The Jordan Harbinger Show

285: Jack Barsky | Deep Undercover with a KGB Spy in America Part One

Dec 3, 2019

Jack Barsky, an author and former KGB spy, shares his thrilling experiences of deep cover life in America. He discusses his postwar East German childhood and the appeal of Soviet ideology to youth. Jack also reveals how spies were trained during the Cold War and the skills he used to blend into American culture. Listeners get a glimpse into the paranoia that comes with espionage, as he balances caution with the need for decisive action while living under a false identity.

45:10

Episode guests

Jack Barsky

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances As a KGB Spy in America

00:46

First Impressions of West Berlin

00:34

Counter-Surveillance Training

00:32

Jack Barsky's Failed Attempt to Obtain a Birth Certificate

01:14

Intro

3min

A Spy's Childhood: From East Germany to the KGB

11min

Contrasting Worlds: From East Germany to West Berlin

4min

Navigating Undercover Life

10min

The Art of Facial Recognition and Balancing Fear

3min

Identity Undercover: The Making of Jack Barsky

13min

Lessons in Capitalism and Communism: A KGB Spy's Insights

2min

Jack Barsky (@DeepCoverBarsky) joins us to discuss his book Deep Undercover: My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America. This is part one of a two-part episode; part two airs later this week!

What We Discuss with Jack Barsky:

What Jack Barsky's childhood was like in postwar East Germany.
The stickiness of Soviet-style communist ideology and how it appealed to young people on Jack's side of the Iron Curtain.
How spies were recruited and trained during the Cold War.
What skills Jack used to assimilate seamlessly into American culture.
Why caution is a spy's best friend; paranoia is his enemy.
And so much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/285

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