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A Spy Among Friends summary

Name: A Spy Among Friends
Rating: 4.2 (45 reviews)
Author: Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre

Philby and the Great Betrayal

4.2 (45 ratings)

22 mins

What is A Spy Among Friends about?

A Spy Among Friends (2014) details the life of Kim Philby, a highly respected operative who rose through the ranks of the British secret services during World War II and the Cold War. Though a seeming paragon of British values, he actually spent his career working as a double agent for the Russians.

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A Spy Among Friends
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What’s in it for me? Learn what kind of deeper truths may lie beneath British manners and charm.

It’s hard not to romanticize the British espionage operations of the twentieth century. One moment, you’d be quietly studying Greek lyric verse by the fire of a Cambridge college, then, a finger would tap you on the shoulder and, next thing you knew, you’d be involved in derring-do and escapades across Europe and the Middle East.

In many ways, the story of Kim Philby is a reminder to avoid being taken in by such romance. Philby was a charming traitor who never wavered in his allegiance to Moscow, even as he rose through the ranks of British intelligence. The deaths caused by his treacherous actions may number in the thousands.

Philby remains the quintessential double agent. Indeed, he and his associated Cambridge spy ring inspired John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as well as numerous other works of fiction and film.

These blinks tell the thrilling tale of a man who worked as a Soviet mole in MI6 for longer than you would even think possible.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

which indiscreet drunkard was possibly the worst spy of all time;
what kind of charm can persuade a nation of your innocence; and
what handlers teach recently recruited spies.

Kim Philby’s nascent Socialist inclinations were formed at Cambridge and in revolutionary Vienna.

To the Cambridge of 1930, Kim Philby was no outlier. When he went up to the university to read history, he was, like so many other first-year 18-year-olds, distinctly upper class and burning with academic ambition.

However, as his political outlook shifted, his scholastic tendencies were soon overtaken by more controversial occupations. He began moving in a left-wing direction by canvassing for the moderate Labour Party. But a trip to Berlin in 1933 radicalized him. There, he witnessed Nazi thugs demonstrating against Jewish citizens.

By this point, he was personally committed to the Socialist cause, but he was hardly outspoken about it. It’s known that he purchased some of Karl Marx’s works, but there’s no evidence of him ever reading or studying them in any detail, let alone of him preaching Communist ideas.

Though Philby did eventually devote himself to the Socialist cause, he did so far from home, where he was unlikely to be recognized.

Vienna, Austria, 1934. Revolution was in the air. At the time, the country was under the thumb of Engelbert Dollfuss, a right-wing dictator. A Socialist movement had coalesced, and tensions between right and left had reached boiling point.

Within just a few weeks of Philby's arrival in Vienna, Dollfuss began a crackdown. Socialist leaders were arrested, and trade unions banned. A short but violent civil war erupted.

In the ensuing chaos, Philby fell in love with Alice Kohlman, a young Jewish Socialist activist. Kohlman found herself on the proscription list of wanted Socialists. Arrest, if not worse, was imminent. Consequently, Philby married her so that she could flee to Britain and safety. Even though the couple divorced in 1946, it’s thought that Kohlman remained Philby’s only true love.

After this adventure, and once he was back in Britain, Philby's determination to fight for the Socialist cause was fixed.

Philby started out as a journalist before being recruited by the secret services.

A covert operator requires many tools. And Philby was certainly blessed with one of the most important: innate charisma. It was a characteristic that stood him in good stead for his entire career.

Philby was recruited by the Soviet secret services, and he soon began leading a double life.

What MI6 didn’t know about Philby was that he’d been a spy for quite some time.

Back in the summer of 1934, mere days after returning from Vienna, Philby was sitting in Regent’s Park, waiting for a mysterious man his wife, Alice Kohlman, had arranged for him to meet. The contact went by the name of Otto, and thanks to his cultured Eastern European airs, he soon had Philby wrapped around his finger.

Philby’s reputation as an Allied agent was impeccable, and the Soviets distrusted him for it.

A good spy needs good cover. A low-brimmed hat just won’t cut it. Philby’s own success boiled down to his perceived reputation. In the eyes of the British, his activities during World War II made him a hero.

Philby’s standing grew and grew, and, as it did, he was assigned ever more responsibilities.

By the end of World War II, Philby was head of anti-Soviet intelligence.

By 1944, it was becoming increasingly clear that World War II would end in Allied victory. This raised a tricky dilemma for Philby and other double agents. During the war, the Soviet Union and the Western Allies had been fighting a common enemy. But there was little doubt that the Soviets were themselves becoming the new enemy.

It was understandable. The British establishment had always been afraid of Communism, which had been the main focus of British intelligence prior to the war. In fact, the fight against fascism was only a temporary respite.

In 1950, a British plan to disrupt Communist Albania was undermined by Philby.

A few years after the end of World War II, Philby traveled to the United States, still in his capacity as head of anti-Soviet intelligence.

It was around this time that the Soviets’ initial doubts about Philby’s loyalty were put to rest. The information he was providing them clearly compromised British intelligence plans.

Philby was joined in the United States by a fellow Soviet spy, but the CIA had them in their sights.

As well as a busy professional life, Philby had a somewhat dramatic personal one. In total, he married four times, and, in 1951, his relationship with his second wife, Aileen Furse, was under definite strain.

To make matters worse, one of Philby’s fellow Soviet spies suddenly came to pay the family a visit. It was Guy Burgess, another member of the Cambridge Five, ostensibly working for the British Foreign Office. Now, Burgess was no ordinary spy. In fact, he was not only one of the least discreet spies of all time; he was also a drunk and a promiscuous homosexual, who made a habit of insulting influential people. These factors hardly helped him to maintain a low profile in the dour 1950s.

In the aftermath of Maclean’s flight, Philby’s cover was nearly blown.

There was no doubt that Maclean’s unmasking could potentially lead to Philby’s own, especially if his former houseguest, Burgess, were seen with Maclean. Philby had begged Burgess not to flee with Maclean, but Burgess – under instruction from Moscow – paid no heed.

At this point, Philby’s boss, Jack Eaton, summoned him back to London to discuss the disappearance of Maclean and Burgess.

In 1955, Philby came under public scrutiny for the first time, but he managed to wheedle his way out.

The investigations into Philby had achieved nothing definitive, other than leaving him suspended and the case in a state of limbo. Not everyone was satisfied. One Labour MP in particular, the notoriously fusty Colonel Marcus Lipton, sought to force the situation.

In October 1955, he made use of parliamentary privilege – which allows MPs to make potentially libelous statements in debate without fear of prosecution – to ask the prime minister how long he intended to cover up the Philby affair. As a statement, it was intended to fan the flames of press interest in Philby’s activities in Washington, and it was wildly successful.

Kim Philby’s web of deceit finally unraveled.

In 1956, Philby was sent to Beirut as a journalist on assignment for the Observer. In reality, he was set on continuing his work as a spy.

But his past was about to catch up with him. Back in 1935, Philby had lunched with Flora Solomon, a department store executive, who later introduced him to his second wife. Philby had mentioned the Communist cause and had even tried to recruit the leftist Solomon as a Soviet spy.

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Best quote from A Spy Among Friends

Philby resigned from the Times, and duly reported to a building near MI6 headquarters.

—Ben Macintyre

About the Author

Ben Macintyre is a journalist and historian. He is an associate editor, columnist and writer for the Times, and has written several best-selling books on various war-related intelligence operations and events, including the D-day landings and Operation Mincemeat.

Who should read A Spy Among Friends?

Fans of John Le Carré and other spy novelists
People interested in the history of the Cold War
Espionage enthusiasts and would-be spies

Categories with A Spy Among Friends

History Politics

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