London — Ben Macintyre's 'Redwood' Traces a KGB Officer's Path to MI6

Ben Macintyre's new book "Redwood" traces how a KGB officer's struggle with erectile dysfunction became part of Britain's MI6 effort to recruit him away from Soviet intelligence, according to a review published Oct. 15, 2026, by The Economist. The review describes the episode as one of several case studies in the book that illustrate how personal vulnerabilities, rather than ideology or payment alone, can determine whether an intelligence officer agrees to work for an opposing service.

What does the review say happened?

According to the review, Macintyre's account centers on a Soviet intelligence officer whose private medical difficulty became an entry point for contact with British operatives. The review characterizes this as an example of how MI6 identified a personal pressure point and used it to open a channel with the officer, rather than relying solely on traditional motivations such as money or disillusionment with Moscow.

Who is Ben Macintyre and what is 'Redwood' about?

The review identifies Macintyre as the author of the book, which it frames as a work of nonfiction history concerning Cold War-era intelligence operations. Per the review, "Redwood" argues more broadly that the personal lives of intelligence officers — their health, their marriages, their private shames — are frequently as decisive to recruitment as political conviction. The review does not supply additional biographical detail about the officer beyond his service in the KGB and the nature of his later cooperation with MI6.

How does the book situate this case within broader recruitment history?

The review states that Macintyre places the episode within a longer pattern that intelligence services have studied and exploited across decades of Cold War operations, treating personal distress as a recurring avenue for approach. The review frames this as part of the book's larger thesis about the human, rather than purely ideological, machinery behind espionage recruitment.

Where was the review published?

The assessment of "Redwood" ran in The Economist's Culture section, dated Oct. 15, 2026. The review is the primary basis for public reporting on the book's contents at this time, and no additional corroborating account of the specific case has been located in the material reviewed for this report.

Why is this notable now?

The book's publication adds to a body of popular histories examining Cold War-era espionage through individual human stories rather than broad strategic narratives. The review's framing — that an officer's private health struggle, not purely political calculation, helped move him toward MI6 — is presented as central to Macintyre's approach in "Redwood," according to the review.