ɪn hɪz bˈʊk ðə stˈoːɹm pˈɛtɹəlz: ðə fˈɜːst sˈoʊviət dᵻfˈɛktɚz, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti ˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɛvən, ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ ɪntˈɛlɪdʒəns ˈɑːfɪsɚ ænd dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪst ɡˈoːɹdən bɹˈʊkʃˈɛpɚd meɪntˈeɪnd ðæt ˈæɡeɪbkˌɑːvz dᵻfˈɛkʃən tə fɹˈæns ɪn dʒˈuːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi wʌz sˈoʊlli ˈoʊɪŋ tə ðə fˈækt ðæt hiː hæd fˈɔːlən ɪn lˈʌv wɪð ɐn ˌʌndɚɹˈeɪdʒ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ɡˈɜːl, ˈɪzəbˌɛl stɹˈiːɾɚ, hˌuː tˈɔːt hˌɪm ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ.
In his book The Storm Petrels: The First Soviet Defectors, 1928–1938 (1977), the British intelligence officer and journalist Gordon Brook-Shepherd maintained that Agabekov's defection to France in June 1930 was solely owing to the fact that he had fallen in love with an underage English girl, Isabel Streater, who taught him English.