A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, Macintyre - B +

                                                As all of the files are still classified, this is an attempt to tell the Philby story through the prism of his friends and the upper-class concept of friendship. Kim Philby, Nicholas Elliott, Anthony Blunt, Guy Burgess, John Cairncross and Donald Maclean were all well-educated Englishmen, members of MI6, MI5, or the Foreign Office.  Elliott didn't work for Moscow and was Philby's closest friend and colleague. The rest are forever known to history as 'the Cambridge Five', all traitors. Philby was born in India, the son of a brilliant, eccentric scholar who converted to Islam and became an advisor to Ibn Saud.  A communist by the time he left university, Philby was like many facing the nihilism and threats of fascism for whom USSR seemed to offer an alternative. He became their dedicated and devoted agent, feeding Moscow Center everything he came across at MI6. He specialized in counter-intelligence during the war, before being assigned to Istanbul, and then the ultimate post: Washington. His material was so good that at times the Soviets didn't believe him. They thought he was a double agent feeding them falsehoods. But he kept providing such excellent intelligence that they eventually realized he was a gold mine. In particular, while in Washington, he was able to let them know everything the British and American services were trying to do to crack the Eastern bloc. He caused innumerable deaths, especially among  the emigres who so often were the people acting as infiltrators and spies. Tipped by Philby, Burgess and Maclean defected to Moscow in May 1951. Thus began his own eventual downfall. Both the CIA and MI5 had their doubts about  Philby. The CIA said he could never return to the US and intelligence sharing would be ended if Philby stayed on. MI5 also concluded he was guilty. His standing within the English upper class initially protected him.  It simply was incomprehensible that a gentleman would lie. Nonetheless, MI6 eventually sacked him.  However, most of MI6 believed him to be innocent and MI5 and 6 engaged in a five-year-long battle over Philby. In the end, the old boy network, with Elliott taking the lead, prevailed. Philby was in from the cold and back at MI6 as an agent with the cover of a journalist in Beirut.  A few years later he was riding high with a new wife, re-engaged with the Soviets and treasured by the British, as the new Beirut Station Chief was his good friend, Nicholas Elliott.  However, by 1963 the noose was tightening  as a Soviet defector and an old English friend he had tried to recruit in the 30's provided damning information to MI5. By then Elliott was back in London and he was sent out to confront Philby.  He did and they spent four days verbally dueling, parrying, and Kim Philby gave up most of the ghost. He confessed to a lot but not all that he had done, and he let Elliott infer that he would take up his offer of amnesty in exchange for truthfulness. Instead, he did a 'fade' and wound up in Moscow.  For those on both sides of the Atlantic who had trusted him, it was a devastating turn of events.  He lived another twenty-five years bored and drunk, received the Order of Lenin and was given a grand funeral with a KGB honor guard.  Elliott issued a press release praising him, in an attempt to get the Russians to think he had duped them.  The game never ends.

                                                This is a fun, interesting read. I do think Macintyre succeeds in his exposition of the friendships amongst the upper class. The concept that someone who clubbed at Whites couldn't betray his country is so very, very English.  I would also be remiss if I did not point out that the author is being somewhat cute with the title.  The very beginning of the book points out that 'Friends' is slang for members of the intelligence services.