—Ralph Peters, New York Times bestselling author of Wars of Blood and Faith

“A vivid, intimate story about much more than the Storozhevoy mutiny.
Gindin tells us about Russia, life in the Soviet system, and life aboard a naval ship. This is an important book, a personal account of a little-known Cold War incident. Chilling.”

—Larry Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Dangerous Ground

 "Communist Russia was the most incomprehensible, vindictive, evil society on earth, yet the dream of escape to a better life was still there, a shimmering, golden phantasm in a bleak, gray world. Hagberg and Gindin have painted a rich, vivid portrait of men who traded everything, including their lives, for a chance to seize that dream."

—Stephen Coonts, bestselling author of The Traitor 

The granddaddy of the techno-thriller, Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October (1984), was based on a real mutiny of a Soviet warship in 1975. The definitive account of that event is The Last Sentry (2005), by Gregory D. Young and Nate Braden; here novelist Hagberg grafts the memories of a Soviet naval officer who was aboard the warship into the thriller format. Then in his early twenties, Boris Gindin was the engineering officer of the Storozhevoi, an antisubmarine vessel whose name means “sentry.” Gindin was not disaffected with the Soviet system, opposed the mutiny, and was locked up with other loyalty-minded officers for the revolt’s brief duration. Its leader intended to sail into the Baltic Sea and broadcast an anti-Soviet manifesto, pirate-radio style. Readers not privy to the history will be surprised by the leader’s identity, and once those cards are on the table, Hagberg switches over to the thriller framework of admirals ordering pilots to sink the Storozhevoi. Although it is evident that creative license has been taken, the underlying truth of Gindin’s story comes through in Hagberg’s dramatized rendition.

— Gilbert Taylor, Booklist Advanced Review 

Veteran novelist Hagberg (Allah's Scorpion, 2007, etc.) teams with Gindin, one of the officers aboard the ship, who is now a U.S. citizen. FFG Storozhevoy was an antisubmarine frigate, a long, narrow, fast ship designed to hunt and destroy U.S. nuclear subs. In November 1975, the ship was in harbor at Riga , Latvia , being made ready for two weeks of repairs after a six-month cruise. Senior Lieutenant Gindin, at 24 a proud member of the Soviet navy, was in charge of the engine room. Hagberg conveys the barriers Gindin had to overcome as a Jew in the Soviet system while laying groundwork for the plot by Captain Valery Sablin, the ship's third in command. The abundant details about running the ship and daily life in the Soviet navy are sure to please military buffs and techno-thriller fans alike. But at the narrative's center stands the enigmatic Sablin, a true believer in the ideals of Marxism/Leninism who was appalled by the corruption of the Brezhnev-era Soviet Union. Believing that a majority of his fellow Russians shared his vision of a free Rodina (motherland), he planned to sail the ship near Leningrad and broadcast a tape pleading for the bureaucrats' overthrow. At first, his scheme succeeded. He tricked Captain Anatoly Potulniy, the ship's commander, into a locked room and armed enough crewmen to imprison those officers who did not support him. Then Sablin's luck began to run out. His tape, rather than being broadcast, was sent out on an encrypted military channel. One officer escaped to spread the alarm. Whatever chance the mutiny had of succeeding was gone as soon as the Kremlin learned of it. Hagberg manages to build and maintain the suspense even though readers know that the plot's failure is preordained.

A little-known slice of Cold War history, as experienced by an insider and vividly retold by an old pro.

—KIRKUS Review 

  A lot of things were happening in the world in 1975. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States was at its height, the United States had beaten Russia to the moon, and the seeds of the Soviet people’s discontent with Moscow were like brush fires—easy to spot, but difficult to extinguish. The power over Russian citizens was held in the hands of a few old men, and their promise of comfort and equality had not materialized.
  It was during this time that a dangerously idealistic young naval officer aboard the Soviet warship FFG Storozhevoy decided it was time to take action. So, on a cold November morning he convinced most of his fellow officers and many of the crew of the Storozhevoy to mutiny. His plan was to leave the port of Riga and head toward Leningrad, broadcasting a message to the Soviet people along the way—telling them that their government was corrupt and needed to be overthrown.
  Little did he know that the KGB would take brutal action against the mutiny, and if not for the heroic actions of a few men, the Storozhevoy would have been destroyed, the entire crew killed, and the incident hidden from the world.
  Officer Boris Gindin was aboard the Storozhevoy on that fateful day—and he was one of the few men who opposed the mutiny. For thirty-two years he has held his silence about what really happened. But now, with the help of USA Today bestselling author and Russian military and history expert David Hagberg, he finally tells his story. MUTINY: The Inside Story of the True Events That Inspired The Hunt For Red October (Forge Books; $25.95; May 13, 2008) is a vivid and inspiring book of serious history that reads like a high-octane military thriller. 
  Provocative and truly entertaining, MUTINY has something for everyone. There is action, suspense, dramatic narrative, and daring exploits, reminiscent of Tom Clancy’s blockbuster novel The Hunt for Red October—which was inspired by the Storozhevoy mutiny—but even more compelling because all the events in MUTINY are true. Hagberg and Gindin also add an in-depth exploration of the Soviet military experience during the height of the Cold War. Readers will acquire an insider’s view of a myriad of fascinating—and at times disturbing—topics, including:

- Insight into the entire Soviet government and intelligence systems, and how they ruled with

  an iron fist

- A minute-by-minute personal account of the harrowing experience of the mutiny, and its

  fearful aftermath

- The history of Communism and the rise of the KGB

- Prejudices within the Soviet regime and military, including anti-Semitism

- Background on the Cold War

- The inequality between naval officers and crewmen

- Daily life aboard a Russian antisubmarine warship

- Gindin’s early life, his military experience, and the pride he felt in serving in the Russian

  Navy

- And much more… 

  In MUTINY, Boris Gindin also explains why he decided to come forward with his incredible story of what happened aboard the Storozhevoy. He truly feels he owes it to his fellow crewmates who also stood up—as he did—against the takeover. He is now a U.S. citizen, but he still fears the long arms and even longer memories of those still loyal to the old regime. 
  When Gindin was assigned as an officer on the Storozhevoy, he had no way of knowing that one of his fellow crewman would mutiny, that Moscow would order them hunted and sunk, and that the careers of many good men would be permanently ruined.
  Does Boris Gindin regret that he studied at a military academy and wanted to dedicate his life to serving his country and his people? No, he does not. Does he regret his blind dedication in following his orders, something that the Soviet government drummed into its people’s heads from the time of birth?    Yes, he does.
  Boris Gindin, and co-author David Hagberg, also believe that the Storozhevoy mutiny was a significant event in world politics and should not be lost to history. And with MUTINY they ensure that it will forever be remembered.

MUTINY :
The Inside Story of the True Events That Inspired The Hunt for Red October
By David Hagberg & Boris Gindin
A Forge Hardcover
ISBN: 0-7653-1350-2
$25.95 / 384 pages
On-sale date: May 13, 2008