Although often compared to the works of such illustrious writers of British spy fiction as John Buchan, Eric Ambler, John le Carré, and Len Deighton, the espionage novels of Anthony Price add an unexpected twist. They are firmly based on historical precedent, and the leading intelligence operatives from both England and Russia are trained historians and archaeologists who see past patterns at work in modern conflicts. The British spies are old-school fellows from Oxford or Cambridge; from personal experience with eccentric and intellectually challenging professors, they recognize the difference between allegiance to liberal or leftist ideas and betrayal of country. They also understand, however, that the British universities are recruiting grounds for Russian spies and that the Russians might well have inserted moles to replace students from foreign nations (such as Rhodesia, New Zealand, Canada, or Australia) with few or no surviving relatives. The British themselves recruit...