One of my favorite authors of all time is Tom Clancy. The author of The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, The Sum Of All Fears and many more, Clancy can weave a web of intrigue in a novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.
His novels center around the CIA and the intelligence community, and many of the best of his stories are from the era of the Cold War.
Though his novels are fictional, they are based somewhat on reality, albeit loosely. However, the underpinning of many of his novels could very well happen. And it did.
In the 1930s, the Soviet Union recruited an agent in the British government. And they had no idea just how far this spy would go. Kim Philby flirted with communism while at university. Unknown to his closest friends, he never discarded the ideals of the communist philosophy. He just buried them, and lived the outward life of a loyal patriot.
A patriot who just happened to be in the upper echelons of the British intelligence services, MI5 and MI6. Philby fooled everyone, from his own countrymen and colleagues, to his friends in other intelligence services. And he did so for more than thirty years.
Though much of his story is conjecture, and is either buried in the archives of the British intelligence files, or has been deliberately destroyed, Philby caused massive damage to British and American efforts to subvert communism throughout the Cold War. His betrayal gave operation and political advantages to the Soviets, and caused an unknown number of deaths.
Ben Macintyre takes a deep look at the life and betrayal of Kim Philby in his new book, A Spy Among Friends, using newly released information from the British government. How could a man live such a double life, and for so long, betraying his friends, his family, and his country so effectively? Macintyre takes a look at the history, interviews those who thought they knew Philby the best, and creates a suspenseful and heart-wrenching story of a man that nobody really knew.
In the telling, Macintyre will leave you wondering how someone could fool everyone so completely, and his deep psychological insights into the inner man reveal much about Philby that will leave you fascinated, and yet sickened.
As history, A Spy Among Friends is incredibly interesting, and gives some insight into a period many lived through. As a biography, Macintyre probes the deepest reaches of the life of Kim Philby, revealing more than has ever been known. But though both aspects are fascinating, you will finish the book disgusted at how deep his betrayal ran, his betrayal not only of his nation and his colleagues, but of his best friends.
I was morbidly fascinated with A Spy Among Friends. I couldn’t put it down. And yet, I am disturbed, wondering if it has happened more than once, and what the ramifications would be if that were true. Read it for yourself and make your own judgment.
Question: Have you ever heard of Kim Philby? What were your initial thoughts about his betrayal? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I received this book free from Waterbrook/Multnomah Media as part of their Blogging For Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.