The Master Spy: The Story of Kim Philby - Hardcover

Knightley ( The Second Oldest Profession ) obtained a series of remarkably frank interviews with Kim Philby not long before his death last year, and from them has written an intimate portrait of the man widely regarded as the most successful penetration agent in the history of espionage. Philby's conversations ranged widely, including discussions of the origins of his political convictions, his stint as war correspondent in Spain, his friendships with fellow KGB agents Donald MacLean and Guy Burgess, his life in Russia following his 1963 defection, and his views on patriotism, honor and the human condition. Philby claims, convincingly, that he was forced to defect by British authorities who wanted to avoid the scandal that his arrest would have provoked. This is but one of innumerable revelations of utmost interest to students of modern espionage. Another: that a covert FBI operation directed by J. Edgar Hoover went awry in 1956 and, instead of exposing Philby as planned, enabled him to continue working for the KGB for seven more years. Knightley concludes that Philby "died happy, fulfilled and unracked by guilt." The book is a journalistic coup of the first order. Photos. 50,000 first printing.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Another book on Kim Philby? And Knightley's second ( Philby: The Spy Who Betrayed a Generation) on the same topic? Why? Knightley addresses these reservations by proving that his unique chance to interview the dying Philby in 1988 has produced a tantalizing, intimate story. The author's portrait is excessively personal and verges on a grudging sympathy. "Yes, Philby was a traitor," he admits. "But traitor to what, remains open to debate." Other books, like Robert Cecil's A Divided Life: A Biography of Donald Maclean (LJ 2/15/89), are not so kind to Philby et al. But this offers enough Philbyan tidbits and minutiae, from tales of the Cambridge days to the "hero's welcome" in Moscow in January 1963, that the reader will find it most satisfying. Well written for a well-worn tale, spiced with asides from numerous interviews.
- John Yurechko, Georgetown Univ . , Washington, D.C .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.