Quite simply, if Ben Macintyre’s name is on the book, I am going to love it. Redwood is no different. In telling the story of a KGB agent who decides to switch sides, Macintyre has once again found a tale that is not well-known, but has such far-reaching effects that I am thoroughly confused how I didn’t hear about this before. Redwood is no ordinary spy. He was well placed in the KGB to have mountains of intelligence which could change the tide in post-revolution Iran.
What I love about Macintyre’s books is that he knows full well that the human story is always the most important part of the narrative. However, you still need to build out the world around him. You can’t understand the pressure Redwood is under unless you know what his defection would mean. I have read plenty of books that promise little-known stories where the main character “changed the world.” When it comes to Redwood, this is not hyperbole.
Macintyre has to thread the needle of making you care about Redwood while also understanding the complexity of post-Revolution Iran. I can’t even begin to explain how bewildering this time and place in history was. You have the supporters of the exiled shah, the ayatollah (who at this point was trying to pretend he wasn’t a total despot), the communists, and then everyone else. The U.S. is no longer in country, but the U.K. is and it becomes important how they are able to be there. I haven’t even scratched the surface, but luckily I didn’t write this book.
Special attention should be paid to the fact that Macintyre is hilarious. There are small asides now and again with winking commentary to relieve the pressure of everything else going on. It adds another touch of humanity to recognize the humor in even the darkest times of humanity. This story could not have been told better.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Crown Publishing.)
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