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The Third Man
A good deal has already been heard, and written in the popular press, about Harold "Kim" Philby, the double agent who infiltrated the British Secret Ingelligence Service - and who at one stage was tipped to become its chief.
E.H. Cookridge, an international authority on espionage, a former secret agent and author of several best-sellers including 'Inside SOE', knew Philby over a period of thirty-three years. In this book he provides the first complete dossier on Philby's fantastic double life.
E.H. Cookridge, an international authority on espionage, a former secret agent and author of several best-sellers including 'Inside SOE', knew Philby over a period of thirty-three years. In this book he provides the first complete dossier on Philby's fantastic double life.
283 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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About the author
E.H. Cookridge
15 books2 followersE.H. Cookridge is the pseudonymn of Edward Spiro.
He used several other pseudonymns, including Peter Leighton, Peter Morland,
Ronald Reckitt and Edward H Spire along with probably his most famous, E.H. Cookridge.
As Cookridge, he wrote his first book Secrets of the British Secret Service in 1948 and this contained 'some highly coloured versions of true events'.
Most of his works under the Cookridge pseudonymn are concerned with spies and spying, including books on George Blake and Kim Philby.
He used several other pseudonymns, including Peter Leighton, Peter Morland,
Ronald Reckitt and Edward H Spire along with probably his most famous, E.H. Cookridge.
As Cookridge, he wrote his first book Secrets of the British Secret Service in 1948 and this contained 'some highly coloured versions of true events'.
Most of his works under the Cookridge pseudonymn are concerned with spies and spying, including books on George Blake and Kim Philby.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 29, 2016
Kim Philby, a double spy agent, worked with both Great Britain and the Soviet Union agencies. He studied at Cambridge University and while there he became acquainted with Guy Burgess. Philby graduated in 1933. Donald Maclean, slightly younger, also went to Cambridge and became drawn in to what was known as the Unholy Trinity with a strong sympathy towards communism and its principles.
Kim Philby was a quiet, but supremely efficient spy, and whilst in Europe, having established contact with a Soviet spymaster, set up a network involving Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean. All worked for the British Foreign Office from pre-World War 2 through to post World War 2, and as their careers progressed, so did their access to confidential information increase. The network was partially exposed and in 1951 Burgess and Maclean fled to Vienna and then to Russia.
It was not until 1963 that Kim Philby (the Third Man), having been exposed as a double agent, also fled to Russia.
The author has constructed a story that certainly gives a useful history of a devastatingly efficient spy ring, but it is a rather dry and stilted story.
Kim Philby was a quiet, but supremely efficient spy, and whilst in Europe, having established contact with a Soviet spymaster, set up a network involving Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean. All worked for the British Foreign Office from pre-World War 2 through to post World War 2, and as their careers progressed, so did their access to confidential information increase. The network was partially exposed and in 1951 Burgess and Maclean fled to Vienna and then to Russia.
It was not until 1963 that Kim Philby (the Third Man), having been exposed as a double agent, also fled to Russia.
The author has constructed a story that certainly gives a useful history of a devastatingly efficient spy ring, but it is a rather dry and stilted story.
April 8, 2011
A contemporary account of Kim Philby's part in the disappearance of spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean in which the author traces Philby's career from his undergraduate days at Cambridge through to his final flight to Russia in 1963.
Obviously a lot more is known of the whole affair nowadays but this account written at the time is full of zest and brings the whole affair to life. The beauty of being written at the time is that the reader can imagine that he or she is actually there taking part in the unravelling of everything.
It does seem remarkable how Philby was able to get away with a life of double-agent when so many triggers were there to identify him at the time. Similarly Maclean and Burgess who fled before Philby and on his tip-off.
Also remarkable is the way in which the government of the day handled the whole affair. It most certainly wouldn't happen today!
Obviously a lot more is known of the whole affair nowadays but this account written at the time is full of zest and brings the whole affair to life. The beauty of being written at the time is that the reader can imagine that he or she is actually there taking part in the unravelling of everything.
It does seem remarkable how Philby was able to get away with a life of double-agent when so many triggers were there to identify him at the time. Similarly Maclean and Burgess who fled before Philby and on his tip-off.
Also remarkable is the way in which the government of the day handled the whole affair. It most certainly wouldn't happen today!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews