With the publication of his New York Times bestseller The Company, Robert Littell re-established his position as one of the top writers of intelligent, ironic, and always entertaining espionage thrillers. The Debriefing, long out of print until now, is a masterful tale of international espionage. From the secret meeting rooms of Washington to the interrogation chambers of the KGB, The Debriefing is a novel of exquisite suspense and dazzlingly tense drama. Stone (first name unknown) is the Head of an elite arm of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-and a master of the sophisticated art of debriefing. When Oleg Kulakov defects from Russia, handcuffed to a sealed diplomatic pouch, it's Stone's job to find out if he's genuine. He must uncover every detail of Kulakov's life, "until we know more about you than God does. " And as Stone uncovers Kulakov's every secret, probing the darkest reaches of Kulakov's heart, he penetrates Russia itself to learn the chilling truth. . . a truth that tears his own world apart.