Keith Gave spent six years in the United States Army as a Russian linguist working for the National Security Agency during the Cold War. As unlikely as it seems, nothing could have better prepared this intelligence officer for a career as a sports writer covering hockey for the Detroit Free Press.While working as a reporter, Gave continued to lead a clandestine life. In 1989, he flew to Helsinki, Finland, the audacious first step in orchestrating the defection of five Russian hockey players from behind the iron curtain. The individual stories of The Russian Five read like pulse-pounding spy novels. Part thriller, part memoir, part Russian fairytale, the story that unfolds after they were brought together by the masterful Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman is authentic – and truly unforgettable.