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A Spy Named Orphan: The Enigma of Donald Maclean
Donald Maclean was one of the most treacherous spies of the Cold War era, a member of the infamous "Cambridge Five" spy ring. Yet little is known of this shrewd, secretive man. The full extent of his betrayal has never been documented-until now. Drawing on the recent release of previously classified files, A Spy Named Orphan meticulously documents the extraordinary story of a man leading a chilling double life until his exposure and defection to the USSR. Roland Philipps describes someone prone to alcoholic rages, who rose through the ranks of the British Foreign Office while secretly transmitting through his Soviet handlers reams of diplomatic and military secrets detailing intelligence on the making of the atom bomb and the division of power in postwar Europe. His story has inspired an entire genre of spy movies and novels, but no one so far has written the definitive story of the man code-named "Orphan."
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First published April 26, 2018
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April 18, 2023
** 3.5 Stars **
If you’re wanting an in-depth look at what made real-life spy Donald Maclean tick, then A Spy Named Orphan will not disappoint. Additionally, it gives great insight into other infamous spies of the 1940’s/50’s to such an extent that it’s akin to being a fly on the wall.
As part of the ‘Cambridge Five’ (A ring of spies in the UK who passed information to the Soviet Union) Maclean was perhaps the most complex of these young radicals who became almost obsessed with the idea of communism, and as such he was a perfect recruit for the Soviets.
When Donald passed his exams to become a Foreign Office Diplomat, it proved to be a gift for the Soviets, as he was able to send them an incredible amount of secret information, much more so than any other ’mole’, and to the extent that the Soviets found it difficult to keep up with all the information he was providing.
He was acknowledged by his colleagues in the Foreign Office as being an extremely hard working and pleasant man, however the strain of maintaining the face of innocence whilst working directly with the Soviets contributed to a breakdown and led to some spectacular drinking sessions along with bouts of violence and outrageous behaviour in his personal life.
The author has done a remarkable job of bringing Maclean back to life and I salute the amount of research that must have gone into producing this comprehensive study. The story goes right back to Maclean’s childhood, back even to his parents upbringing, so you get a real sense of what made him who he was. A strict home life together with an enforced ‘honour system’ at Gresham School, which involved adhering to the highest moral standards possible, probably contributed to Maclean’s tendency to both rebel against and deceive any kind of authority in later years. It wasn’t until he met his future wife Melinda that he seemed to find himself, and although his later alcoholic binges led to a troubled marriage, they appeared to love each other deeply. Melinda continued to support him even after he had defected behind the Iron Curtain, leaving both her and his children behind, with Melinda not knowing if she’d ever see him again.
I wasn’t sure initially whether this book would be ‘my thing’ but I quickly discovered that the author had created a fascinating and compelling read, making use of previously classified material, and allowing us to get right inside the head of this most infamous double agent. If I have any complaints at all, it would be that it was overly drawn out in parts, but I do appreciate the amount of work that went into it, so it is a minor niggle. If you love John Le Carré then you’ll love this true story for sure!
* I was invited to read A Spy Named Orphan by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange
If you’re wanting an in-depth look at what made real-life spy Donald Maclean tick, then A Spy Named Orphan will not disappoint. Additionally, it gives great insight into other infamous spies of the 1940’s/50’s to such an extent that it’s akin to being a fly on the wall.
As part of the ‘Cambridge Five’ (A ring of spies in the UK who passed information to the Soviet Union) Maclean was perhaps the most complex of these young radicals who became almost obsessed with the idea of communism, and as such he was a perfect recruit for the Soviets.
When Donald passed his exams to become a Foreign Office Diplomat, it proved to be a gift for the Soviets, as he was able to send them an incredible amount of secret information, much more so than any other ’mole’, and to the extent that the Soviets found it difficult to keep up with all the information he was providing.
He was acknowledged by his colleagues in the Foreign Office as being an extremely hard working and pleasant man, however the strain of maintaining the face of innocence whilst working directly with the Soviets contributed to a breakdown and led to some spectacular drinking sessions along with bouts of violence and outrageous behaviour in his personal life.
The author has done a remarkable job of bringing Maclean back to life and I salute the amount of research that must have gone into producing this comprehensive study. The story goes right back to Maclean’s childhood, back even to his parents upbringing, so you get a real sense of what made him who he was. A strict home life together with an enforced ‘honour system’ at Gresham School, which involved adhering to the highest moral standards possible, probably contributed to Maclean’s tendency to both rebel against and deceive any kind of authority in later years. It wasn’t until he met his future wife Melinda that he seemed to find himself, and although his later alcoholic binges led to a troubled marriage, they appeared to love each other deeply. Melinda continued to support him even after he had defected behind the Iron Curtain, leaving both her and his children behind, with Melinda not knowing if she’d ever see him again.
I wasn’t sure initially whether this book would be ‘my thing’ but I quickly discovered that the author had created a fascinating and compelling read, making use of previously classified material, and allowing us to get right inside the head of this most infamous double agent. If I have any complaints at all, it would be that it was overly drawn out in parts, but I do appreciate the amount of work that went into it, so it is a minor niggle. If you love John Le Carré then you’ll love this true story for sure!
* I was invited to read A Spy Named Orphan by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange
August 26, 2018
3.5 stars
This is not a scholarly book despite being extensively researched in terms of the archive material on Maclean but the narrative feels a bit bogged down and plodding for a 'popular' one. The story itself is an amazing one, the sheer audacity of Maclean (and Burgess, Blunt and Philby), but somehow the telling of it lacks excitement and tension even towards the end when they're about to be uncovered.
Maclean as a personality remains elusive: Philipps describes him as both reserved and a near-alcoholic, panicked and cool, shy and friendly and it's hard to get a sense of the real man, his thoughts and feelings. I especially wanted to know more about how he felt when Stalin made his pact with Hitler in the run-up to WW2.
Maclean was a committed communist for ideological reasons, and Philipps makes his reasoning clear given both his Liberal family background and the historical contexts of the General Strike (1926) as an uprising against class inequalities, the Wall Street Crash and Depression (1929) as a failure of capitalism, and the rise of fascism (1930s) not just in Germany but also in Italy and Spain. How, then, did Maclean square all this with Stalin changing sides, as it were? The political reasoning of buying time for Russia to re-arm is clear but I wanted some deeper insights into how this move impacted Maclean and his fellow KGB spies on an emotional and intellectual level.
It's striking to what extent MI5/MI6 were gentlemen's clubs, all public school and Oxbridge, so that there were hardly any background checks or vetting of staff: as long someone was 'one of us' all was supposedly ok. Maclean's ability to take top secret files from the office every night was less a matter of subterfuge and smuggling, more just a case of putting them into his briefcase and walking out - nothing was checked, everyone was trusted.
So this was a far less dramatic story than I expected, and even Maclean's defection feels a bit desultory. The facts are here along with lots of background information on Soviet-UK-US relations, on intelligence/counter-intelligence officers, on the huge number of KGB spies infiltrated within UK and US bureaucracies. Having come to this via le Carré and the TV series The Americans, I was interested to see how far fiction is based on prosaic fact: 3.5 stars.
This is not a scholarly book despite being extensively researched in terms of the archive material on Maclean but the narrative feels a bit bogged down and plodding for a 'popular' one. The story itself is an amazing one, the sheer audacity of Maclean (and Burgess, Blunt and Philby), but somehow the telling of it lacks excitement and tension even towards the end when they're about to be uncovered.
Maclean as a personality remains elusive: Philipps describes him as both reserved and a near-alcoholic, panicked and cool, shy and friendly and it's hard to get a sense of the real man, his thoughts and feelings. I especially wanted to know more about how he felt when Stalin made his pact with Hitler in the run-up to WW2.
Maclean was a committed communist for ideological reasons, and Philipps makes his reasoning clear given both his Liberal family background and the historical contexts of the General Strike (1926) as an uprising against class inequalities, the Wall Street Crash and Depression (1929) as a failure of capitalism, and the rise of fascism (1930s) not just in Germany but also in Italy and Spain. How, then, did Maclean square all this with Stalin changing sides, as it were? The political reasoning of buying time for Russia to re-arm is clear but I wanted some deeper insights into how this move impacted Maclean and his fellow KGB spies on an emotional and intellectual level.
It's striking to what extent MI5/MI6 were gentlemen's clubs, all public school and Oxbridge, so that there were hardly any background checks or vetting of staff: as long someone was 'one of us' all was supposedly ok. Maclean's ability to take top secret files from the office every night was less a matter of subterfuge and smuggling, more just a case of putting them into his briefcase and walking out - nothing was checked, everyone was trusted.
So this was a far less dramatic story than I expected, and even Maclean's defection feels a bit desultory. The facts are here along with lots of background information on Soviet-UK-US relations, on intelligence/counter-intelligence officers, on the huge number of KGB spies infiltrated within UK and US bureaucracies. Having come to this via le Carré and the TV series The Americans, I was interested to see how far fiction is based on prosaic fact: 3.5 stars.
August 25, 2018
Detailed and readable account.
There a lot of books on Philby & Burgess, but not many on Maclean.
This book by Roland Philipps provides a readable but detailed account of life and career of Maclean using recently released files.
A good addition to my "Cambridge Five" shelf
There a lot of books on Philby & Burgess, but not many on Maclean.
This book by Roland Philipps provides a readable but detailed account of life and career of Maclean using recently released files.
A good addition to my "Cambridge Five" shelf
July 28, 2019
Solid biography of the traitor and spy Donald Maclean.
The first half of the book is fairly workman like but it improves when the net starts to close and the race is on to evade capture or be caught.
Overall a decent read without being spectacular.
The first half of the book is fairly workman like but it improves when the net starts to close and the race is on to evade capture or be caught.
Overall a decent read without being spectacular.
May 15, 2018
The best book I've read so far this year.
June 2, 2018
Finished: 02.06.2018
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: A++
Conclusion:
In 2015 a large number of the MI5 and Foreign Office
files concerning Donald Maclean were released.
Roland Philipps has explored these documents
and produced a page turner worthy of Le Carré !
#MustRead
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: A++
Conclusion:
In 2015 a large number of the MI5 and Foreign Office
files concerning Donald Maclean were released.
Roland Philipps has explored these documents
and produced a page turner worthy of Le Carré !
#MustRead
January 24, 2018
Thx to Roland Philipps and the Publisher for giving me this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Great portraits of a man who commited a great betrayal that increased the stakes of the cold war.
Mr.Phillips has woven the history of an era into the personalitiy of Donald Maclean where the he is the committed idealist taken with the torch of Marxism and Communism that guides his life, his rise and his downfall. The level of commitment to an ideal is far removed from the politics of today, and yet this is relatively recent history that speaks to how much the globalized world has changed and what we left behind in the cold war. If you are old enough to have lived some of this story, the insights into events and characters is richly rewarding. For the young, this is a look into their parents and grandparents world that should open eyes and hearts to how far we have come from where we were. These are not generation gaps, they are generational canyons.
Great portraits of a man who commited a great betrayal that increased the stakes of the cold war.
Mr.Phillips has woven the history of an era into the personalitiy of Donald Maclean where the he is the committed idealist taken with the torch of Marxism and Communism that guides his life, his rise and his downfall. The level of commitment to an ideal is far removed from the politics of today, and yet this is relatively recent history that speaks to how much the globalized world has changed and what we left behind in the cold war. If you are old enough to have lived some of this story, the insights into events and characters is richly rewarding. For the young, this is a look into their parents and grandparents world that should open eyes and hearts to how far we have come from where we were. These are not generation gaps, they are generational canyons.
February 18, 2018
Highly recommended read. Incredibly well researched and presented in a way that puts the reader in the time period. In addition to the story of the Cambridge five it the author put the Cold War in context with its roots in the 1930s. Even though this was non fiction it read like a John le carre novel!
#goodreadsgiveaway I got this book as an arc from a Goodreads giveaway
#goodreadsgiveaway I got this book as an arc from a Goodreads giveaway
July 5, 2025
A fascinating insight into the one of the lesser-known members of the Cambridge five spy ring. Donald Maclean, inextricably linked with Guy Burgess due to their joint defection, has things in common with him and Philby but some crucial differences (mainly due to morality i.e. having some!) which are very well explored here.
Very well paced and full of interesting insights. Maclean was extremely flawed - not least by his alcoholism- but was a spy by conviction rather than ego, coercion or wanting to be important… he felt he was doing his duty.
A great companion piece to Ben Macintyre’s book on Philby
Very well paced and full of interesting insights. Maclean was extremely flawed - not least by his alcoholism- but was a spy by conviction rather than ego, coercion or wanting to be important… he felt he was doing his duty.
A great companion piece to Ben Macintyre’s book on Philby
June 22, 2024
As a general rule I don’t think you’re meant to root for the Soviet spies infiltrating your country’s government, but with a portrayal so compelling it can’t really be helped.
August 15, 2019
An interesting book, but by no means unputdownable - in fact I put it down far too many times over a period of months.
Donald Maclean is an curious character - a man who leans left wing at uni and ends up becoming so idealistic that he gives his all for the distant nation of USSR in spite of great personal risk - and only following the occasional introductory meeting with shadowy agents.
Phillips is a careful and thorough documenter of Donald Maclean's life, always making sure to provide several quotes to back up his narration, and being sparing in his speculation as to Maclean's thoughts and motives. As Maclean wrote or said very little about his own motivations, this must have made it quite a difficult book to write.
Phillips is left piecing things together from circumstance and the occasional (and fascinating) comments about him by colleagues, friends or his Soviet handlers. All things considered, he does a good job. We follow Maclean closely through each step of his education and career. It's effortlessly interwoven with updates on the political situation of the day - I left feeling much more informed about the Munich Agreement and Nazi-Soviet Pact, for example.
The trouble is that while Maclean's life is undoubtedly an fascinating one, the actual work of espionage is surprisingly mundane. Maclean takes and photographs secret documents he has access to, and passes them on to a handler. That's about it. And Phillips fails to make enough of the few truly dramatic episodes in the story of Maclean. His dissolution, especially in Egypt with the bust up on the Nile and the flat-demolishing, is ripe for some good old fashioned narration, but Phillips prefers to stick with his matter-of-fact retelling, through snippets of character references, etc.
I also struggled to keep up with the names and stories of the other characters. Perhaps things would be easier to follow for a reader who at least knows the basics about the 'Cambridge Five'. But to me, there seemed to be a constant torrent of forgettable characters and names.
The final third of the book is easily the best. Maclean's thrilling last-minute exfiltration from London to Russia, at a time when the security services were finally losing in on him, is stuff worthy of great fiction.
This is a comprehensive and well-researched overview of Maclean's life, essential reading for anyone with a particular interest in twentieth-century espionage, but probably not the best introduction for the general reader.
6/10
Donald Maclean is an curious character - a man who leans left wing at uni and ends up becoming so idealistic that he gives his all for the distant nation of USSR in spite of great personal risk - and only following the occasional introductory meeting with shadowy agents.
Phillips is a careful and thorough documenter of Donald Maclean's life, always making sure to provide several quotes to back up his narration, and being sparing in his speculation as to Maclean's thoughts and motives. As Maclean wrote or said very little about his own motivations, this must have made it quite a difficult book to write.
Phillips is left piecing things together from circumstance and the occasional (and fascinating) comments about him by colleagues, friends or his Soviet handlers. All things considered, he does a good job. We follow Maclean closely through each step of his education and career. It's effortlessly interwoven with updates on the political situation of the day - I left feeling much more informed about the Munich Agreement and Nazi-Soviet Pact, for example.
The trouble is that while Maclean's life is undoubtedly an fascinating one, the actual work of espionage is surprisingly mundane. Maclean takes and photographs secret documents he has access to, and passes them on to a handler. That's about it. And Phillips fails to make enough of the few truly dramatic episodes in the story of Maclean. His dissolution, especially in Egypt with the bust up on the Nile and the flat-demolishing, is ripe for some good old fashioned narration, but Phillips prefers to stick with his matter-of-fact retelling, through snippets of character references, etc.
I also struggled to keep up with the names and stories of the other characters. Perhaps things would be easier to follow for a reader who at least knows the basics about the 'Cambridge Five'. But to me, there seemed to be a constant torrent of forgettable characters and names.
The final third of the book is easily the best. Maclean's thrilling last-minute exfiltration from London to Russia, at a time when the security services were finally losing in on him, is stuff worthy of great fiction.
This is a comprehensive and well-researched overview of Maclean's life, essential reading for anyone with a particular interest in twentieth-century espionage, but probably not the best introduction for the general reader.
6/10
October 30, 2018
As someone who has developed an interest in the Cambridge 5 over the past couple of years, I was excited to read the latest in the biographies of these spies. I had known very little of Maclean aside from snippets taken from other books ( see McIntyre and Lownie ) and this addition from Roland Philipps performs an excellent service in fleshing out the character behind one of Britain's most infamous, capable, troubled and effective Soviet agents.
Threading a strand from cradle to grave Phillips deftly establishes the background and environment in which Maclean's sense of moral principle is formed and how his early years interweave with many fellow would be communists or spies. Unlike some of his more exuberant or demented fellow spies ( hello Guy ) Donald Maclean eschewed social spotlights in many respects but equally, within comfortable circles would begin his grapple with alcoholism during the 30s a personal demon that is only exarcebated by the pressures of his dual lives following his recruitment.
The book covers his personal and professional challenges, all the way keeping the narrative tightly within in its context. Phillips does a great job combining the history with the biography, faithful to the research available, whilst bringing it all together into a coherent and engaging way of accessing, or trying to access, a man who's survival depended on giving nothing away.
It is a really fascinating insight into the difficulty with which competing forces clearly pulled within him, particularly after the first world war when the ideology versus patriotic divide becomes ever more pronounced. It is also more than just a biography of one man, as like all good biographies we also get a glimpse into how his life connected with and impacted those nearest to him, how they would struggle to square the man they knew with the one they would later discover, and it is also another contribution to the history of this fractious period in US-UK-Soviet relations and Cold War period.
The storytelling is well done, but my criticisms would be that oddly, enough it could have done with a bit of editing / proof-reading. Some of the sentences, are clunky and don't always read well, and I did find myself going over a few paragraphs a couple of times, though I may just have needed a break from all the reading as I was easily swept up in it!
Threading a strand from cradle to grave Phillips deftly establishes the background and environment in which Maclean's sense of moral principle is formed and how his early years interweave with many fellow would be communists or spies. Unlike some of his more exuberant or demented fellow spies ( hello Guy ) Donald Maclean eschewed social spotlights in many respects but equally, within comfortable circles would begin his grapple with alcoholism during the 30s a personal demon that is only exarcebated by the pressures of his dual lives following his recruitment.
The book covers his personal and professional challenges, all the way keeping the narrative tightly within in its context. Phillips does a great job combining the history with the biography, faithful to the research available, whilst bringing it all together into a coherent and engaging way of accessing, or trying to access, a man who's survival depended on giving nothing away.
It is a really fascinating insight into the difficulty with which competing forces clearly pulled within him, particularly after the first world war when the ideology versus patriotic divide becomes ever more pronounced. It is also more than just a biography of one man, as like all good biographies we also get a glimpse into how his life connected with and impacted those nearest to him, how they would struggle to square the man they knew with the one they would later discover, and it is also another contribution to the history of this fractious period in US-UK-Soviet relations and Cold War period.
The storytelling is well done, but my criticisms would be that oddly, enough it could have done with a bit of editing / proof-reading. Some of the sentences, are clunky and don't always read well, and I did find myself going over a few paragraphs a couple of times, though I may just have needed a break from all the reading as I was easily swept up in it!
April 30, 2018
Even though I’m trying hard to read more nonfiction, A Spy Named Orphan still isn’t the sort of thing I generally go for. It looks like a book on the “hard” edge of the spectrum: the history/biography lists that are still overwhelmingly white educated male-centric. For some reason, I rescued a proof from oblivion a few months ago, and now I’m very glad I did. Roland Philipps has written a sympathetic, nuanced and informative biography of Donald Maclean (one of the original Cambridge Five who passed large amounts of classified information to the Soviets from posts within the British establishment during the Second World War and for decades after it). Not only that, but Philipps’s style is easy, combining erudition with accessibility in a way that alienates neither the casual reader nor the aficionado. It’s a very impressive piece of work.
Maclean himself was also an impressive piece of work: he possessed a first-rate ability to synthesise and summarise information, a genuine desire to make the world a safer and more peaceful place, and a self-destructive alcoholic streak that very nearly killed him. The combination of these traits makes for gripping reading. Philipps also – unusually for this sort of history/biography, I feel – acknowledges the central role that Maclean’s wife Melinda played in his life: loyal to him throughout their marriage and despite his frequently appalling public behaviour, she stuck by him even after he vanished behind the Iron Curtain, not knowing if she would ever see him again. Despite the evident faults of both husband and wife, and the cruelty of various acquaintances from the diplomatic world who generally described Melinda as a simpleton, Philipps makes it clear that they loved each other. (All things come to an end, however: when Melinda and the Maclean children were eventually exfiltrated and allowed to join Donald, she ended up running away with Kim Philby, which is the sort of thing you couldn’t make up.) A Spy Named Orphan is a genuinely gripping story, told with clarity and verve. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Maclean himself was also an impressive piece of work: he possessed a first-rate ability to synthesise and summarise information, a genuine desire to make the world a safer and more peaceful place, and a self-destructive alcoholic streak that very nearly killed him. The combination of these traits makes for gripping reading. Philipps also – unusually for this sort of history/biography, I feel – acknowledges the central role that Maclean’s wife Melinda played in his life: loyal to him throughout their marriage and despite his frequently appalling public behaviour, she stuck by him even after he vanished behind the Iron Curtain, not knowing if she would ever see him again. Despite the evident faults of both husband and wife, and the cruelty of various acquaintances from the diplomatic world who generally described Melinda as a simpleton, Philipps makes it clear that they loved each other. (All things come to an end, however: when Melinda and the Maclean children were eventually exfiltrated and allowed to join Donald, she ended up running away with Kim Philby, which is the sort of thing you couldn’t make up.) A Spy Named Orphan is a genuinely gripping story, told with clarity and verve. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
May 18, 2018
First Passage:
"Donald MacLean awoke on 25 May 1951 at his house in the quiet Kent village of Tatsfield to a beautiful late-spring day, a welcome change in the weather. That Friday morning would be his last in England; it was his thirty-eighth birthday.
What I liked:
Philipps did a remarkable job of synthesizing what I imagine must have been a nearly insurmountable quantity of research. He does so in a way that is conducive to a pleasant reading experience and is didactic enough to provide genuine understanding in the audience. I found myself feeling for Donald, Melinda, and their kids, and I can't blame him for sticking to his laurels and embracing what he thought was the right thing.
The prose is strong, flowing, a bit dry at times, but overall well-structured. The timeline of the story is both logical and well-organized. The chapters are quite long, but logically designed.
What I disliked:
I had some trouble navigating the tumult of information contained within this book. I spent a great deal of time trying to parse through it only to come out the other side still confused. The overabundance of dates, names, places, and people was disorienting and I spent a lot of my time glossing over them for the sake of my own sanity.
Overall Evaluation:
I checked this book out of the library knowing absolutely nothing about Donald Maclean and little more about WWII and cold-war-era Britain. I finish this book knowing a little bit more, and with a greater appreciation for the time period.
I find the ubiquitousness of support for communism in the time leading up to WWII to be quite fascinating. I probably should have guessed at how deeply the population was affected by the Depression, but I didn't realize how many had turned to supporting communism. It just goes to show that people will put support behind anything that gives them hope for a better future.
"Donald MacLean awoke on 25 May 1951 at his house in the quiet Kent village of Tatsfield to a beautiful late-spring day, a welcome change in the weather. That Friday morning would be his last in England; it was his thirty-eighth birthday.
What I liked:
Philipps did a remarkable job of synthesizing what I imagine must have been a nearly insurmountable quantity of research. He does so in a way that is conducive to a pleasant reading experience and is didactic enough to provide genuine understanding in the audience. I found myself feeling for Donald, Melinda, and their kids, and I can't blame him for sticking to his laurels and embracing what he thought was the right thing.
The prose is strong, flowing, a bit dry at times, but overall well-structured. The timeline of the story is both logical and well-organized. The chapters are quite long, but logically designed.
What I disliked:
I had some trouble navigating the tumult of information contained within this book. I spent a great deal of time trying to parse through it only to come out the other side still confused. The overabundance of dates, names, places, and people was disorienting and I spent a lot of my time glossing over them for the sake of my own sanity.
Overall Evaluation:
I checked this book out of the library knowing absolutely nothing about Donald Maclean and little more about WWII and cold-war-era Britain. I finish this book knowing a little bit more, and with a greater appreciation for the time period.
I find the ubiquitousness of support for communism in the time leading up to WWII to be quite fascinating. I probably should have guessed at how deeply the population was affected by the Depression, but I didn't realize how many had turned to supporting communism. It just goes to show that people will put support behind anything that gives them hope for a better future.
July 7, 2018
This is a book about a subject I'm interested in. Of the Cambridge spies, John Cairncross and Donald MacLean are the least known, but it can certainly be argued that Donald MacLean passed the most damaging secrets to the KGB. This book is a good recapitulation of his life and his dual career as a diplomat and proficient spy. I didn't learn much new in the book, but the reason I give it 3 vs. 4 stars is that the writing style did not agree with me. Too many run-on sentences, too many paragraphs where it was not clear who the "he" referred to. The trail that led from Venona to the eventual realization that the spy codenamed "Homer" was indeed that promising young diplomat in the Washington DC embassy was not particularly clearly laid out. In a story like this, where a single day can make the difference between getting away behind the Iron Curtain and getting caught, the chronology is extremely important, and I didn't always get a good sense of what happened when, especially towards the beginning of 1951, when the net was beginning to close in around Guy Burgess and Donald MacLean. On the other hand, the book does close the loop on MacLean's life by describing his life in Moskow. An unwavering believer in Communism, he died in 1983, having spent more than 30 years analyzing Western foreign policy for the Soviets. So the book is worth reading, but the ponderous writing style detracts from the fascinating story.
June 13, 2018
Roland Philipps has written an interesting biography of Donald Maclean, a British diplomat and Russian spy. He describes Maclean's childhood and the father who was a domineering, dour Scot. While at Cambridge, Maclean was one of the "young radicals" infatuated with Communism and became one of the "Cambridge Five" recruited as Soviet moles in the 1930s. After passing the Foreign Office exam he began passing on reams of illicit intelligence as his career in the Foreign Office increased in importance and unlimited access leading Secretary of State Dean Acheson to say "My God, he knew everything!"
The pressure of maintaining his Foreign Office face while harboring his Communist leanings became more difficult and Maclean took to drink. The British Old Boy network protected him even when knowledge of a Mole surfaced. The evidence finally became too strong to ignore. While the British dithered, another of the Cambridge Five, Kim Philby, who was serving as the liaison between the British, American and surreptitiously, Russian intelligence services, tipped off Moscow and Maclean slipped out of the country with Guy Burgess, another of the Cambridge Five.
If one likes John le Carre spy novels, this matches his best and this one is a true story.
The pressure of maintaining his Foreign Office face while harboring his Communist leanings became more difficult and Maclean took to drink. The British Old Boy network protected him even when knowledge of a Mole surfaced. The evidence finally became too strong to ignore. While the British dithered, another of the Cambridge Five, Kim Philby, who was serving as the liaison between the British, American and surreptitiously, Russian intelligence services, tipped off Moscow and Maclean slipped out of the country with Guy Burgess, another of the Cambridge Five.
If one likes John le Carre spy novels, this matches his best and this one is a true story.
August 15, 2018
This book is well researched, and provides a decent enough and very evidence backed narrative, but the author and editor can’t seem to decide what kind of book this is. The result is a disaster, a complete slog. Fortunately for the author, it’s still an exclusive look at this person’s life and the scale of his espionage and worth a scan, anyway. But holy sh*t someone edit this mess.
April 2, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. Listened to audiobook, a bit too heavy on serious detail and sometimes repetitive but otherwise a good listen.
Much like the modern Tory party / governments, it’s a tale with a backdrop of debauchery of the upper class British establishment that Donald McLean was a member before his defection to the Soviet Union.
Much like the modern Tory party / governments, it’s a tale with a backdrop of debauchery of the upper class British establishment that Donald McLean was a member before his defection to the Soviet Union.
November 8, 2019
Should have been interesting but so tediously written that I struggled to finish it....
April 20, 2021
Not very well done. It was a real slog and I couldn't finish itm
August 1, 2019
Donald MacLean I had mistakenly always thought of as the bland one of the Cambridge set of spies -- Philby being the phoenix like cold manipulator and Burgess the alcoholic sometimes engaging often irritating rather tragically out of his depth agent -- who barely made a dent in damaging the West or making an impression in the diplomatic circles he moved in. This masterly account puts me right on both in that MacLean of all of them caused the most damage, Stalin knew everything before the three leaders sat down together at Yalta thanks to DM's position in the embassy in Washington. And much much more during his years as an agent. He owed a lot to Philby -- who first recruited him -- as he diverted attention away from him and then warned Burgess to get MacLean out of UK. Whilst much is made of his increased reliance on the bottle -- some seriously embarrassing incidents especially in Egypt were kept from his masters -- does not for me condone his apparent crisis of conscience over his treason. He blithely ignores the mass murder of Stalin's regime in the 30's -- even though on a personal note it swept up two of his handlers -- and his unabiding hatred of the USA, making it uncomfortable for his American wife the long-suffering but largely devoted wife Melinda who knew from the start what he was up to, overrode any pangs he might feel. Why was he not cuaght earlier? Well in that era his colleagues and peers could not believe someone of his class could be a spy -- secretaries were far more likely to be -- and finally once he is in their sights farcically the watchers only work Monday to Friday so having see him onto his train back home they signed off and gave him the window to flee to mainland Europe. Despite this I still have a lingering suspicion that like with Philby in Beirut there was a preference from those at the top -- Guy Liddell's name pops up always and for a highly intelligent man he strikes one as incredibly dumb when it comes to assessing the characters of the spies and one thinks his defenders doth protest too much about how much he really knew and when -- for them to just disappear rather than be subject to an embarrassing court case. There is something rather appropriate in how Philby betrayed him at the end when in Moscow he has an affair with Melinda, who with their three children had joined her husband via Switzerland a few years later. MacLean, though, appears at peace once he does arrive in the Soviet Union and even has the nerve to challenge the system he was so devoted to writing on his ballot paper for the Supreme Soviet "While girls like Olga Ioffe are kept in mental institutions (she had been arrested for distributing 'subversive' leaflets) I cannot participate in the elections." However, while one can understand the opposition to the rise of Fascism in the 30's one also takes note that many who drifted to Communism saw Stalin for what he was and switched back taking on the Nazis either in uniform or in intelligence without betraying their country to the extent that MacLean did. This is riveting reading about a complex character but remains no matter how many allowances are made for him a traitor.
February 15, 2020
This is a fascinating tale of one of the most successful espionage coups of the twentieth century. For years, beginning before the Second World War and lasting well into the Cold War, a group of British foreign office and intelligence officers managed to pass huge amounts of allied secrets to the Soviets.
They got away with it, according to this book, because they were part of the British establishment. Members of this group were assumed to be loyal citizens. Security was so lax as to be almost nonexistent, with members of the British foreign service given access to high level secrets with little control.
Donald Maclean, the main character in this book, was the son of a religiously devout British Parliament member. Donald was brilliant, did well in school, and went to Cambridge for his higher education. All the while, he learned to hide who he was becoming.
Cambridge was the home of other future British spies, including Guy Burgess and Kim Philby. All belonged to the establishment and became part of the British foreign and intelligence services.
During the twenties and thirties, capitalism appeared to be breaking down, bringing woe and hardship to the working classes. Maclean and the others were drawn to the Soviet system, believing it to be the world’s savior from the raw capitalism the young men witnessed.
The heart of the book, however, is what the horrible double life did to Maclean. He was indeed taught to love his country—yet he was betraying it, betraying it in a huge way. The amount of material he passed to the Soviets while working at the British embassy in Washington was immense. The toll of this double life led him to alcoholism and a rocky marital life. The love between him and his wife, Melinda, was threatened time and agin by his alcoholic rages and anger.
But a group of government agents in Washington began to painstakingly piece together bits and pieces from highly coded documents coming into their possession.
Finally, just as his cover was about to be blown, Maclean and Guy Burgess escaped to the Soviet Union, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Eventually, Melinda and his children joined them.
His life after his defection, when he could live without deception, places in stark relief the awful toll paid by Maclean for his double life—for “hiding in plain sight.”
That’s the fascinating theme of the book.
They got away with it, according to this book, because they were part of the British establishment. Members of this group were assumed to be loyal citizens. Security was so lax as to be almost nonexistent, with members of the British foreign service given access to high level secrets with little control.
Donald Maclean, the main character in this book, was the son of a religiously devout British Parliament member. Donald was brilliant, did well in school, and went to Cambridge for his higher education. All the while, he learned to hide who he was becoming.
Cambridge was the home of other future British spies, including Guy Burgess and Kim Philby. All belonged to the establishment and became part of the British foreign and intelligence services.
During the twenties and thirties, capitalism appeared to be breaking down, bringing woe and hardship to the working classes. Maclean and the others were drawn to the Soviet system, believing it to be the world’s savior from the raw capitalism the young men witnessed.
The heart of the book, however, is what the horrible double life did to Maclean. He was indeed taught to love his country—yet he was betraying it, betraying it in a huge way. The amount of material he passed to the Soviets while working at the British embassy in Washington was immense. The toll of this double life led him to alcoholism and a rocky marital life. The love between him and his wife, Melinda, was threatened time and agin by his alcoholic rages and anger.
But a group of government agents in Washington began to painstakingly piece together bits and pieces from highly coded documents coming into their possession.
Finally, just as his cover was about to be blown, Maclean and Guy Burgess escaped to the Soviet Union, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Eventually, Melinda and his children joined them.
His life after his defection, when he could live without deception, places in stark relief the awful toll paid by Maclean for his double life—for “hiding in plain sight.”
That’s the fascinating theme of the book.
June 14, 2018
Not nearly as gripping as A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben McIntyre. A Spy named Orphan is an interesting read but it seems that Philips had just as much difficulty grasping and understanding Maclean's character and motivations as anyone else.
Born into English society, son of a famous liberal politician, growing up in privilege and graduating from Cambridge University, Maclean's initial acceptance of communism is easy to understand: the apparently ineffectiveness of other philosophies led many young people in the 1930s to assume communism was the only true way to counteract the rise of fascism. He even stuck with communism after graduating, mostly thanks to his lover Litzi Friedman. Certainly the Germany-USSR non-aggression pact in 1939 must have given him qualms but he soldiered on, delivering secrets to his handlers for another 12 years before fleeing to the USSR to avoid arrest.
As far as I can tell, Maclean's politics seem mostly motivated by whomever he was sleeping with and he had a tendency to fall in love with his paramours. A habit that was probably not lost on the Soviets when they assigned Kitty Harris as his handler. But sadly for Maclean, without Kitty's support and affection, the strain of being a traitor affected him badly and he began drinking heavily, getting into public fights and becoming dangerously indiscreet. It was only the slowness of British intelligence in arresting him that saved Maclean as he was able to flee England with hours to spare.
A slightly more interesting character is Melinda Maclean. To this day people aren't really sure of how much she really knew of her husband's activities and whether she was complicit or even encouraging of them. Melinda said all the right things after he defected, but then made clandestine arrangements for her and the children to join Maclean in Russia. After she left for America in 1979 she resolutely refused to comment or give interviews. To this day Melinda remains a closed book.
This story should be a fascinating one but sadly I found it difficult to get into the book and difficult to care about Maclean's story. Philby was undoubtedly a sociopath who betrayed country, friends and family with ease, but I guess that makes his story much more gripping.
Born into English society, son of a famous liberal politician, growing up in privilege and graduating from Cambridge University, Maclean's initial acceptance of communism is easy to understand: the apparently ineffectiveness of other philosophies led many young people in the 1930s to assume communism was the only true way to counteract the rise of fascism. He even stuck with communism after graduating, mostly thanks to his lover Litzi Friedman. Certainly the Germany-USSR non-aggression pact in 1939 must have given him qualms but he soldiered on, delivering secrets to his handlers for another 12 years before fleeing to the USSR to avoid arrest.
As far as I can tell, Maclean's politics seem mostly motivated by whomever he was sleeping with and he had a tendency to fall in love with his paramours. A habit that was probably not lost on the Soviets when they assigned Kitty Harris as his handler. But sadly for Maclean, without Kitty's support and affection, the strain of being a traitor affected him badly and he began drinking heavily, getting into public fights and becoming dangerously indiscreet. It was only the slowness of British intelligence in arresting him that saved Maclean as he was able to flee England with hours to spare.
A slightly more interesting character is Melinda Maclean. To this day people aren't really sure of how much she really knew of her husband's activities and whether she was complicit or even encouraging of them. Melinda said all the right things after he defected, but then made clandestine arrangements for her and the children to join Maclean in Russia. After she left for America in 1979 she resolutely refused to comment or give interviews. To this day Melinda remains a closed book.
This story should be a fascinating one but sadly I found it difficult to get into the book and difficult to care about Maclean's story. Philby was undoubtedly a sociopath who betrayed country, friends and family with ease, but I guess that makes his story much more gripping.
November 12, 2018
A meticulously researched biography of a British spy
At the age of 13, in 1963, I can still recall being mesmerised by the Profumo affair and the release of “From Russia With Love”. I guess it was the awakening of my interest in sex and the mystery of spying and counter espionage which then led me to investigate further the activities of Philby, Burgess and Maclean – no mean feat at a time when the internet was not in existence. Little did I know that Blunt would also confess the following year but that the powers that be would keep that from the public until the late ‘70s.
It was therefore with great interest that I picked up this book to read and review. I had never understood why individuals from hugely privileged backgrounds had seen the need to turn their backs on British society and betray their own people. I was hoping that this would at least partially answer my questions in this respect and give me an insight into their reasoning.
It is made crystal clear in “A Spy Named Orphan” that Maclean did not see himself as privileged and in fact during his formative Cambridge days he saw himself as more of a member of the underclass, having come from a relatively middle-class background, despite the comparatively successful career of his father. Additionally, he struggled with his thoughts and actions conflicting with his principles. So, the book did give me some of the answers I was seeking.
The biography is well researched and gives a flavour of what it was like in the ‘30s for disillusioned, bright undergraduates. Pushing against authority is partially what is expected during one's college years, but Maclean took it to extremes when he stepped over the line. The detail described is incredible, but that is also one of the book's failings. It seems as if Roland Philipps had all these pieces of information and felt obliged to cram them in somewhere so that they wouldn't be wasted. The names and information come thick and fast which can lead to a sense of bewilderment and confusion. There is also very little information about Maclean's years in Moscow, but maybe this is understandable.
In conclusion, therefore, this book will appeal to those with an interest in the subject material and the era in general. It's not an easy read, but it's a very creditable achievement.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
At the age of 13, in 1963, I can still recall being mesmerised by the Profumo affair and the release of “From Russia With Love”. I guess it was the awakening of my interest in sex and the mystery of spying and counter espionage which then led me to investigate further the activities of Philby, Burgess and Maclean – no mean feat at a time when the internet was not in existence. Little did I know that Blunt would also confess the following year but that the powers that be would keep that from the public until the late ‘70s.
It was therefore with great interest that I picked up this book to read and review. I had never understood why individuals from hugely privileged backgrounds had seen the need to turn their backs on British society and betray their own people. I was hoping that this would at least partially answer my questions in this respect and give me an insight into their reasoning.
It is made crystal clear in “A Spy Named Orphan” that Maclean did not see himself as privileged and in fact during his formative Cambridge days he saw himself as more of a member of the underclass, having come from a relatively middle-class background, despite the comparatively successful career of his father. Additionally, he struggled with his thoughts and actions conflicting with his principles. So, the book did give me some of the answers I was seeking.
The biography is well researched and gives a flavour of what it was like in the ‘30s for disillusioned, bright undergraduates. Pushing against authority is partially what is expected during one's college years, but Maclean took it to extremes when he stepped over the line. The detail described is incredible, but that is also one of the book's failings. It seems as if Roland Philipps had all these pieces of information and felt obliged to cram them in somewhere so that they wouldn't be wasted. The names and information come thick and fast which can lead to a sense of bewilderment and confusion. There is also very little information about Maclean's years in Moscow, but maybe this is understandable.
In conclusion, therefore, this book will appeal to those with an interest in the subject material and the era in general. It's not an easy read, but it's a very creditable achievement.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
August 8, 2020
This book is well but not brilliantly written. It suffers from poor copyediting so that I often had to reread a passage or parts of paragraphs to figure out what Phiipps was saying, and every now and then I just had to let it go.
That said, Donald Maclean was a very interesting man and brilliant at his work. As with all the Cambridge spies that I've read about, I don't see a traitor when I read. I see a man committed to his ideals of making the world a safer and fairer place for all to live in. He (and the rest of them) saw that ideal as more possible with the Soviet Union and communism than with Britain and later Britain and the U.S., where economic colonialism was running rampant. When he (and the rest of them) became communists, that was the clearest choice for combatting fascism. The western powers were turning their backs on what was happening in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Although the Soviet Union (and now Russia) didn't live up to the ideal, neither has Britain or the United States lived up to theirs.
Maclean is less of a tragic figure than Guy Burgess, who never really found his was living in exile. But Maclean dived right in, learning Russian, going to work, and ending up with work that suited him and that he did, once again, brilliantly. Still, giving up his homeland and going through all the personal difficulties that he had, and in the end being considered a traitor by his countrymen couldn't have been easy. Philipps doesn't say it, but I read in a book about Burgess that the British didn't actually have enough evidence (that could be made public) to put either one of them on trial. So it seems that if they had returned, they probably would not have been put on trial or if so, they would not have been convicted.
That said, Donald Maclean was a very interesting man and brilliant at his work. As with all the Cambridge spies that I've read about, I don't see a traitor when I read. I see a man committed to his ideals of making the world a safer and fairer place for all to live in. He (and the rest of them) saw that ideal as more possible with the Soviet Union and communism than with Britain and later Britain and the U.S., where economic colonialism was running rampant. When he (and the rest of them) became communists, that was the clearest choice for combatting fascism. The western powers were turning their backs on what was happening in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Although the Soviet Union (and now Russia) didn't live up to the ideal, neither has Britain or the United States lived up to theirs.
Maclean is less of a tragic figure than Guy Burgess, who never really found his was living in exile. But Maclean dived right in, learning Russian, going to work, and ending up with work that suited him and that he did, once again, brilliantly. Still, giving up his homeland and going through all the personal difficulties that he had, and in the end being considered a traitor by his countrymen couldn't have been easy. Philipps doesn't say it, but I read in a book about Burgess that the British didn't actually have enough evidence (that could be made public) to put either one of them on trial. So it seems that if they had returned, they probably would not have been put on trial or if so, they would not have been convicted.
February 6, 2021
This is a biography that is full of detail, but yet very easy to read. it can happen that the detail in a work can after a while cause confusion. You forget names, or wonder about the significance of a detail. But here there's such good focus, with some useful reminders, that you don't get lost!
I hadn't considered Maclean much before reading this. He seems always to be overshadowed by the excesses of Guy Burgess and the subtle capabilities of Kim Philby. But the picture that emerges here is of a man who tried to hold together two halves of a hopelessly divided life and endured agonies which were only exacerbated by alcoholic excess.
Philipps is very clear about the effects of Maclean's activities on those around him, and particularly on Melinda. But also he shows us a man who was trying seemingly to reconcile opposing demands on his conscience, and ultimately someone who refused to abandon his belief that there could be hope and peace despite all evidence to the contrary.
One thing Philipps shows is how amazingly ineffectual British security was, and how riven with inappropriate assumptions which prevented Maclean being uncovered so much earlier. It has to be remembered I suppose that organised intelligence was a relatively late developer, being mainly a twentieth-century discipline forced into growth by World War One. Moreover Maclean's working life was spent in the Foreign Office, not MI5 or MI6, and so was part of the clubbable culture of Whitehall.
Overall this is a most readable and entertaining biography. Like any good biography it is not one-sided. Maclean is both hero and traitor, a wise man and a fool together in one person. He strove to achieve what he saw to be right, but that strife came at a huge cost to him and those around him.
I hadn't considered Maclean much before reading this. He seems always to be overshadowed by the excesses of Guy Burgess and the subtle capabilities of Kim Philby. But the picture that emerges here is of a man who tried to hold together two halves of a hopelessly divided life and endured agonies which were only exacerbated by alcoholic excess.
Philipps is very clear about the effects of Maclean's activities on those around him, and particularly on Melinda. But also he shows us a man who was trying seemingly to reconcile opposing demands on his conscience, and ultimately someone who refused to abandon his belief that there could be hope and peace despite all evidence to the contrary.
One thing Philipps shows is how amazingly ineffectual British security was, and how riven with inappropriate assumptions which prevented Maclean being uncovered so much earlier. It has to be remembered I suppose that organised intelligence was a relatively late developer, being mainly a twentieth-century discipline forced into growth by World War One. Moreover Maclean's working life was spent in the Foreign Office, not MI5 or MI6, and so was part of the clubbable culture of Whitehall.
Overall this is a most readable and entertaining biography. Like any good biography it is not one-sided. Maclean is both hero and traitor, a wise man and a fool together in one person. He strove to achieve what he saw to be right, but that strife came at a huge cost to him and those around him.
April 22, 2025
Although I found the subject of Donald McLean an interesting, possibly fascinating one, this book has made me want to read more. when I say that. I don't mean to say the book has inspired me but more that in some instances, it was lacking and leaves more questions than answers.
the book starts well. It sets the scene well, explaining McLean's childhood and has some thoughts on how this may have influenced him on later life. It also explains reasonably well what was going on both socially and politically in Britain as McLean was turning into an adult, explaining with some justification the context of his thoughts and possibly later actions. It also ends well. The last third or so of the book, detailing the chase to bring McLean to justice and his eventual escape is thrilling and told with detail and some panache.
Where it lacks, though, is the actual spying. I would argue that the author skims over the detail on what spying McLean was actually doing. It may well be, that this because it was a matter of taking some documents and copying them? If so, some detail on this might have ben useful. What I personally didn't need was 150 odd pages of repetitive stories on McLeans drinking and his boorish resulting behaviour.
The tone of this book is interesting. The author seems sympathetic to McLean in the main and pitches the book in a way that justifies the actions to a certain degree. I don't have a thought one way or the other really but essentially, despite McLeans best efforts himself, there is no getting away with it, that his actions were tretrachy of the highest order.
I think there is a better story to be told and I will be seeking out other books on McLean.
the book starts well. It sets the scene well, explaining McLean's childhood and has some thoughts on how this may have influenced him on later life. It also explains reasonably well what was going on both socially and politically in Britain as McLean was turning into an adult, explaining with some justification the context of his thoughts and possibly later actions. It also ends well. The last third or so of the book, detailing the chase to bring McLean to justice and his eventual escape is thrilling and told with detail and some panache.
Where it lacks, though, is the actual spying. I would argue that the author skims over the detail on what spying McLean was actually doing. It may well be, that this because it was a matter of taking some documents and copying them? If so, some detail on this might have ben useful. What I personally didn't need was 150 odd pages of repetitive stories on McLeans drinking and his boorish resulting behaviour.
The tone of this book is interesting. The author seems sympathetic to McLean in the main and pitches the book in a way that justifies the actions to a certain degree. I don't have a thought one way or the other really but essentially, despite McLeans best efforts himself, there is no getting away with it, that his actions were tretrachy of the highest order.
I think there is a better story to be told and I will be seeking out other books on McLean.
September 23, 2023
Extremely detailed biography of Donald MacLean - one of the "Cambridge Five" - recruited in the 1930's to provide details to Russia about political and military maneuvering in Britain. When MacLean was able to begin a career working for the British Foreign Office, the Soviets reaped an incredible bounty of information on an impressive variety of actions and plans.
His double life, first as a respected member of the British establishment, secondly as a devoted Communist sympathizer and spy, wreaked havoc on his mental stability and much of his life was punctuated by drunken brawls - often destroying property and on at least one occasion breaking the leg of a friend who was trying to help him.
His wife and three children suffered as well.
Tipped off by another British foreign officer who was also a spy, in 1951 MacLean snuck out of England late at night and made it to Moscow. Interestingly enough he was able to establish a second career in Russia working as a teacher and author.
Over and over again the author refers to the blind spot in those who governed Britain during the years of MacLean's career in the Foreign Office. They were unable to see that "one of their own" could possibly work as a spy. Even though they had been warned and were aware that the Russians had a mole in their midst.
The final 100 pages of the book, portraying MacLean's last days in England, his escape, and his life in Russia are spine tingling and I found them almost impossible to put down. The earlier sections are not as engrossing - perhaps weighed down by the volume of detail provided
His double life, first as a respected member of the British establishment, secondly as a devoted Communist sympathizer and spy, wreaked havoc on his mental stability and much of his life was punctuated by drunken brawls - often destroying property and on at least one occasion breaking the leg of a friend who was trying to help him.
His wife and three children suffered as well.
Tipped off by another British foreign officer who was also a spy, in 1951 MacLean snuck out of England late at night and made it to Moscow. Interestingly enough he was able to establish a second career in Russia working as a teacher and author.
Over and over again the author refers to the blind spot in those who governed Britain during the years of MacLean's career in the Foreign Office. They were unable to see that "one of their own" could possibly work as a spy. Even though they had been warned and were aware that the Russians had a mole in their midst.
The final 100 pages of the book, portraying MacLean's last days in England, his escape, and his life in Russia are spine tingling and I found them almost impossible to put down. The earlier sections are not as engrossing - perhaps weighed down by the volume of detail provided
August 15, 2024
I have read many books on Burgess and Maclean, inexorably linked with the spying game, and also on Burgess himself but I had never read one on Maclean so this one particularly interested me. And it was very enlightening, at times almost unbelievable and also very readable, at times reading like a fictional thriller!
Maclean's father, Sir Donald, provided his son a strict moral upbringing and young Donald did not wish to upset him by Keeping him informed of his early-formed political views, which were being developed while he was at Gresham's School along with such as James Klugmann, who was also with him at Cambridge. And it was while at the latter he first got to know Kim Philby and Guy Burgess. He also confirmed his communistic views while at the University and these remained with him for the rest of his life.
When he later entered the Foreign Office, many, including his mother, thought that he had thankfully given up the communist view and Mrs Maclean in particular was said to have been delighted at him becoming a diplomat rather than a Communist, something that had become apparent to her once Sir Donald died. But little were they to know that Donald's work on behalf of the communists escalated from that moment on. Wherever he served, and some places were more beneficial to his Russian handlers than others, he was able to copy thousands of documents and pass them on to his handlers. It must have been a difficult scenario to handle because, in fairness (if there is such a thing for a spy) he was very diligent and well thought of in his official capacity that earned him his promotions.
Sometimes those promotions were surprising considering the trouble that he got into through his excessive drinking and the fact that, on on occasion, he publicly announced that he was a communist. But, almost unbelievably, he got away with it all and continued to make strides up the ladder - much to his Russian contacts delight. It must have been tremendously difficult to keep up such a double life.
However, it could not last as rumours began to get out about a spy in Washington and eventually the suspects were narrowed down to just one -Donald Maclean. But despite serious drunken incidents in Cairo, he was simply brought back to England, given some leave and then returned to official life in the Foreign Office where he continued his double life. Incidentally his wife Melinda knew nothing of his activities.
But it was not to last and he was shadowed by MI6, except at weekends which was a significant factor in his eventual escape. And warning of that escape came from Burgess who was sent home from America in disgrace. Thus the pair of them were able to make their exit from the UK one weekend.
They disappeared from public awareness for some time before they became known to be in Moscow and the story of their journey is well told, as is the remainder of Maclean's life in Russia. He settled to it much more readily than did Burgess and managed to obtain a prestigious job in the Institute of World Economics and International Relations. Eventually his wife and family joined him there and he was subsequently awarded a top honour.
Five days before his death on 6 March 1983 he gave his only interview to an English newspaper since his defection and when he died the government newspaper in Russia 'Izvestia' described him
as 'a man of high morals' who had 'devoted all his conscious life to the high ideals of social progress and humanism'. Readers can judge for themselves in this splendidly well written biography.
Maclean's father, Sir Donald, provided his son a strict moral upbringing and young Donald did not wish to upset him by Keeping him informed of his early-formed political views, which were being developed while he was at Gresham's School along with such as James Klugmann, who was also with him at Cambridge. And it was while at the latter he first got to know Kim Philby and Guy Burgess. He also confirmed his communistic views while at the University and these remained with him for the rest of his life.
When he later entered the Foreign Office, many, including his mother, thought that he had thankfully given up the communist view and Mrs Maclean in particular was said to have been delighted at him becoming a diplomat rather than a Communist, something that had become apparent to her once Sir Donald died. But little were they to know that Donald's work on behalf of the communists escalated from that moment on. Wherever he served, and some places were more beneficial to his Russian handlers than others, he was able to copy thousands of documents and pass them on to his handlers. It must have been a difficult scenario to handle because, in fairness (if there is such a thing for a spy) he was very diligent and well thought of in his official capacity that earned him his promotions.
Sometimes those promotions were surprising considering the trouble that he got into through his excessive drinking and the fact that, on on occasion, he publicly announced that he was a communist. But, almost unbelievably, he got away with it all and continued to make strides up the ladder - much to his Russian contacts delight. It must have been tremendously difficult to keep up such a double life.
However, it could not last as rumours began to get out about a spy in Washington and eventually the suspects were narrowed down to just one -Donald Maclean. But despite serious drunken incidents in Cairo, he was simply brought back to England, given some leave and then returned to official life in the Foreign Office where he continued his double life. Incidentally his wife Melinda knew nothing of his activities.
But it was not to last and he was shadowed by MI6, except at weekends which was a significant factor in his eventual escape. And warning of that escape came from Burgess who was sent home from America in disgrace. Thus the pair of them were able to make their exit from the UK one weekend.
They disappeared from public awareness for some time before they became known to be in Moscow and the story of their journey is well told, as is the remainder of Maclean's life in Russia. He settled to it much more readily than did Burgess and managed to obtain a prestigious job in the Institute of World Economics and International Relations. Eventually his wife and family joined him there and he was subsequently awarded a top honour.
Five days before his death on 6 March 1983 he gave his only interview to an English newspaper since his defection and when he died the government newspaper in Russia 'Izvestia' described him
as 'a man of high morals' who had 'devoted all his conscious life to the high ideals of social progress and humanism'. Readers can judge for themselves in this splendidly well written biography.
October 23, 2019
This is the biography of Donald Maclean, one of the Cambridge Spy Ring that included Kim Philby and Guy Burgess. Despite being a known communist sympathizer, Maclean rose quite easily through the ranks of the foreign office to a position where he supplied reams of top secret intelligence to the Soviet Union. If it wasn't for Philby, Maclean was surely the Soviet Union's most destructive asset in the post-war West (Klaus Fuchs?).
Philipps' biography is a fascinating tale of a deeply riven man torn apart by his inner demons, and it is a wonder sometimes how he could function at all let alone get away with his crimes. That goes hand-in-hand with the stunning hubris and incompetence of Britain's Foreign Office and counter-intelligence services - embarrassing doesn't cover it. Nevertheless, Phillipps is too sympathetic to Maclean and downplays the human consequences of his spying.
This is a well-written page-turner reminiscent of Ben Macintyre and sits well with Macintyre's A Spy Among Friends. 9/10
Philipps' biography is a fascinating tale of a deeply riven man torn apart by his inner demons, and it is a wonder sometimes how he could function at all let alone get away with his crimes. That goes hand-in-hand with the stunning hubris and incompetence of Britain's Foreign Office and counter-intelligence services - embarrassing doesn't cover it. Nevertheless, Phillipps is too sympathetic to Maclean and downplays the human consequences of his spying.
This is a well-written page-turner reminiscent of Ben Macintyre and sits well with Macintyre's A Spy Among Friends. 9/10
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