The Kalugin book is a fun read, but I agree, not great depth. He is an OK guy, I sent him a copy of a book back in 2005 and he wrote back; we both went to Columbia for grad school, so there was that slight connection. Most of what he wrote about focused on himself.
Have you read the Christopher Andrew books? They are very well done and a great resource.
08-18-2009, 12:52 AM (This post was last modified: 08-18-2009, 12:55 AM by deValcourt.)
Doug,
I have KGB: The Inside Story but I haven't cracked it yet. I still have books in boxes even though I moved into this home right after I bought it last November. I started reading Yevgenia Albats' The State Within a State which isn't so much a book as an extended version of a lenghty article she wrote for a Russian journal. It is appropriate that she uses Kalugin's own phrase as the title since she is rather bitter about the KGB (as it still exists, according to her). It's kind of twisted and not terribly focused, but then she was a journalist:rolleyes: (and so was I - so I can make that joke).
I'll have a go at the Andrews book next then. I really wish, like most of us, that there was a nice collection of authentic photos of KGB and ancestral organizations' actual people at work in uniform (when they were, of course).
Thanks again,
Phillip
P.S. I went to Radford University in Virginia for grad school. That's as far north as I got - until flying to Moscow that is, and didn't go to New York until I flew back the first time.
I was looking through the Stephan book about Soviet Counterintelligence again last night and was reminded that there is a very well done Appendix on the organization and structure of the NKGB during the war. Not too long and well laid out.
Nice threads indeed. Amazing outcome for that uniform. Would you mind posting close-ups on the front buttons? I am very curious because of their size.
Aside: Andrew's book is easy to read and very informative. It's been sitting on a shelf for years until now.:o As for Albats' book, I agree with you about the style (it's a clunky translation and I can only read so much of it at a time).
I also have an interest in what was worn in the field during the Afghanistan war. I've seen "picture books" about this period on the e-site for outrageous prices. Any thoughts on reference material in this area?
Let me know how you like the Andrew books! They are amongst my favorites. I read Albat's book, but found the writing style awkward.
Back to the focus of the thread; thanks to Clete we are able to see the tunic and visor cap together.
DougD
Man that one still hurts Doug! I really enjoyed that visor and it fit in nicely with my State Security visor collection. Tough one to replace. Looks good together though. Lucky collector there.
The buttons are standard generals buttons; however, they use them on this tunic for pocket buttons...not something I have seen on any other Soviet tunic. They are only used on the upper pockets, the lower pockets are without buttons.
Clete,
Thanks for the sacrifice! The tunic and cap are happy together.
Yes, it was the pockets I was referring to. They caught my attention first because at first glance, before enlarging the photo, the button looks like an additional badge. Maybe it was all they had to work with at the time. It is still a great set - sorry Clete.
Yes, the buttons are only on the upper pockets, not the lower. That is why I am not convinced that the tunic in post#9 is not the NKGB 'special' tunic as it looks to have buttons on both the upper and lower pockets.
