Mar 28, 2014 to order a spy among friends or kim philby, each at. Ben macintyres a spy among friends the new york times. A spy among friends is an absolutely captivating book. In this book, mi6, known to its initiates as the hotel, appears to be a. Kim philby and the great betrayal by ben macintyre kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. A spy among friends, philby and the great betrayal by ben. I gave it to him as a gift and he had great problems to stop reading. 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. A spy among friends is an extraordinary book about a sordid profession in which the most important attribute is the ability to liemacintyres focus on friendship brings an intimacy to this book that is missing from the cardboard stereotypes that populate spy novels and conventional espionage historiesim not a lover of spy novels, yet. 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. Kim philby and the great betrayal crown is the latest in ben macintyres series on twentiethcentury espionage including the bestselling operation mincemeat. Kim philby and the great betrayal by ben macintyre kim philby was the greatest spy in history, a brilliant and charming man who rose to head britains counterintelligence. The focus of a spy among friends is the fragility of trust in the spy business. Agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, he betrayed every secret of allied operations to the russians in the early years of the cold war.
Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on. Apart from the pain of losing his best friend when philby was outed and subsequently fled to russia, elliott also. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital. John michael ward bingham, 7th baron clanmorris aka michael ward 19081988 was the. Macintyres focus on friendship brings an intimacy to this book. With access to newly released mi5 files and previously unseen family papers. Apart from the pain of losing his best friend when philby was outed and subsequently fled to russia, elliott also suffered the embarrassment of having brought philby back into mi6 after he had been nearly exposed as a spy a few years earlier. Bbc radio 4 book of the week, ben macintyre a spy among.
Several men have worked for the british intelligence services and have gone on to have successful writing careers. This book tells the story of the men and women of fighter command who worked tirelessly in air bases scattered throughout britain to thwart. To order a spy among friends or kim philby, each at. A spy among friends by ben macintyre, 9781408851784, available at book. Kim philby and the great betrayal from the worlds largest community of readers. Books of the week it reads like fiction, which is testament to the. To read a spy among friends is a bit like climbing aboard a runaway train in terms of speed and excitement except that macintyre knows exactly where he is going and is in total control of his material daily mail, books of the week. He was the only one of the family to survive what francois maurois, in his introduction, calls the human holocaust of the persecution of the jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens. Kim philby and the great betrayal by ben macintyre 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. Jul 24, 2014 david ignatius is a washington post columnist and the author of. Boston globe macintyre is a superb writer, with an eye for the telling detail as fine as any novelistsa spy among. Macintyres focus on friendship brings an intimacy to this book that is missing from the cardboard stereotypes that populate spy novels and conventional espionage historiesim not a lover of spy novels. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to da. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
A spy among friends by ben macintyre suspected of being a spy for a decade before his 1963 defection to moscow, kim philby escaped punishment with the help of a smooth manner and. Recorded october 18, 2018 praised for his elegant, jaunty, and very british high style new york times, ben macintyre is the bestselling author of a spy among friends, agent zigzag. A spy among friends is an absolutely captivating book about. Read free book excerpt from a spy among friends by ben macintyre, page 1 of 9. Kim philby and the great betrayal kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. Jan 01, 2015 the book a spy among friends written by ben macintire made for fascinating reading for my husband.
Instead, it seeks to tell his story in a different way, through the prism of personal friendship, and perhaps arrive at a new understanding of. Philby and the great betrayal by macintyre, ben isbn. It definitely deserves all the accolades it has received. A spy among friends is an extraordinary book about a sordid profession in which the most important attribute is the ability to lie. Your book beginning my book beginning one moment nicholas elliott was at ascot racecourse, watching the favorite, quashed, come romping home at 72, and the next, rather to his own surprise, he. Ben macintyre is a historian and documentary presenter. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date brings to life the twentieth centurys greatest spy story. Buy a spy among friends by ben macintyre from waterstones today. 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. Boston globe 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. 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. A spy among friends by ben mcintyre great pick for 2020. No one writes about deceit and subterfuge so dramatically, authoritatively or perceptively.
A spy among friends, who specializes in writing about espionage and clandestine operations, describes the founding and operations of the. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date brings to life the twentieth centurys. Here he tells the story of his book a spy among friends. There is no question that kim philby was the most legendary spy of world war ii. A spy among friends is an absolutely captivating book about the kim philby case like macintyres other books, a spy among friends is extensively researched, wellwritten, and a terrific read. Jul 29, 2014 elie wiesel spent his early years in a small transylvanian town as one of four children. It appears that two things were crucial to become successful in mi6drink like a fish and be from the right. Kim philby, spies, and the dangers of paranoia the new.
Kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. A spy among friends manages to convey philbys satanic charm craig brown, mail on sunday books of the year this account of the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole. This book does not purport to be the last word on kim philby. With access to newly released mi5 files and previously unseen family papers, and. A spy among friends by ben macintyre used very good. He was only able to put the book down when absolutely necessary. To read a spy among friends is a bit like climbing aboard a runaway train in terms of speed and excitement except that macintyre knows exactly where he is going and is in total control of his material daily mail, books of the week it reads like fiction, which is testament to the extraordinary power of the story itself but also to the. Kim philby and the great betrayal by ben macintyre.
It seems that spy agencies, when they dont keep their files perpetually top secret, often destroy them. There is no question that kim philby was the most legendary. An engaging book on a tantalising and ultimately tragic subject, if it starts as a study of friendship, it ends as an indictment philip hensher, spectator no one writes. The book a spy among friends written by ben macintire made for fascinating reading for my husband. Book of the week, ben macintyre a spy among friends. A spy among friends is an absorbing book offering stories of sex, booze, betrayal, suspense, and other risky behaviors. Oct 26, 2018 ben macintyre is a historian and documentary presenter. Mar 12, 2015 to read a spy among friends is a bit like climbing aboard a runaway train in terms of speed and excitement except that macintyre knows exactly where he is going and is in total control of his material daily mail, books of the week it reads like fiction, which is testament to the extraordinary power of the story itself but also to the. His previous books, such as agent zigzag and operation mincemeat, have emerged from the pack of genre espionage history, largely because. It appears that two things were crucial to become successful in mi6drink like a fish. Ben macintyre tells the story of notorious british defector and soviet mole kim philby.
To read a spy among friends is a bit like climbing aboard a runaway. Told with heartpounding suspense and keen psychological insight, and based on personal papers and neverbeforeseen british intelligence files, a spy among friends is ben macintyres best book yet, a highwater mark in cold war history telling. Macintyres focus on friendship brings an intimacy to this book that is. To read a spy among friends is a bit like climbing aboard a runaway train in.
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