Jul 26, 2014 philby case a tale of oldschool ties, betrayal. Harold adrian russell kim philby 1 january 1912 11 may 1988 was a british intelligence. Oct 09, 2014 there is a bbc tv series about philby and the others in his spy ring, called the cambridge spies, another tv series, that focuses on fictional characters, but with philby as a major character, is the company. Harold adrian russell kim philby 1 january 1912 11 may 1988 was a british intelligence officer who worked as a spy for the soviet union, before defecting in 1963. Philby was one of the 20th centurys most legendary spies. Isaacson writes when devouring this thriller about kim philby, the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole, i had to keep reminding myself that it was not a novel. 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. Agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, he betrayed every secret of allied operations to the russians in the early years of the cold war. Nprs arun rath talks with author ben macintyre about his new book, a spy. Ben macintyre has consulted virtually every available source on kim philby and selected the best bits for this delightful read. The film recounts philby s love affair and marriage to eleanor brewer during his time in beirut and his eventual defection to the soviet union in late january 1963, though the characters based on philby and brewer have. No matter if a spy among friends contains few startling insights there is always room on the bookshelf for wellwritten, scrupulously annotated research. An undercurrent of macintyres book is the sense that, for those living a.
The film recounts philby s love affair and marriage to eleanor brewer during his time in beirut, and his eventual defection to the soviet union in late january 1963. A new portrait of the british double agent kim philby, second from right, at a state art gallery in moscow. The facts alone would make it interesting, but in the hands of such an accomplished writer, it is totally enthralling. He simply describes his behaviour and where possible, quotes. 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. It inspired john le carres smiley novels and the later espionage novels of graham greene.
Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philbys friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott other books on philby may. Kim is a novel by nobel prizewinning english author rudyard kipling. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after. Phillip knightley, who was the only western journalist to interview british spy kim philby, a longtime double agent for the soviet union, and who wrote compelling books about journalism and the. Daughter of philby admires good dad the sunday times. Philbys son, widow, speak on 50th anniversary of his.
The name alone is enough to provoke a whole raft of visceral feelings about treachery, deceit, double dealing and betrayal. Philby was the inspiration for the character of british intelligence officer archibald arch cummings in the 2005 film the good shepherd. Together with guy burgess, donald maclean, anthony blunt and john cairncross, harold kim philby was one of the cambridge five, the most devastating group of sovietcontrolled double agents in british history. On the 50 th anniversary of philbys defection to moscow, british newspaper the daily telegraph carried an article with excerpts of interviews with one of philbys sons, dudley thomas philby, and his russian widow, rufina pukhova philby. Kim philby, the british traitor who allegedly inspired accused fbi spy robert philip hanssen, was arguably the most successful and damaging soviet double agent of the cold war period. The 2005 film a different loyalty is an unattributed account taken from eleanor philby s book, kim philby. No intelligence official has left a bigger mark on his nations service than kim philby, the british mi6 official who blew. Of the five spies in the cambridge five spy ring, philby was believed to have been the most successful at passing information to the soviet union. There is a bbc tv series about philby and the others in his spy ring, called the cambridge spies, another tv series, that focuses on fictional characters, but with philby as a major character, is the company. When devouring this thriller about kim philby, the highlevel british. I would have been happy had it been three times as long mail on sunday the life of cambridge spy kim philby is analysed in this irresistibly readable study sunday times. Mar 28, 2014 to order a spy among friends or kim philby, each at.
Jul 17, 20 harveys cia successes included the unmasking of soviet spy kim philby and masterminding the famous berlin tunnel that tapped russian communications. Born in 1946, dudley tommy philby is the third of kims five children with his second of four. Officials said that this couldnt be done because he had no soviet citizenship. Harold adrian russell philby, known to his muscovite companions as comrade kim, defected to the soviet union in 1963, working as a british affairs consultant until his. Kim philbys oldest son, has penned an extensive account of her memories of her grandfather. Apr 04, 2016 rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after defection. This book details the blunt, burgess, philby, maclean and cairncross ussr spy ring inside the british intelligence services. In the annals of espionage, one name towers above all others. Jul 24, 2014 by now, the story of british double agent harold kim philby may be the most familiar spy yarn ever, fodder for whole libraries of histories, personal memoirs and novels. Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philbys friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott. 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. New york times bestseller the true story of kim philby, the cold wars most infamous spy, from the master espionage writer and.
Apr 17, 2015 when philby arrived in washington in 1949 to become the british liaison to american intelligence replacing donald maclean, he failed to impress many of his new colleagues. Kim philbys treacherous friendship with nicholas elliott. The 2005 film a different loyalty is an unattributed account taken from eleanor philbys book, kim philby. 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. Milne knew most of the players in the philby story and his is a valuable, judicious insiders account. Ben macintyres a spy among friends the new york times. Philby defected to the soviet union from britain in 1963. Written from moscow in 1967, my silent war shook the world and introduced a new archetype in fiction. Lionsgate adapting kim philby biography a spy among. Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philby s friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott. Mar 27, 2014 by coincidence another book about philby has appeared simultaneously, kim philby. The pinnacle of harveys career came as chief of both zrrifle, the agencys political assassination operation, and task force w, the group targeted on cuba.
Ben macintyre has made a specialty of writing the history of espionage. 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. Even his russian handler, the suave and sophisticated yuri. The twoway it is a very, very dirty story, the notorious spy says in an archived film reel from 1981 that the bbc. While working as a senior member of british intelligence, he spied on behalf of the soviet kgb and nkvd from the early. When philby arrived in washington in 1949 to become the british liaison to american intelligence replacing donald maclean, he failed to impress many of his new colleagues. Jan 24, 20 on the 50 th anniversary of philbys defection to moscow, british newspaper the daily telegraph carried an article with excerpts of interviews with one of philbys sons, dudley thomas philby, and his russian widow, rufina pukhova philby.
Kim philby, the socalled third man in the cambridge spy ring, was the cold wars most infamous traitor. I was in my early teens and living in london when kim philby defected to the ussr. The daughter of kim philby, the mi6 agent who spied for the soviet union, has broken her silence to describe the admiration she feels for her father, 50 years since he defected to moscow in one of. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the great game, the political conflict between russia and. Immediately download the kim philby summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching kim philby. The fbis robert lamphere expressed surprise that this stammering englishman was a top sis official. Hes very good at it, and a spy among friends might be his best yet. Kim philby was probably the most successful double spy in history. Kim philby, british intelligence officer until 1951 and the most successful soviet double agent of the cold war period. Once in moscow mr philby became a russian citizen and remarried.
Kim philby simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. He was apparently responsible for the deaths of many western agents whose activities he betrayed to the soviets during the 1940s and early 50s. 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. A member of the british establishment, philby joined the secret intelligence service in 1940, rose to the head of soviet counterintelligence, and, as mi6s liaison with the cia and the fbi, betrayed every secret of allied operations to the russians. New york times bestseller the true story of kim philby, the cold wars. Phillip knightley, journalist who wrote of british spy. Her thriller, described by its publishers as a cross between john. For more than 50 years, the career of harold adrian russell philby kim to friends and family has. Harveys cia successes included the unmasking of soviet spy kim philby and masterminding the famous berlin tunnel that tapped russian communications. Le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby channel 4 news. Sep, 2010 le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby.
Ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philbys friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott this book consists of 300. Of all soviet spies during the cold war, harold kim philby is the one authors seem to most like writing about. He died in russia in 1988 and was buried with full military honours. Wisely, macintyre doesnt delve too deeply into philbys motivation. Comrade philby kgb spy documentary timeline youtube. 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 philby s betrayal and defection to the soviet. Jan 03, 2018 harold adrian russell philby, known to his muscovite companions as comrade kim, defected to the soviet union in 1963, working as a british affairs consultant until his death in the late 1980s. Kim philby was the greatest spy in history, a brilliant and charming man who. 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. Operation mincemeat, agent zigzag, and rogue heroes, among other books. A prolific writer on intelligence work, the philby study is his third fulllength book.
Todor boyadjiev at the presentation of his book the spy. Even in death, the spy kim philby serves the kremlins. Mar 12, 2015 ben macintyres bottomlessly fascinating new book is an exploration of kim philby s friendships, particularly with nicholas elliott. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after defection. Of the five spies in the cambridge five spy ring, philby was believed to have been the most successful at. 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. Probably, now, when 100 years turned since his birth, kim philby will be post mortem awarded with the title of the hero of russia. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking. Philby january 1, 1912 may 11, 1988 was a high ranking member of british intelligence who led a lifelong career as a spy for the soviet union philby was revealed as a possible member of the spy ring known as the cambridge five, along with donald maclean, guy burgess, anthony blunt and john cairncross although cairncrosss involvement. 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. Kim philbys granddaughter describes memories of her. Jul 27, 2014 what made double agent kim philby a great spy. The tv banner has acquired the tv rights to british author ben macintyres new biography a spy among friends. By coincidence another book about philby has appeared simultaneously, kim philby.
Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date brings to life the twentieth centurys greatest spy story. Kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. In 1956, philby began an affair with eleanor brewer, the wife of the new york times correspondent. Feb 21, 2001 kim philby, the british traitor who allegedly inspired accused fbi spy robert philip hanssen, was arguably the most successful and damaging soviet double agent of the cold war period. We use cookies to collect information about how you use gov.
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