Beneath the shadowy world of Cold War espionage lies a story of quiet discipline, relentless precision, and mental toughness—the kind more commonly associated with elite athletes than covert agents.

The Illegals. By Shaun Walker. Knopf; 448 pages; $32. Profile Books; £22 The Mission. By Tim Weiner. Mariner Books; 464 pages; $35. William Collins; £25 The Spy in the Archive. By Gordon Corera.

Sue Bird earned only $60,000 per season early in her WNBA career. Like many star players during that period, she went overseas during the American League offseason to increase her income. Bird spent ...

LONDON (AP) — Oleg Gordievsky, a Soviet KGB officer who helped change the course of the Cold War by covertly passing secrets to Britain, has died. He was 86. Gordievsky died March 4 in England, where ...