Synopses & Reviews
Investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bryan Denson tells the absorbing account of Jim and Nathan Nicholson the father who shone as one of the CIA's most committed spies and then betrayed his nation; and the son who would do anything for his father, even convince himself that serving as his courier for Russian spies wasn't illegal or immoral.
Jim Nicholson was the CIA's rising star. By day, he supervised a bullpen of case officers chasing down leads on global terrorists. By night, he was a minivan-driving single father racing to get home for dinner with his three kids. But Nicholson led a secret life. For more than two years, he had met covertly with agents of Russia's foreign intelligence service in locations around the world and turned over troves of classified documents, including the identities of hundreds of CIA trainees. In 1997, Nicholson became the highest ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage. But his duplicity didn't stop there.
While behind the bars of a federal prison, the former officer had groomed the one person he trusted most to serve as his stand-in: his youngest son, Nathan. In his early twenties, deeply depressed after suffering a serious injury during military training, Nathan was easy prey for his father. When Nicholson asked him to smuggle messages out of prison to his Russian contacts, Nathan saw an opportunity to not only make something of himself but to make his father proud.
A staggering chronicle of a broken family and international deception, The Spy's Son cuts readers loose in a world full of government and family secrets, where the betrayal of kin and country comes with a heavy price.
Review
"The uncommon family business of selling information to Russia proves exciting, lucrative and remarkably misguided....The intricate portrait of Nicholson family life makes the father-son crime feel inevitable without ever coming off as dull. Denson puts his reporting chops to good use, packing the book with information but never overwhelming readers and maintaining tension, interest and momentum....Captivating." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
"In a stunning piece of reporting Bryan Denson has unraveled one of the strangest spy stories in American history and written a haunting book as fast paced and as exciting as the best spy novel. It will keep readers awake as he takes them deep into a world of international espionage populated by KGB and CIA agents, American spy catchers and a family they'll never forget and it's all true." Robert Lindsey, author of The Falcon and the Snowman
Review
"The Spy's Son is an intelligence service's worst nightmare a double agent inside its walls. Human foibles of hubris and greed drive Jim Nicholson to betray his nation's deepest secrets and his own family. Denson's telling of the tale is riveting, agonizing, and for a former spook like me, sometimes heart-stopping." Valerie Plame, author of Fair Game
Review
"Gripping insight into the quiet war of spies, deception and treachery. As a former special agent, The Spy's Son should be required reading for agents and anyone else interested in the cloak and dagger world of espionage." Fred Burton, Stratfor, VP Intelligence, author of Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi
Review
"The Spy's Son is the amazing account of the dysfunctional Nicholson family's foray into the treacherous world of selling out one's country to the Russians. Denson's suspenseful story of the Nicholsons' reprehensible activities is an adventurous read, revealing tradecraft used by both spies and spy catchers. A true-life spy story spanning two decades in countries around the world, it is packed with danger, suspense and intrigue." Alan B. Trabue, CIA (Ret.), author of A Life of Lies and Spies
Review
"We always think of the damage a spy does to his country, and to his colleagues and friends, but seldom to his family. This is the solemn and excruciating tale of a real spy who intentionally and selfishly used his son as a go-between himself and his Russian masters after he had been caught and imprisoned, and nearly ruined his son's life into the bargain. It is a splendid read." Frederick P. Hitz, former CIA Inspector general, Senior Lecturer at University of Virginia, and author of The Great Game: The Myths and Reality of Espionage
Review
"The Spy's Son expertly chronicles Jim Nicholson's cold-blooded betrayal of both country and son. A gripping nonfiction read on par with a John Le Carre thriller." Pete Earley, author of Confessions of a Spy: The Real Story of Aldrich Ames
Synopsis
"A haunting book as fast paced and as exciting as the best spy novel . . . and it's all true." --Robert Lindsey, author of The Falcon and the Snowman
Investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bryan Denson tells the riveting story of the Nicholsons--father and son co-conspirators who deceived their country by selling national secrets to Russia.
Jim Nicholson was one of the CIA's top veteran case officers. By day, he taught spycraft at the CIA's clandestine training center, The Farm. By night, he was a minivan-driving single father racing home to have dinner with his kids. But Nicholson led a double life. For more than two years, he had met covertly with agents of Russia's foreign intelligence service and turned over troves of classified documents. In 1997, Nicholson became the highest ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage. But his duplicity didn't stop there. While behind the bars of a federal prison, the former mole systematically groomed the one person he trusted most to serve as his stand-in: his youngest son, Nathan. When asked to smuggle messages out of prison to Russian contacts, Nathan saw an opportunity to be heroic and to make his father proud.
Synopsis
Investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bryan Denson tells the riveting story of the Nicholsons father and son co-conspirators who deceived their country by selling national secrets to Russia.
Jim Nicholson was one of the CIA's top veteran case officers. By day, he taught spycraft at the CIA's clandestine training center, The Farm. By night, he was a minivan-driving single father racing home to have dinner with his kids. But Nicholson led a double life. For more than two years, he had met covertly with agents of Russia's foreign intelligence service and turned over troves of classified documents. In 1997, Nicholson became the highest ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage. But his duplicity didn't stop there. While behind the bars of a federal prison, the former mole systematically groomed the one person he trusted most to serve as his stand-in: his youngest son, Nathan. When asked to smuggle messages out of prison to Russian contacts, Nathan saw an opportunity to be heroic and to make his father proud.
About the Author
Bryan Denson, an investigative reporter and veteran staff writer for The Oregonian, is a Pulitzer Prize finalist in journalism for national reporting and for the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award, and the winner of the George Polk Award, among many other honors. He was a staff writer at five daily newspapers, including The Houston Post, and he has written for national magazines, including Maxim, Reader's Digest, and Running Times. Denson covered the Nicholson case as it wound through Portland courtrooms, and The Spy's Son is the culmination of a five-year investigation.