiers, like General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of American forces in the Persian Gulf War, who needed as much intelligence as he can get. Politicians who are still in a “Cold War” mentality. Politicians, like Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush who were in favor of NATO to accept Poland and other former Eastern Bloc countries. And those like President Donald Trump, who didn’t understand why the United States needs allies at all (not a political statement, the author quotes John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor).
The last section of the book is where Mr. Pomfret discusses three important lessons. Analyzing those, in the context of the book, shows of a thoughtful narrative, not just adventurous story-telling.
From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance by John Pomfret traces the relationship between ex-communist Poland’s intelligence service and the American intelligence services. Mr. Pomfret is an American journalist and published author.
This is certainly a fascinating book, well-written and, indeed, documented. From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance by John Pomfret captures the relationship of the US and its allies in a most exciting narrative.
The book chiefly describes the decades long relationship between Polish and US intelligence agencies. Without a doubt, Poland has been trying to come out from under the heavy hand of the Russians. Intelligence agencies, however, are not known for their trusting nature, and the Poles had to prove themselves, over and over again, to be an upstanding ally.
The turning point, however, was a nail-biting escape of six Americans from Iraq. The men were led by a Polish agent, specifically Deputy Head of Polish Intelligence. All six made it out alive, however the event was never publicized for decades afterwards.
Gradually, the US trained, as well as equipped our Polish allies. However, this was not an equal relationship and as much as the Poles tried to prove their friendship, it was sometimes taken advantage of – with serious geopolitical consequences.
The fickle nature of US politics is undeniably in the background. Soldiers, like General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of American forces in the Persian Gulf War, who needed as much intelligence as he can get. Politicians who are still in a “Cold War” mentality. Politicians, like Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush who were in favor of NATO to accept Poland and other former Eastern Bloc countries. And those like President Donald Trump, who didn’t understand why the United States needs allies at all (not a political statement, the author quotes John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor).
The last section of the book is where Mr. Pomfret discusses three important lessons. Analyzing those, in the context of the book, shows of a thoughtful narrative, not just adventurous story-telling.
August 7, 2022
Not many post-socialist countries managed a successful reestablishment of capitalism. Those that did, like Poland, were supported by the USA through various means. This book tells a story of espionage and geopolitical power shifts between Poland and the USA. The author tells the story of the Cold War competition between Poland and US spies that eventually turned to a close collaboration as the wind of history started blowing in another direction. Pomfret gave a detailed description of the famous spies (Zacharski or Kukliński) and their operations during the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to a geopolitical realignment that caught old allies of Poland off-hand. The likes of North Korea, Iran, Cuba, or Belarus in the early 90s still considered Poland as part of the Eastern Bloc, despite Poland going through its first democratic elections. Eventually, the Americans supported a gradual transformation to a capitalist economy, often leaving old communists in their senior posts. This meant that secret services were full of spies that were trained by the Soviets. In order to show that their allegiance shifted to the West, Poles were the most pro-American state in Europe, fully embracing American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The highlight of this collaboration was Operation Simoom (Samum) during which Polish spies extracted six American CIA and DIA officers from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Apparently, George W. Bush as a reward helped to cancel half of the debt that Poland owed to the Paris Club. During the War of Terror, Polish secret services even allowed the CIA to operate a dark site torture centre in its training base in Stare Kiejkuty.
The book ends with a seeming decline of American operations, here attributed to retirement of the old hands, and gaining power by the new and less informed generation. Pomfret wishes that the American led from successful transformation in Poland, and tried to gradually rebuild Iraq or Afghanistan, rather than removing every official that had anything to do with the old regime. He also berates the approach to security taken by the nationalist right-wing parties (mostly PiS) that disregarded the unwritten agreement and started retaliatory action against the old communists (or tainted in that period).
Overall, it is a great book and I learnt a ton. Despite it being a non-fiction, it reads like a spy thriller at times, but it also presents the geopolitical situation very clearly.
The book ends with a seeming decline of American operations, here attributed to retirement of the old hands, and gaining power by the new and less informed generation. Pomfret wishes that the American led from successful transformation in Poland, and tried to gradually rebuild Iraq or Afghanistan, rather than removing every official that had anything to do with the old regime. He also berates the approach to security taken by the nationalist right-wing parties (mostly PiS) that disregarded the unwritten agreement and started retaliatory action against the old communists (or tainted in that period).
Overall, it is a great book and I learnt a ton. Despite it being a non-fiction, it reads like a spy thriller at times, but it also presents the geopolitical situation very clearly.
August 8, 2022
I'm going to be honest here - as I listened to the audiobook, there were lots of times my mind wandered and I completely missed things, and I didn't worry about it. So my analysis of the book is not as solid as it could be, and my enjoyment was certainly affected by the lack of continuous attention.
From Warsaw with Love is basically a history of the relationship between the United States and Polish spy agencies. Back in the 1960s Poland was a Soviet satellite, and thus our enemy in the Cold War. Operatives in both countries stole secrets and engaged in movie-worthy espionage. But as Poland moved away from Soviet influence, CIA operatives zeroed in on this potential ally and formed a comfortable alliance. The U.S-Polish partnership was at its height during the early 1990s, as shown by the book's centerpiece operation, the Polish-engineered escape of high-level U.S. diplomats from Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. In return, the U.S. was highly supportive of Poland's entry into NATO.
The last section of Pomfret's work recounts how that alliance has faltered, particularly after the CIA muscled its way into using Polish sites for War on Terror interrogation centers. In recent years the United States has somewhat abandoned her international allies, leaving some to wonder if she can be trusted.
3.5 stars. There is lots of good material, but as noted above, my interest often waned.
From Warsaw with Love is basically a history of the relationship between the United States and Polish spy agencies. Back in the 1960s Poland was a Soviet satellite, and thus our enemy in the Cold War. Operatives in both countries stole secrets and engaged in movie-worthy espionage. But as Poland moved away from Soviet influence, CIA operatives zeroed in on this potential ally and formed a comfortable alliance. The U.S-Polish partnership was at its height during the early 1990s, as shown by the book's centerpiece operation, the Polish-engineered escape of high-level U.S. diplomats from Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. In return, the U.S. was highly supportive of Poland's entry into NATO.
The last section of Pomfret's work recounts how that alliance has faltered, particularly after the CIA muscled its way into using Polish sites for War on Terror interrogation centers. In recent years the United States has somewhat abandoned her international allies, leaving some to wonder if she can be trusted.
3.5 stars. There is lots of good material, but as noted above, my interest often waned.
November 25, 2021
I'm very impressed with the writing here, and likewise with the well-elucidated backstory of the downfall of Communist Poland in the 1980s. There were clearly nuances at play of which I never knew back then.
I went to the index first, to see what mention there might be of Polish Underground missionary Jan Karski's arrival in the UK some 85 years ago tonight, delivering him into the tender mercies of MI-19's center for the interrogation of continental refugees at Royal Victoria Patriotic School in Wandsworth (which is still there, south of the Thames, and looks as menacing inside as ever). My bio of Professor Karski came out from Wiley in 1994 and in a revised edition, covering his posthumous honors, from a U. Press in 2014
Well, there is no index. It's obviously the fault of publisher Holt, rather than the author, that such a simple and essential pedagogical tool would be missing. The text does mention Karski on p. 53, appropriately, and leaves me curious about what he would say about the tradecraft of the two sides. He was coy about his history with the CIA, but it was clear there had been such a history.
I look forward to finishing this worthy book in the next few nights.
All best,
Tom Wood
I went to the index first, to see what mention there might be of Polish Underground missionary Jan Karski's arrival in the UK some 85 years ago tonight, delivering him into the tender mercies of MI-19's center for the interrogation of continental refugees at Royal Victoria Patriotic School in Wandsworth (which is still there, south of the Thames, and looks as menacing inside as ever). My bio of Professor Karski came out from Wiley in 1994 and in a revised edition, covering his posthumous honors, from a U. Press in 2014
Well, there is no index. It's obviously the fault of publisher Holt, rather than the author, that such a simple and essential pedagogical tool would be missing. The text does mention Karski on p. 53, appropriately, and leaves me curious about what he would say about the tradecraft of the two sides. He was coy about his history with the CIA, but it was clear there had been such a history.
I look forward to finishing this worthy book in the next few nights.
All best,
Tom Wood
June 30, 2022
“Spanning decades and continents, from the battlefields of the Balkans to secret nuclear research labs in Iran and embassy grounds in North Korea, this saga begins in 1990. As the United States cobbles together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, six US officers are trapped in Iraq with intelligence that could ruin Operation Desert Storm if it is obtained by the brutal Iraqi dictator. Desperate, the CIA asks Poland, a longtime Cold War foe famed for its excellent spies, for help. Just months after the Polish people voted in their first democratic election since the 1930s, the young Solidarity government in Warsaw sends a veteran ex-Communist spy who’d battled the West for decades to rescue the six Americans. Pomfret’s gripping account of the 1990 cliffhanger in Iraq is just the beginning of the tale about intelligence cooperation between Poland and the United States, cooperation that one CIA director would later describe as “one of the two foremost intelligence relationships that the United States has ever had.” Pomfret uncovers new details about the CIA’s black site program that held suspected terrorists in Poland after 9/11 as well as the role of Polish spies in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.”
January 7, 2022
*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
This book chronicles the tale of two adversaries (Poland and the United States) becoming allies. Starting in the Cold War, Poland built an impressive intelligence agency which spared with the U.S.'s CIA, among others. But as communism deteriorated in Eastern Europe in the late 80s, Poland began to cooperate with American CIA agents and the two countries were soon sharing intelligence. Not long after this new relationship was formed, Polish agents helped to rescue several Americans trapped in Iraq during the First Gulf War. From there, the relationship deepened, to the extent of Poland providing the CIA with a black site to use enhanced interrogation methods on suspected terrorists. I came away from this book with a new appreciation of not just how intelligence gathering works, but how the U.S. utilizes (and sometimes abuses) its allies to obtain sought-after information. The author describes this book as "a mediation about alliances" and it certainly provided plenty of food for thought about the importance of alliances for the U.S.
This book chronicles the tale of two adversaries (Poland and the United States) becoming allies. Starting in the Cold War, Poland built an impressive intelligence agency which spared with the U.S.'s CIA, among others. But as communism deteriorated in Eastern Europe in the late 80s, Poland began to cooperate with American CIA agents and the two countries were soon sharing intelligence. Not long after this new relationship was formed, Polish agents helped to rescue several Americans trapped in Iraq during the First Gulf War. From there, the relationship deepened, to the extent of Poland providing the CIA with a black site to use enhanced interrogation methods on suspected terrorists. I came away from this book with a new appreciation of not just how intelligence gathering works, but how the U.S. utilizes (and sometimes abuses) its allies to obtain sought-after information. The author describes this book as "a mediation about alliances" and it certainly provided plenty of food for thought about the importance of alliances for the U.S.
July 27, 2022
Interesująca pozycja, kompleksowe omówienie relacji pomiędzy Polską a USA w zakresie wywiadu cywilnego - zarówno w okresie PRL jak i III RP.
Początkowo byłem zawiedziony - pierwsze rozdziały to niezbyt sprawnie połączone ze sobą "wrzutki", czyli niesplatające się w spójną historię oddzielne historie działań poszczególnych agentów, np. Mariana Zacharskiego. Z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem poszczególne opisywane elementy i wcześniejsze historie (same w sobie pozostając i tak ciekawe) coraz bardziej się zazębiają, doprowadzając pod koniec do świetnej syntezy i podsumowania. Podsumowania, które nie tylko jest ciekawe (i zahaczające o bieżącą sytuację polityczną w PL i w USA), ale w mojej ocenie po prostu trafne i wartościowe.
Minus jedna gwiazdka za pretensjonalny styl pisania (lub tłumaczenia na PL). Ileż razy miałem ochotę cisnąć tą książką, kiedy na jednej stronie po raz trzeci czytałem o spotkaniu w pewnym parku, w którym brał udział pewien mężczyzna, który po spotkaniu udało się do pewnej restauracji.
Początkowo byłem zawiedziony - pierwsze rozdziały to niezbyt sprawnie połączone ze sobą "wrzutki", czyli niesplatające się w spójną historię oddzielne historie działań poszczególnych agentów, np. Mariana Zacharskiego. Z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem poszczególne opisywane elementy i wcześniejsze historie (same w sobie pozostając i tak ciekawe) coraz bardziej się zazębiają, doprowadzając pod koniec do świetnej syntezy i podsumowania. Podsumowania, które nie tylko jest ciekawe (i zahaczające o bieżącą sytuację polityczną w PL i w USA), ale w mojej ocenie po prostu trafne i wartościowe.
Minus jedna gwiazdka za pretensjonalny styl pisania (lub tłumaczenia na PL). Ileż razy miałem ochotę cisnąć tą książką, kiedy na jednej stronie po raz trzeci czytałem o spotkaniu w pewnym parku, w którym brał udział pewien mężczyzna, który po spotkaniu udało się do pewnej restauracji.
January 7, 2022
This book was a little misleading - I was expecting much of this to talk about the American officers’ escape from Iraq. In reality, about the first 100 pages were all about setting the stage of the spy agencies’ activities during the Cold War and how their relationship was forged. I wasn’t that disappointed by this since there was so much Polish-centric history I knew absolutely nothing about and found interesting. However, the Iraq section was maybe 30 pages, the story ended quickly, and it was a very close retelling to Argo - so is this such a unique story to tell? The last 70 pages I kind of trudged through, a lot of names thrown in while the author seemed to drink a bit of the Polish kool aide. Still a well researched topic, just wish the “about” section/cover was reframed a bit and the story had smoother transitions.
July 16, 2023
The first few chapters already swept me away. Pomfret has a knack for patching together these oft-forgotten parts of Poland's past that ultimately shaped its relationship with the United States from a Cold War foe to one of its most enduring allies. From a daring rescue of trapped American spies at the height of the Gulf War to sharing intel after the 9/11 attacks and during the Iran nuclear talks, Warsaw worked behind the scenes in every major foreign policy issue of the United States. I admire how Pomfret humanized these stories instead of portraying them as discrete events. Perhaps, it's his hat tip to the individuals who played a role in this unique bond. As with any love story, this relationship had its rocky moments and Pomfret captured them evenhandedly which makes readers reflect on what it means to be a friend, a partner, and an ally.
January 1, 2024
Very interesting book about the relationship between polish and USA intelligence agencies. Overall it was an interesting but the main story of getting the America’s out of Iraq but the polish intelligence services only spanned one small chapter of the book. It was more of a historical overview of the relationship between the intelligence services, they started off being very much so against each other during the Cold War and what the process of becoming allies after Poland broke away from communism. A great book for a historical overview but difficult to follow because of all the different people and the constantly changing political situation in Poland. As always huge respect for the ordinary men and woman who have spent their lives protecting their nations through the collection of intelligence.
April 5, 2022
From Warsaw with Love
Good read but was expecting more about the Americans escape from Iraq. The lead up to that moment was important as Poland transitioned to an democracy and finally a NATO member.
It also can make one think about how the US can so quickly crush an alliance without knowing it (see "marrying the hippo" quote).
Good read but was expecting more about the Americans escape from Iraq. The lead up to that moment was important as Poland transitioned to an democracy and finally a NATO member.
It also can make one think about how the US can so quickly crush an alliance without knowing it (see "marrying the hippo" quote).
May 30, 2022
What’s terrific book!
Granted, I’m biased. I’m a huge fan of polish history, my mother is Polish and came here for grad school and stayed for my goofy American dad, and my mom has a half brother… and he is mentioned in this book. All of this holds a special place in my heart, and Pomfret did a beautiful job of sharing these stories with respect and honesty.
Thank you!
Granted, I’m biased. I’m a huge fan of polish history, my mother is Polish and came here for grad school and stayed for my goofy American dad, and my mom has a half brother… and he is mentioned in this book. All of this holds a special place in my heart, and Pomfret did a beautiful job of sharing these stories with respect and honesty.
Thank you!
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