Young Philby

by Robert Littell, John Lee (Narrator)

Bestselling novelist Robert Littell employs all his considerable skills in telling the story of Kim Philby through the eyes of more than twenty true-life characters. As each layer is revealed, the question arises: Who really was this man?

When Kim Philby fled to Moscow in 1963, he became the most infamous double agent in history. A member of Britain's intelligence service since World War II, he had risen to become their chief officer in Washington, D.C. after the war. The exposure of other members of the group of double agents known as the Cambridge Five led to the revelation that he had been working for Russia for even longer than he had been part of MI6. Yet he escaped, and spent the last twenty-five years of his life in Moscow.

In Young Philby, Robert Littell tells the story of the spy's early years. In the words of his friends, lovers, and Soviet handlers we see the development of a fascinating, flawed man who kept people guessing about his ideals and allegiances until the very end.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Espionage, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

8 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

An American author residing in France. He specializes in spy novels that often concern the CIA and the Soviet Union. He became a journalist and worked many years for Newsweek during the Cold War. He's also an amateur mountain climber and is the father of award-winning novelist Jonathan Littell.

Reviews

[Konstantinos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Μια σούπα από αντικομμουνιστικά κλισέ για τη Σοβιετική Ένωση, τον Στάλιν και την NKVD. Μπροστά στον Robert Littell ο John le Carré μοιάζει φιλοσοβιετικός. Και να πω ότι από λογοτεχνία έλεγε πολλά...

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Ρόμπερτ Λίτελ είναι ένας αρκετά γνωστός Αμερικάνος συγγραφέας κατασκοπευτικών μυθιστορημάτων (κυρίως), κατά κύριο λόγο χάρη στην συγγραφή του μνημειώδους τούβλου με τον τίτλο "The Company", που αφορά την ιστορία της CIA. Κλασικά, όμως, στην Ελλάδα είναι αρκετά παραμελημένος. Το "Φίλμπυ" είναι μόλις το δεύτερο βιβλίο του που μεταφράζεται, μετά από ένα όχι και τόσο γνωστό του, το "Η πεταλούδα της Σιβηρίας", που κυκλοφόρησε πριν αρκετά χρόνια. Στο δια ταύτα: Έμεινα απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος.

Περίληψη δεν χρειάζεται να γράψω, το βιβλίο αφορά την δράση του γνωστού Βρετανού κατασκόπου Κιμ Φίλμπυ, που δούλεψε για λογαριασμό των Σοβιετικών, όντας κομμουνιστής. Ή μήπως όχι; Τελικά για ποιον δούλεψε στην πραγματικότητα; Το βιβλίο δίνει μια ιδέα για το έργο του Φίλμπυ, τον γνωρίζουμε καλύτερα σαν κατάσκοπο αλλά και σαν άνθρωπο, όμως δεν γινόμαστε σοφότεροι ως προς τα αληθινά του κίνητρα. Αλλά, υποθέτω, εκεί είναι η γλύκα, ο σκοπός, να μην μας τα δώσει όλα στο πιάτο ο συγγραφέας, αλλά να διαβάσουμε ανάμεσα από τις γραμμές.

Λοιπόν, το βιβλίο μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ, χάρη στον τρόπο αφήγησης, την γραφή και την σούπερ ατμόσφαιρα που πρέπει να έχει κάθε κατασκοπευτικό μυθιστόρημα της προκοπής. Σε κάθε κεφάλαιο άλλαζε ο αφηγητής, πότε αφηγούνταν μια Ρωσίδα αναλύτρια, πότε ένας φίλος του Φίλμπυ από το Κέιμπριτζ, πότε η Εβραία και Κομμουνίστρια ερωμένη του (που παντρεύτηκε τελικά), και πάει λέγοντας. Όλες οι αφηγήσεις περιστρέφονται γύρω από τον Φίλμπυ και την δράση του, πριν και κατά την διάρκεια του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου. Γινόμαστε μάρτυρες διαφόρων ιστορικών γεγονότων, στα οποία ο Φίλμπυ και οι γύρω του έπαιξαν τον ρόλο τους. Υπάρχουν κάμποσες ωραίες σκηνές με κατασκοπευτικά κόλπα, όπως και σκηνές δράσης, διάφορες πολιτικοκοινωνικές αναφορές, και ούτω καθεξής. Η γραφή είναι πολύ καλή, ξεκούραστη και ευκολοδιάβαστη, με ωραίες περιγραφές.

Το βιβλίο δεν έχει και καμιά τρομερή βαθμολογία στο Goodreads, ίσως επειδή δεν είναι το απόλυτο βιβλίο για την ζωή και την δράση του Φίλμπυ. Δεν μπορώ να σκεφτώ κάτι άλλο, μιας και προσωπικά μου άρεσε πάρα μα πάρα πολύ. Η ιστορία, η γραφή και ο τρόπος αφήγησης, οι χαρακτήρες, η ατμόσφαιρα... Είμαι λάτρης των κατασκοπευτικών ιστοριών και η συγκεκριμένη με άφησε ιδιαίτερα ικανοποιημένο. Μακάρι να μεταφραστούν και άλλα βιβλία του Ρόμπερτ Λίτελ, ειδικά το "The Company".

Υ.Γ. Η έκδοση της Άγρας κλασικά πολύ ωραία και προσεγμένη απ'όλες τις απόψεις. Στο μεταξύ, σήμερα αγόρασα την αυτοβιογραφία του Φίλμπυ, με τον τίτλο "Ο σιωπηλός μου πόλεμος", που κυκλοφόρησε στα ελληνικά φέτος τον Ιούνιο, από τις εκδόσεις Σύγχρονη Εποχή. Θα διαβαστεί μέχρι το τέλος της χρονιάς.

[Nikos Tsentemeidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλό σε γενικές γραμμές, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση δε φτάνει τον Λε Καρρέ

[Michael Martz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically avoid historical fiction because I usually find myself asking too many questions due to the mix of reality and conjecture, but 'Young Philby' seemed right up my alley (spies, great author, famous subject) so I gave it a shot. Glad I did... it's a nice re-creation of Kim Philby's early years and leaves us with a big question answered (or not) at its conclusion.

Kim Philby is one of the most famous spies, and traitors, in history. He was a highly regarded member of the British secret service who, along with a few fellow Cambridge grads, spied for the Russians during and after WWII. Young Philby takes us back to the beginning, when the idealistic young man, the son of a relatively famous English Lawrence of Arabia-type figure, gets himself involved in a pre-WWII foreign civil war, barely escapes from the Nazis, marries a Jewish firebrand in order to get her out of Austria as it’s being invaded, and lands back on his feet in Britain as the world is preparing for war. It was a complicated time: the Russians were attempting to spread communism, many Brits were not as concerned with Hitler as they were with Stalin, alliances between countries were being made and broken, and Hitler finally makes his move. Unable to get a decent job in Britain for a couple different reasons, Philby becomes a war correspondent, earns his spurs, and gets recruited by the Russians to pass along information. He joins the British intelligence service and rises in the ranks, giving his Russian masters an enviable view into what their adversaries are working on. If you follow the spy novel genre, you know the rest of the story (which isn't covered in this book) by the sheer number of times it's mentioned in the literature. He and his Cambridge buddies are 'outed' and Philby escapes to the Soviet Union one step ahead of finding himself executed for treason.

Littell's writing is excellent in Young Philby, especially the dialogue as he constantly emphasizes Philby's stutter in his passages. He does a great job creating the clever repartee between the highly educated upper crust Brits as they deal with this son-of-a-legend and he communicates with his Cambridge friends and lovers. As usual, I'm enthralled by the sheer amount of lying and duplicity involved in the spy profession and Littell has never shied away from that side of the game. Young Philby ends with a plausible alternative to the official Kim Philby story: what if he was in spreading disinformation to the Russians for the Brits while the Russians thought he was spying for them?

[Gerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps it is because I have read very many other books on Philby, all true - or as true as they can be in the circumstances of his life-, that I could not get along with this fictionalised account of his early years. What ever it was, I just could not empathise with the portrait of a young Philby at all. Indeed, he did not come across as the character that I had previously read about.

Plenty of dull and uninteresting stuff about his early life in Vienna set the wrong tone for me and as the book developed it got worse for the story is told by a variety of different characters, which only went along to confuse who was speaking, what was happening and why.Was he indeed just a spy? Or was he a double agent? Or was he even a triple agent? All speculation and in the light of what has come out later even more confusing to comprehend in this fictionalised account.

As a student of the Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Blunt saga I was really looking forward to this book but in the end it proved a most disappointing read and I must confess I skip read the end because I had almost completely lost interest.

I am afraid I thought Frederick Forsyth's cover comment, 'A Riveting Read' an extreme touch of hyperbole!

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I've read Robert Littell. This wasn't one of his best novels (*** 1/2), but it was still fascinating. At its core, 'Young Philby' is an ahistorical, fictionalized telling of the early life and background of Kim Philby, the most famous of the Cambridge Five.

Littell's fictionalized account imagines the possibility that Philby was actually more than just a double agent. I would tell you more, but then I would have to kill you. Anyway, 'Young Philby' was well-written, well-developed, and nuanced enough to make Littell's argument credible.
___________________

- Robert Farwell / Edward Jones library / Mesa, AZ 2014

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kim Philby could possibly be the most notorious double agent in espionage history. Recruited by the Secret Intelligent Service during World War II, he began spying for the Russians on the British intelligence service. Robert Littell’s Young Philby follows what little we know about his early years up till what made him a great double (or should we say triple?) agent.

Kim Philby was a real high-ranking British intelligence officer who worked as a double agent serving as both an NKVD and KGB operative. Robert Littell takes what little we know about this famous spy and tries to recount a fictionalised version of his life, but does it really cover the truth? It’s hard to recount a story when you don’t know the real thoughts that went through the person’s head and I think this was the one major thing that was lacking. I can understand, being a fictionalised version of his life, the author didn’t want to speculate on his motivations, but I really wanted more on his psychological profile.

As an espionage novel goes, this is no John le Carré; there is a sense of complexity with the double agent idea but I found it really easy to follow. I love le Carré’s ability to write these massively complex espionage novels that really take you on a journey of the unexpected and I would have liked a bit more of that from Robert Littell but he was probably confined to the facts. This was a compelling read and I love a good spy story but I think the narrative did need a little more work to put it among the great espionage novels.

Fast pacedand shifting perspectives really helped driving this novel and the cover alone makes this book worth purchasing. If you don’t know much about the life of Kim Philby, this would be a good place to start; learn about the Cambridge Five, the defection to Russia or just explore a good cold war spy story. I’m glad I got a chance to read Young Philby; I didn’t know much about the man but he did have an interesting life. These fictionalised accounts of history may not be 100% accurate but they do make it easier to get a sense of what happened.

This review orginally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...

[Geevee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readable fictional account of the life of Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby, who was a Soviet agent/spy and was a member of the Cambridge Five.

The story at a fast pace but with contributions in the first person by different people in each chapter this at times felt very disjointed, and although clear [that it was a different person telling the story] it was not obvious who was "narrating" at the outset and left the reader to guess for some pages.

For me as it is a novel this format meant characterisation was thin in places and left this reader with little chance to understand the characters better - and perhaps why I liked the early part best as the other chapters that followed after were almost intruding into the events in Austria and the relationships formed there.

Enjoyable but not as riveting as the cover quote from Frederick Forsyth suggests.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and career of Kim Philby, most famous of the Cambridge Five, from 1933 to 1945, as seen through the eyes of a variety of people around him - with an interesting albeit (Littell's explanation in the coda of where his inspiration originated notwithstanding) rather farfetched seeming twist. I thoroughly enjoyed the style and found this to be an intriguing take on a fascinating character.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction because I always learn something new.. I remember the headlines when Kim Philby, the famous British SIS agent, was outed as a double agent- Big news,big scandal in 1963.
I found the format of this book terrific as each chapter uses first person narrative of each of the key players that were involved in this real life tale of seduction and espionage moving quickly along from 1934 until the escape to Moscow in 1963:
His lovers, his handlers, his father,his classmates, student infatuation with Communism, the Spanish civil war and Franco the rise of Hitler and the paranoia of Stalin. Fascinating really. You see through their eyes the events and what their thinking was, and how they turned Philby, or seduced him,or thought of him. This book is fiction, but as Littell, states it is his best guess based on the known facts:
We know he was an agent working for Moscow, we know he was an agent working for Britain. We know he was a double agent, and we know he fled to Moscow to avoid arrest or was he a triple agent?? Apparently it is still anyone's guess.

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Младият Филби е способен да шпионира за всички: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/m...

Романът е прекрасен исторически разказ за бурните и хаотични години около идването на власт на Хитлер, та до оня важен негов последен изстрел – Лител ни пренася сред бунтовете в Австрия преди Хитлеровия аншлус, в разгара на Испанската гражданска война, в началото на немския блицкриг срещу Франция, и сетне, сред лондонските кръчми и учреждения, където се кове победата, но и се градят плановете за след войната. Последователно той дава глас на хората около Филби – неговите приятели и колеги, любовниците му, вербовчиците, с които си има работа, и които се опитват всякчески да го разгадаят, та чак до коридорите на НКВД, където една анализаторка се осмелява да се усъмни във Филби и се озовава чак пред строгия взор на самия Сталин – с обичайните последствия на което.

ИК Прозорец
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/m...

[Ross Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is was a most interesting look into the pre war activities of Kim Philby considered by many to be the most successful double agent of the Cambridge Five. The book is only 286 pages long but its dramatisation of the facts through the eyes of the various people he came in contact with over this time provides an interesting slant on how he affected the lives of these individuals. His contact with British, Russian and Americans gives credence to the fact that he was probably a triple agent!
Robert Littell's interpretation of the facts provides a different insight on what might have occurred. The influence of his father is not generally known but provides a different aspect as to how the cold war came into being post World War II. A bit heavy going in parts but overall a good read for anyone wanting a simple summary of his life 1933-1963. Highly recommended

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction of the infamous double agent in the 30's who was recruited by the Soviets along with four other Cambridge leftist intellectuals. After Philby defected he caused much turmoil among the Allies and precipitated the CIA's mole hunt which wrecked havoc within the agency.

This book presents an interesting perspective on Philby in the 30's. At school, then onward to Vienna on this motorbike trying to avert a coup by Hitler's cronies, and then as a journalist in the Spanish Civil War - reporting on Franco's side to support his rightist positions.

The author finishes with a proposition that perhaps Philby was actually a triple agent!

[High Wycombe Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, whilst reading Young Philby it is easy to believe that you are reading a factual account of Kim Philby's early years, such is the air of authenticity with which bestselling author Robert Littell has imbued his novel. Written in the form of letters and memoirs of those who knew him, Young Philby is an atmospheric novel of one of history's most infamous double agents. ^GE

If you liked Young Philby why not try:
A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming
The Russia House by John Le Carre

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the world of spies and counterspies, uncertainty is a constant: a cause of sleepless nights for some practitioners, an aphrodisiac for others. For Robert Littell it is grist for his latest espionage novel.
Littell’s “what if” premise supposes that Harold Adrian Russell Philby — nicknamed Kim after Kipling’s fictional spy — was not the person we have been led to believe. who enjoy cold war espionage, spy tradecraft, World War II history, or plain old-fashioned good writing will appreciate this novel.

[Christopher Culp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, thought-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable. Littell uses first person with different narrators of each chapter to great effect as a way of exploring a possible early life of notorious spy Kim Philby. His book weaves a plausible and very engaging tale. As historical fiction in the espionage genre goes, this is a strong contribution. I finished the book thinking that Littell made a good case for his hypothetical scenario, and, regardless, told a terrific story in the process. A nice work by an author whose books rarely disappoint.

[Armin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kim Philby und seine Cambridge Five gelten als so etwas wie der größte Patzer des britischen Geheimdienstes bzw. als Symbol für die Niedergang einer Weltmacht. Mit Philby startete Robert Littell auf seine alten Tage einen Entwurf in Sachen Alternative History, dabei geht nicht der zweite Weltkrieg anders aus, - nein, sondern die vermeintliche Riesendummheit erweist sich als größter Coup in Sachen Desinformation.

Desinformation bzw. Mind-Fucking der gegnerischen Geheimdienste bzw. Führungsspitze, mit diesem Thema hat Robert Littell seine literarische Karriere begonnen (Der Springer), dabei auch schon bald Stalin für sich entdeckt, erst in Gestalt eines reaktivierten Doppelgänger des Diktators (Task Force 753), später auch als historische Hauptperson, die zuletzt vom Haupthelden und langjährigen Lubjanka-Gast ermordet wird (Roter Winter). Die beiden erwähnten Romane aus den späten 1970ern, 80ern enthielten allerlei unvergessliche Szenen, waren aber jeweils um ein Drittel zu kurz, bzw. für den Umfang schlecht ausbalanciert und muteten dem Helden schier unglaublich viele Kontakte mit der Prominenz oder Unglücksfällen der Epoche zu.
Ein bisschen von dieser Erbmasse steckt auch im durchaus trickreich gemachten Spätwerk über den jungen Kim Philby, so dass der überwiegend heitere Roman über den Kopf der Cambridge Five schon mal in die Nähe des 100jährigen gerät, aber - wie schon eingangs erwähnt, der rundum tragische Rote Winter leidet auch unter dem Zelig- oder Forrest-Gump-Faktor.
Neu ist der Wechsel der Erzählperspektiven, bzw. unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen auf die umstrittene Hauptperson, in gewisser Hinsicht ein Vorlauf zum finalen Meisterwerk über Majakowski, allerdings kommen sich die Zeugen in der Regel nicht in die Haare, auch wenn es durchaus bezeichnende Konfrontationen gibt. So geraten gerade noch unmenschlich linientreue Apparatschiks binnen einer Stunde in die Rolle von gnadenlos Gefolterten, die den zu Beginn des Tages noch selbst praktizierten Techniken zum Opfer fallen und nie ihre Unschuld beweisen können.
Die Paradoxie im stalinistischen Wahn besteht darin, dass man gerade noch für die Behauptung Kim Philby sein kein Doppelagent als Verräter hingerichtet wird, um im Jahr darauf für die Behauptung derselbe Mann wäre noch für die Dienste anderer Mächte tätig, gefoltert, vergewaltigt und hingerichtet wird. So ergeht es jedenfalls der NKWD-Arbeitsbiene, die Philbys Anwerber und Mentor Otto strikt nach Protokoll verhört und nicht die geringste menschliche Geste zulässt,
um nach dem gescheiterten Versuch Stalin vom Verrat seines vermeintlich wertvollsten Agenten zu überzeugen, durch den falschen Eingang in die Lubjanka zurück gebracht wird. Am Ende sitzt sie genauso verschissen und mit gebrochener Nase einer weniger begabten Nachfolgerin gegenüber, die sich auch nur strikt ans Protokoll hält und ihre frühere Mentorin als Spionin überführen will.
Entsprechende Szenen, die auf einen Konter Philbys zurück gehen, sind durchaus wirkungsvoll, stehen aber auf kaum haltbarer Basis. In Sachen historischer Recherche hat der Autor überhaupt nicht die geringste Sorgfalt walten lassen, mag man bei Flugzeugen, die erst Jahre später im Einsatz waren (Me 109f, Me 209) oder der Entwicklung der Atombombe durch die Amerikaner noch einen gewissen Flunker- oder Desinformationsgrad der Informationen des Mind-Fuckers annehmen, so kann im Januar 1941 auch kein Mitarbeiter von Bletchley-Park gewusst haben, dass Hitler am 22.6. in die Sowjetunion einmarschieren will, schon gar nicht exakte Stärken und Aufmarschpläne. Denn nicht einmal der GRÖFAZ wusste zu diesem Zeitpunkt, wann es los geht, geschweige denn, dass man noch einen Umweg über den Balkan nehmen musste. Der gesamte schlampige historische Hintergrund macht aus dem Roman so etwas wie WWII-Folklore, so witzig die Idee auch ist, den größten Patzer des britischen Geheimdienstes als genialsten Coup umzuschreiben.
Da Littell oder das Lektorat ziemlich faul waren, bzw. das Ergebnis auf sehr freiem Umgang mit historischen Fakten basiert, könnte man auch weniger als drei Sterne vergeben, hätte ich auch früher gemacht. Bin aber wohl altersmilde geworden, zumal das beste Buch Littels noch folgen sollte. Trotzdem: hier wurde zu viel geschlampert oder passend gemacht, aber als Reaktion eines Alten Hasen auf den Hundertjährigen hat das Buch bei entsprechend aufgelegten Lesern sicher seine Berechtigung.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unnecessary and bland retelling of the Philby story.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can't help thinking that this is an interesting idea for a book, the story of one of the most famous real-life spies, told from the point of view of Philby's own life. Now the book and it's publicity material is quite tricky about the background of this book. Whilst there's nothing there to indicate whether or not this is a true story or fictional, it's written in a way that implies that the whole thing is the true story of Kim Philby's early years.

YOUNG PHILBY is however, a novel. It expands on what is known about Philby's life after Cambridge University (where he, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess and Anthony Blunt formed the truth-life Cambridge Spy Ring), but embroiders the facts with the fictional imaginings of the author, Littell, about how he came to learn his spycraft, and the people and influences that guided his activities. Told from a variety of different viewpoints, YOUNG PHILBY takes the reader back to the time at which Philby is recruited, time that he spends with his handlers, lovers and friends, the time in which he learns and masters the art of surviving as a double agent.

You'd think, because of the inherent danger in the life that Philby was setting up for himself, this should be an extremely compelling story, even allowing for the fictional excursion, but for some reason it just didn't come alive for this reader. Part of the problem seemed to be that the story is told from a series of different viewpoints, which I rapidly found almost impossible to tell apart. Men, women, participants, observers, there's was a constant tone throughout the book that didn't clearly distinguish each of the various players. The other problem was that everyone seemed cynical, bored, frequently arch and whilst that could have been trying to create some sort of overall feeling of insouciance, what it ended up doing was make everyone seem rather bored. Which kind of made this reader rather bored with the lot of them.

Because tone is such a very personal thing, and because there are also readers who don't mind the fictional playing a bit loose and fast with real life history, YOUNG PHILBY is a novel that could really work for other readers. Ones that like the cynicism, that can find depth in the people, that are intrigued by the imaginings of what could have happened in Philby's life, and who rather enjoy the peek behind a fictional curtain on real-life espionage.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Dipanjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Robert Littell’s writing when I had experienced it as I read voraciously through “The Company”. He is known to have been a master of the genre with his numerous critically acclaimed and enjoyable tales of espionage. His evident expertise comes from the fact that he was a reporter for Newsweek before he turned to writing fiction. However, you may note that both “Young Philby” and “The Company” are fictional depictions of very real people and incidents in the actual timelines. He has positioned himself as an author who is reporting the reality of a world of espionage filled with real people and real incidents.

In “Young Philby” we explore much that is seriously strange in the career of Harold Adrian Russell “Kim” Philby, the most famous double-agent of the Cold War era. Philby’s activities as a high-level British intelligence officer who was also a double agent for the USSR has been fictionalized by many masters of the genre, including John Le Carre. What Mr. Littell adds to the tale here in this book is a suggestion that Philby, the infamous Soviet Spy, might actually have been a “triple agent” working for the British who completely fooled the Soviets by devising his ultimate defection and rise to the echelons of power behind the Iron Curtain for the benefit of the British. “Young Philby” can be described as a tale of espionage where the reader is lost in a hall of mirrors.

The book depicts different sketches of Kim Philby as seen through the eyes of his lovers, friends, British colleagues and Soviet handlers who are all real people in the real world carving real incidents. He is described as a dedicated Socialist, an anti-fascist volunteer in Austria, an eager recruit to Soviet Intelligence, a journalist and a senior British Intelligence officer. During these narrations we also get glimpses of Stalinist Russia, an Austria crumbling under war, the paranoia in the intelligence community, the madness of Stalin and the elitism of the British upper class.

For readers who love the World War II period, the Cold War era, who like a heady mixture of history and fiction, this novel is a must read. It simply cannot be missed. Unfortunately, Mr. Robert Littell has always been under rated as an American novelist. He deserves a place on the top of the list as far as espionage is concerned.

[Roger Pettit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am fascinated by anything to do with espionage. That, and the fact that I recently read and enjoyed 'A Spy Among Friends' by Ben Macintyre, meant that I had high hopes of this fictionalised account of the early years of Kim Philby's cloak and dagger activities. Unfortunately, 'Young Philby' is a tad disappointing. It's not a bad book. But it never really reaches the heights. It's a workmanlike, competent novel. But it's also a strangely dull one. It never lives up to the comment from author Frederick Forsyth (that is printed on the front cover of the paperback edition) that it's "a riveting read".

Kim Philby is probably the most famous spy of the 20th century. Numerous books have been written about him, his betrayal of the British secret services and (seemingly just as he was about to be brought to book for his treachery) his defection to the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. In this fact-based novel, American writer Robert Littell attempts to persuade the reader that there may have been more to Philby's actions than meets the eye. He offers an alternative theory of what the spy was actually up to. His suggestion is both fascinating and plausible and is presented in a series of chapters narrated by different people involved in Philby's life, such as his father, his friends, his lovers and his 'colleagues' in the British and Soviet secret services.

'Young Philby' is an interesting read. I liked it. But it's let down somewhat by Littell's writing style, which is so laid back that there is little or no tension and there are very few thrills amongst the book's 270 or so pages. Because of the way in which the story is structured, there is no real narrative thread either. So, it's a novel about a fascinating subject that is curiously humdrum at times. It never really leaps off the page and grabs you. Ben Macintyre's recent factual book (see above) is much more readable and enjoyable in that it carries the reader along with a fervour and energy that 'Young Philby' singularly lacks. 6/10.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 3 out of 5]

”Young Philby” by Robert Littell, published by Thomas Dunne Books.

Category – Spy/Biography

To enjoy this book and get the most out of it the reader must have some knowledge of Harold Philby.

Philby may well have been the most talked about double agent in history. He was a graduate of Cambridge University and the son of an eccentric father. His first attempt at the spy or espionage game started in 1933 when he went to Vienna and became part of the Austrian Socialists and Communists.

He and four of his companions from Cambridge started to delve in the idea of being spies for Communism. They readily were recruited and Philby found employment in the British Secret Intelligence Service. He passed on vital information to the Soviets through the entire span of World War II. Some of the information he passed on was the exact date and time of the German invasion of Russia and the progress of the United States in developing the Atomic bomb. Philby was so trusted that he became the chief liaison officer with the CIA in Washington.

Philby was fortunate in that he got word that the other four members of the Cambridge Five were on the verge of being exposed and fled to Russia. He lived out the last twenty-five years of his life in Russia, a place he likened to Shangri-La.

The book takes a decided twist at the end when Robert Littell brings forth evidence that Philby may have been more than a double agent and an agent for the Communist cause.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been thinking for a while now that someone really needed to write a novel about Kim Philby, the most successful of the Cambridge Spies. Littell’s novel focuses, as the title suggests, on the early years of Philby’s career as told through the letters and reminiscences of those who knew or were connected to him during the period including fellow Cambridge spy Guy Burgess and, for a single chapter, Philby himself. For the vast majority of its length, the novel succeeds with its mix of viewpoints and styles. Where it falls apart is at the end or rather the twist that goes along with. Despite attaching a coda at the end that attempts to justify it, somehow it just doesn’t ring true (especially in light of what happened after Philby was exposed) and feels forced. Though as Littell himself (through one of his characters) puts it: “Who would believe it?” Overall Young Philby is an enjoyable historical espionage novel that perhaps makes the mistake of going a twist too far.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written fictional account of Philby's early life. I loved the narrative device of having multiple characters telling the story of their interactions with Philby. It gives a sense of the enigmatic nature of the Philby story, everyone has a view but no one really knows. Great stuff.

[Yves Panis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un grand Robert Littell. Avec une fin étonnante et troublante. Romancée ? À voir...Littell est de toutes les façons le plus grand ecrivain actuel dans la catégorie espionnage. Il est à l'espionnage ce que le rhum est au baba. Enfin je trouve...

[John Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent novel about a famous spy. The author uses facts from Philby's early life in Vienna and weaves a story that indicates that Philby might have been a triple agent. It is a great book like al of Robert Littell's books.

[Alan Braswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story about a triple spy who worked for the Russians, the English, then the Americans. English and Russians at the same time during the Cold War.
Enjoyed the pace of the story and the characters seemed fresh.

[Bettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Mr. Goldberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The interview style made the book less interesting. There is a lot of potential for a great story when talking about Kim Philby, this book has none of it.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the story of Kim Philby, a key member of the so-called Cambridge Spy Ring. He had been a key member of the British intelligence services, but defected to the USSR when he was on the brink of being arrested by the British as a Soviet mole.

Littell focuses on Philby’s early years, with each chapter being told in the voice of a different one of his acquaintances, from the young communist revolutionary he met (and married) in Vienna before World War II, to his first NKVD handler, to the NKVD agent who insisted to her superiors that he was a double agent, to his fellow Cambridge spy Guy Burgess, and more.

Littell poses the interesting possibility that Philby really was a double—or triple—agent, persuaded by his father to pretend to work undercover for the Russians, while feeding them a carefully concocted mixture of real and manufactured intelligence. It’s a theory that’s handled well in the book, but I don’t believe it. I think Philby was exactly what we think; a Soviet spy who penetrated the upper echelons of British intelligence because he was the right social class and wore the right school tie.