
Kim Philby is perhaps the most notorious traitor in British History & the archetypal spy: ingenious charming & deceitful. The reluctance of the British & Russian governments to reveal full details of his career meant that for many years a shortage of evidence fuelled controversy. Was Philby an ideological spy working for the Soviet Union out of Communist conviction or was he prompted by a personality defect to choose a life of treachery? Was Philby the perfect agent the KGB masterspy or just plain lucky? In this new biography Edward Harrison re-examines the crucial early years of Philbys work as a Soviet agent & British intelligence officer using documents from the United Kingdom National Archives & private papers. He shows how Philby established an early pattern of deceit & betrayed his father St John Philby. But the book also demonstrates how in all the major decisions Philby slavishly sought to emulate his father. This contradicts the myth of independence Philby sought to propagate in My Silent War (his memoirs) along with other deceptions. Later chapters offer the first detailed study of Philbys work as a counter-espionage officer during the Second World War examining his rapid promotion & providing a substantial explanation of why he was appointed head of the anti-Soviet section of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Harrison also explains that Philby was never wholly trusted by the Soviet secret service.