About the book
Now a major series on Prime Video starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce
\"Reads like a story by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, or John le Carré, leavened with a dollop of P.G. Wodehouse . . . [Macintyre] takes a fresh look at the grandest espionage drama of our era.\" —New York Times Book Review
Master storyteller Ben Macintyre's thrillingly ambitious A Spy Among Friends tackles the greatest spy story of all: the rise and fall of Kim Philby, MI6's Cambridge-bred golden boy who used his perch high in the intelligence world to betray friend and country to the Soviet Union for over two decades.
In Macintyre's telling, Philby's story is not a tale of one spy, but of three: the story of his complex friendships with fellow Englishman operative Nicholas Elliott and with the American James Jesus Angleton, who became one of the most powerful men in the CIA. These men came up together, shared the same background, went to the same schools and clubs, and served the same cause—or so Elliott and Angleton thought. In reality, Philby was channeling all of their confidences directly to his Soviet handlers, sinking almost every great Anglo-American spy operation for twenty years. Even as the web of suspicion closed around him, and Philby was driven to greater lies and obfuscations to protect his secret, Angleton and Elliott never abandoned him. When Philby's true master was finally revealed with his defection to Moscow in 1963, it would have profound and devastating consequences on these men who thought they knew him best, and the intelligence services they helped to build.
This remarkable story, told with heart-pounding suspense and keen psychological insight, and based on personal papers and never-before-seen British intelligence files, is a high-water mark in Cold War history telling.
Editions of A Spy Among Friends
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780771055508
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780804136631
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780804194495
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780804136655
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771055522
- EBook
- ISBN 9780804136648
- EBook
- ISBN 9780771055515
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780553397895
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780553397918
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780553397901
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780553397888
Read an Excerpt
Now a major series on Prime Video starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce
\"Reads like a story by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, or John le Carré, leavened with a dollop of P.G. Wodehouse . . . [Macintyre] takes a fresh look at the grandest espionage drama of our era.\" —New York Times Book Review
Master storyteller Ben Macintyre's thrillingly ambitious A Spy Among Friends tackles the greatest spy story of all: the rise and fall of Kim Philby, MI6's Cambridge-bred golden boy who used his perch high in the intelligence world to betray friend and country to the Soviet Union for over two decades.
In Macintyre's telling, Philby's story is not a tale of one spy, but of three: the story of his complex friendships with fellow Englishman operative Nicholas Elliott and with the American James Jesus Angleton, who became one of the most powerful men in the CIA. These men came up together, shared the same background, went to the same schools and clubs, and served the same cause—or so Elliott and Angleton thought. In reality, Philby was channeling all of their confidences directly to his Soviet handlers, sinking almost every great Anglo-American spy operation for twenty years. Even as the web of suspicion closed around him, and Philby was driven to greater lies and obfuscations to protect his secret, Angleton and Elliott never abandoned him. When Philby's true master was finally revealed with his defection to Moscow in 1963, it would have profound and devastating consequences on these men who thought they knew him best, and the intelligence services they helped to build.
This remarkable story, told with heart-pounding suspense and keen psychological insight, and based on personal papers and never-before-seen British intelligence files, is a high-water mark in Cold War history telling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Spy Among Friends about?
Now a major series on Prime Video starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce
\"Reads like a story by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, or John le Carré, leavened with a dollop of P.G. Wodehouse . . . [Macintyre] takes a fresh look at the grandest espionage drama of our era.\" —New York Times Book Review
Master storyteller Ben Macintyre's thrillingly ambitious A Spy Among Friends tackles the greatest spy story of all: the rise and fall of Kim Philby, MI6's Cambridge-bred golden boy who used his perch high in the intelligence world to betray friend and country to the Soviet Union for over two decades.
In Macintyre's telling, Philby's story is not a tale of one spy, but of three: the story of his complex friendships with fellow Englishman operative Nicholas Elliott and with the American James Jesus Angleton, who became one of the most powerful men in the CIA. These men came up together, shared the same background, went to the same schools and clubs, and served the same cause—or so Elliott and Angleton thought. In reality, Philby was channeling all of their confidences directly to his Soviet handlers, sinking almost every great Anglo-American spy operation for twenty years. Even as the web of suspicion closed around him, and Philby was driven to greater lies and obfuscations to protect his secret, Angleton and Elliott never abandoned him. When Philby's true master was finally revealed with his defection to Moscow in 1963, it would have profound and devastating consequences on these men who thought they knew him best, and the intelligence services they helped to build.
This remarkable story, told with heart-pounding suspense and keen psychological insight, and based on personal papers and never-before-seen British intelligence files, is a high-water mark in Cold War history telling.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in A Spy Among Friends?
History and Archaeology > History > General and world history
Where can I read a sample of A Spy Among Friends?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780771055508
Who is/are the Author/s of the book A Spy Among Friends?
Ben Macintyre
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
A Spy Among Friends is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780771055508) and hardcover(ISBN 9780804136631) and paperback(ISBN 9780804194495) and paperback(ISBN 9780804136655) and paperback(ISBN 9780771055522) and ebook(ISBN 9780804136648) and ebook(ISBN 9780771055515) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780553397895) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780553397918) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780553397901) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780553397888)
Where can I buy A Spy Among Friends online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy A Spy Among Friends?