This book differs from other books about philby in that it tells the tale through philbys relationship with nicholas elliott, a cambridgeeducated british spy, who was philbys closest friend and strongest defender even after philby came under suspicion following the flight to moscow of donald maclean and guy burgess after macleans. The 2005 film a different loyalty is an unattributed account taken from eleanor philbys book, kim philby. The writer, who has just landed a book deal with harper collins for her debut novel, the most difficult thing, has grown up with the legacy of kim philbys betrayal and defection to the soviet. He was a soviet spy at the heart of british intelligence, joining britains secret service, mi6, during the war, rising to become head of the section tasked with rooting out russian spies and then head of liaison with the cia. It definitely deserves all the accolades it has received. And nobody thought he knew philby like nicholas elliott, philbys best friend and fellow officer in mi6. Kim philby and the great betrayal kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. Kim philby, byname of harold adrian russell philby, born january 1, 1912, ambala, indiadied may 11, 1988, moscow, russia, u. Story of kim philby reprint by knightley, phillip isbn.
Apr 04, 2016 rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after defection. Kim philby, spies, and the dangers of paranoia the new yorker. Jul 27, 2014 ben macintyres latest nonfiction thriller, a spy among friends, is about kim philby, the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole. Philby was the inspiration for the character of british intelligence officer archibald arch cummings in the 2005 film the good shepherd.
Ben macintyres account of kim philby s long friendship with the mi6 spy nicholas elliott is a riveting read robert mccrum sun 9 mar 2014 04. The autobiography of a spy ebook written by kim philby. Two of his british intelligence colleagues based their fiction on him. Ben macintyre has written a truly fabulous book about the fabulous kim philby the suave, dedicated, and most intriguing spy of the entire cold war era.
Heavy blankets of snow have settled across the plains of moscow, and either side of our track, the ground is a brilliant white. Januar 1912 in ambala, punjab, britisch indien, heute. The unknown story of the kgbs master spy tim milne. This book differs from other books about philby in that it tells the tale through philby s relationship with nicholas elliott, a cambridgeeducated british spy, who was philby s closest friend and strongest defender even after philby came under suspicion following the flight to moscow of donald maclean and guy burgess after macleans. Jul 27, 2014 philby was one of the 20th centurys most legendary spies.
Even in death, the spy kim philby serves the kremlins. New book on british double spy kim philby published in russia. Philby and the great betrayal by macintyre, ben isbn. In 1930 he resigned from the british foreign service and became a muslim and took the name hajj.
Kim philby was the greatest spy in history, a brilliant and charming man who rose to head britains counterintelligence against the soviet union during the height of the cold war while he was secretly working for the enemy. Anthony blunt confessed his role after philby defected but was given immunity. Macintyre is a superb writer, with an eye for the telling detail as fine as any novelistsa spy among friends is as suspenseful as any novel, too, as the clues tighten around philbys guilt. The spy who betrayed a generation on the same topic. This book differs from other books about philby in that it tells the tale through philbys relationship with nicholas elliott, a cambridgeeducated british spy, who was philbys closest friend and strongest defender even after philby came under suspicion following the flight to moscow of donald maclean and guy burgess after macleans exposure as a soviet agent.
Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim. This books main theme is trying to tell the story of one of the 5 spies as the leader of the whole enterprise kim philby. Ben macintyres a spy among friends the new york times. Mar 27, 2014 by coincidence another book about philby has appeared simultaneously, kim philby. Philbys son, widow, speak on 50th anniversary of his.
Le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby channel 4 news. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read my silent war. Nicknamed kim after the boyspy in rudyard kiplings novel kim, philby attended aldro preparatory school, an all. Jan 01, 2015 the book is mainly about kim philby, but there is a huge amount of information about spying in general although the story always comes back to philby and the friends whose loyalty he so ruthlessly exploited. Oct 01, 2017 even in death, the spy kim philby serves the kremlins purposes a new portrait of the british double agent kim philby, second from right, at a state art gallery in moscow.
Nov 18, 20 kim philby after burgess and maclean defected he denied being a spy but defected in 1963. Cambridge spy kim philby s denial jump to media player during the 1950s and early 1960s kim philby denied being a soviet agent while working for mi6. Im not a lover of spy novels, yet i adored this book. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after. Kim philby and the great betrayal first edition by ben macintyre isbn. Mar 09, 2014 ben macintyres account of kim philby s long friendship with the mi6 spy nicholas elliott is a riveting read robert mccrum sun 9 mar 2014 04. Philby s two closest friends in the intelligence world, nicholas elliott of mi6 and james jesus angleton, the cia intelligence chief, thought they knew philby better than anyone. Mar 28, 2014 to order a spy among friends or kim philby, each at. But for author charlotte philby being the granddaughter of britains most. A soviet spy at the heart of british intelligence, at one point heading up the section tasked with rooting out russian spies within mi6, he betrayed hundreds of british and us agents to the russians and compromised numerous operations inside the soviet union. This book details the blunt, burgess, philby, maclean and cairncross ussr spy ring inside the british intelligence services. A spy among friends is not just an elegy, it is an unforgettable requiem observer gripping.
Kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. The 2005 film a different loyalty is an unattributed account taken from eleanor philby s book, kim philby. Eleanor philby initially believed her marriage to kim philby was perfect in every way pg. Kim philby was the greatest spy in history, a brilliant and charming man who rose to head britains counterintelligence against the soviet union during the height of the cold warwhile he was secretly working for the enemy. Nprs arun rath talks with author ben macintyre about his new book, a spy among friends, and the boozy secret to philbys success. In all the books, articles and memoirs in which philby has figured it is striking how little attention, indeed, how much credence, is given to his belief. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date offers a powerful new angle on the 20th centurys greatest spy story. Philbys life had all the elements of a gripping novel. And it continued to seem so during their years together in beirut in the late 50s and early 60s.
Aileen died in 1957, when tommy was just 11 years old. Ben macintyre has written a truly fabulous book about the fabulous kim philbythe suave, dedicated, and most intriguing spy of the entire cold war era. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It is based on candid interviews with his surviving fourth wife, rufina pukhovaphilby, as well as on an array of declassified documents from russian state archives. Kim philby and the great betrayal by ben macintyre crown macintyres thesis is that philby was shielded by the dumbly selfprotective ethos of the british upper. The period covered is 1944 to 1951, when the cambridge spies served in the british embassy in washington, d. While a student at the university of cambridge, philby.
Jan 24, 20 born in 1946, dudley tommy philby is the third of kims five children with his second of four wives, aileen furse philby. Apr 07, 2016 philbys father was a mad, largerthanlife explorer, scholar and a friend of lawrence of arabia. I would have been happy had it been three times as long mail on sunday. But for author charlotte philby being the granddaughter of britains most famous communist doubleagent has not always. Sep, 2010 le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby. Cambridge spy kim philbys denial of espionage bbc news. Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philbys friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott. The book is a journalistic coup of the first order. Ben macintyres latest nonfiction thriller, a spy among friends, is about kim philby, the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date brings to life the twentieth centurys greatest spy story.
Charlotte philbys novel examines a parents path into a dark world. Feb 27, 2014 kim philby, the socalled third man in the cambridge spy ring, was one of the cold wars most infamous traitors. But macintyre tells the devastating story in an entirely new fashion, with new sources and an astonishing intimacy. Kim philby and the great betrayal crown is the latest in ben macintyres series on twentiethcentury espionage including the bestselling operation mincemeat. Kim philby, the british mi6 officer who defected to russia during the cold war, has been published in moscow.
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