When I began writing this book three years ago, it was going to be about Oleg Penkovsky, his relationship with the CIA and MI6, and the part he played in the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the course of my research, however, I came across references to someone called Ivan Serov. At first I tried to ignore him but he became so persistent that I had to incorporate him into the story. As my research continued I became intrigued by this relatively unknown anti-hero who had been largely removed from the record by the obsessive Communist machine when he fell into disfavour shortly after Penkovsky’s trial and execution in 1963. Then I began to research the creation of Castro’s Cuba and became fascinated by the Mafia’s and CIA’s involvement in it. This inevitably led me to extend the story to include the assassination of President Kennedy. My further research led me to some startling and, to me, unexpected conclusions that might just help to bring a flicker of light into the dark corners that have yet to be illuminated by incontrovertible evidence of the truth.
While I have used my experience in the British Diplomatic Service to describe the story, virtually all of the information is drawn from open sources rather than from specific knowledge gained while I was employed there.
My infinitely patient wife, Nancy, has been a tower of strength and encouragement to me. All of our loving and much loved children have had faith in my ability to complete this task – or so they said – and have also given me much encouragement.
I do not speak Russian, and am accordingly most grateful to Professor Geoffrey Swain (Alec Nove Chair in Russian and East European Studies, University of Glasgow) for his guidance on where Nikita Petrov’s book First Chairman of the KGB: Ivan Serov (published only in Russian) either supplemented or contradicted the content of my original draft.
My thanks also to the several family members and friends who bravely volunteered, or were conscripted, to read and comment upon my early drafts. Their suffering, hopefully, has not been in vain.
However, my efforts would undoubtedly have come to nought had it not been for the encouragement and expert guidance of Michael Smith, Hollie Teague, Reuben Cohen and everyone else at Biteback Publishing.
I am also grateful to the US Department of State and the CIA for publishing so much information on their websites. All of the quoted parts of Penkovsky’s debriefing were taken from the CIA.