Oldcastle Books signs Jack Boulter’s account of the Stasi in the Cold War

Oldcastle Books has signed First Class Comrades: The Stasi in the Cold War, 1945-1961 by former bookseller Jack Boulter. 

Publisher Ion Mills acquired world rights directly from the author for publication on 8th February 2025. 

First Class Comrades is an in-depth history of the early years of East Germany’s secret police that draws upon previously unexamined files from the Stasi archives. The book shows how the Stasi “helped to create a new European state, how its foreign intelligence service became one of the most successful ever, and how its spy-catchers tackled vigorous attempts by the West to infiltrate East Germany – attempts that influenced the decision to build the Berlin Wall”.

Boulter said: “My research brought to light many fascinating but little-known aspects of Cold War history. In its earlier years, the Stasi wasn’t the organisation you might think it was. Instead of being a ‘Big Brother’ that spied on the general population, its main job was to tackle the mass infiltration of East Germany by Western spies and saboteurs.” 

Mills added: “I am delighted to be publishing First Class Comrades – the first comprehensive account of how and why the Stasi was created, and what it did for the first decade of its existence. Engaging, informative and meticulously researched, it is perfect for readers interested in 20th-century European politics, military history, true crime and espionage narratives and is the definitive history of the early years of the Stasi.”