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A Very Principled Boy: The Life of Duncan Lee, Red Spy and Cold Warrior
Duncan Chaplin Lee was a Rhodes Scholar, patriot, and descendent of one of America’s most distinguished families—and possibly the best-placed mole ever to infiltrate U.S. intelligence operations. In A Very Principled Boy intelligence expert and former CIA officer Mark A. Bradley traces the tangled roots of Lee’s betrayal and reveals his harrowing struggle to stay one step ahead of America’s spy hunters during and after World War II.
Exposed to leftist politics while studying at Oxford, Lee became a committed, albeit covert, member of the Communist Party. After following William “Wild Bill” Donovan to the newly formed Office of Strategic Services, Lee rose quickly through the ranks of the U.S. intelligence service—and just as quickly gained value as a Communist spy. As one of the chief aides to the head of the OSS, Lee was uniquely well placed to pass sensitive information to his Soviet handlers, including the likely timeframe of the D-Day invasion and the names of OSS personnel under investigation for suspected communist affiliations.
In 1945, one of Lee’s former handlers confessed to the FBI and named Lee as a Soviet agent. For the next thirteen years, J. Edgar Hoover would tirelessly, but futilely, attempt to prove Lee’s guilt. Despite being accused of treason in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, the increasingly paranoid Lee miraculously escaped again and again. In a move to atone for what he had done, Lee later became a Cold Warrior in China, fighting Mao Zedong’s communists. He died a free but conflicted man.
In A Very Principled Boy, Bradley weaves a fast-paced cat-and-mouse tale of misguided idealism, high treason, and belated redemption. Drawing on Lee’s letters and thousands of previously unreleased CIA, FBI, and State Department records, Bradley tells the unlikely story of a spy who chose his conscience over his country and its dark consequences.
Exposed to leftist politics while studying at Oxford, Lee became a committed, albeit covert, member of the Communist Party. After following William “Wild Bill” Donovan to the newly formed Office of Strategic Services, Lee rose quickly through the ranks of the U.S. intelligence service—and just as quickly gained value as a Communist spy. As one of the chief aides to the head of the OSS, Lee was uniquely well placed to pass sensitive information to his Soviet handlers, including the likely timeframe of the D-Day invasion and the names of OSS personnel under investigation for suspected communist affiliations.
In 1945, one of Lee’s former handlers confessed to the FBI and named Lee as a Soviet agent. For the next thirteen years, J. Edgar Hoover would tirelessly, but futilely, attempt to prove Lee’s guilt. Despite being accused of treason in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, the increasingly paranoid Lee miraculously escaped again and again. In a move to atone for what he had done, Lee later became a Cold Warrior in China, fighting Mao Zedong’s communists. He died a free but conflicted man.
In A Very Principled Boy, Bradley weaves a fast-paced cat-and-mouse tale of misguided idealism, high treason, and belated redemption. Drawing on Lee’s letters and thousands of previously unreleased CIA, FBI, and State Department records, Bradley tells the unlikely story of a spy who chose his conscience over his country and its dark consequences.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 28, 2014
Strange to read this. Duncan Lee was my great-uncle, the brother of my paternal grandfather Armistead Lee.
I heard basically nothing about Duncan while growing up, and certainly never met him. If he was mentioned in my grandparents' house, it was in the context of being a difficult person (he didn't get along with my grandmother, I don't think) and how he had treated Ishbel poorly (grandmother spoke about Ishbel quite a bit). I knew that he had been called before HUAC, and that this episode had put a cap on my grandfather's diplomatic career. But I didn't know much more than that. Certainly I had no idea that the allegations were true, and I'm sure no one in my family did, either.
Bradley seems to me to present a fair case--enough, at least, that one can make excuses for Duncan. Seduced by a naive and idealistic view of the Soviet Union while still at Oxford, and convinced that communism was shouldering an unfair share of the global anti-Fascist burden in the Spanish Civil War, Duncan began passing selected intelligence from OSS to agents of the CPUSA. At the time, the Soviet government was an American ally, but his actions were clearly improper and illegal. He never passed any documents -- just made oral reports -- and seems to have caused his handlers some consternation over his uncooperativeness. But he was betraying his country all the same--and, incidentally, his wife, through a series of extramarital liaisons.
He stopped when accusations surfaced, and he survived the inquiries (the government's only concrete evidence against him came from recently-revealed classified decrypts of Soviet communications and parallel construction was not yet so well-developed an art). He went on to do some genuinely admirable work in China, facilitating Chiang Kai Shek's retreat and keeping a fleet of airplanes out of Mao's hands. The old boys' network seems to have provided Duncan with a decent living after that. But the government kept after him, and he remained haunted by his betrayal. It cost him his marriage and it surely must have contributed to his drinking. One is left with the impression of a life largely wasted thanks to a bad decision born of naivete and narcissism.
It's disquieting to read this about someone who shares your heredity. But I suppose I'd prefer to know the enormity of what these genes might do.
I heard basically nothing about Duncan while growing up, and certainly never met him. If he was mentioned in my grandparents' house, it was in the context of being a difficult person (he didn't get along with my grandmother, I don't think) and how he had treated Ishbel poorly (grandmother spoke about Ishbel quite a bit). I knew that he had been called before HUAC, and that this episode had put a cap on my grandfather's diplomatic career. But I didn't know much more than that. Certainly I had no idea that the allegations were true, and I'm sure no one in my family did, either.
Bradley seems to me to present a fair case--enough, at least, that one can make excuses for Duncan. Seduced by a naive and idealistic view of the Soviet Union while still at Oxford, and convinced that communism was shouldering an unfair share of the global anti-Fascist burden in the Spanish Civil War, Duncan began passing selected intelligence from OSS to agents of the CPUSA. At the time, the Soviet government was an American ally, but his actions were clearly improper and illegal. He never passed any documents -- just made oral reports -- and seems to have caused his handlers some consternation over his uncooperativeness. But he was betraying his country all the same--and, incidentally, his wife, through a series of extramarital liaisons.
He stopped when accusations surfaced, and he survived the inquiries (the government's only concrete evidence against him came from recently-revealed classified decrypts of Soviet communications and parallel construction was not yet so well-developed an art). He went on to do some genuinely admirable work in China, facilitating Chiang Kai Shek's retreat and keeping a fleet of airplanes out of Mao's hands. The old boys' network seems to have provided Duncan with a decent living after that. But the government kept after him, and he remained haunted by his betrayal. It cost him his marriage and it surely must have contributed to his drinking. One is left with the impression of a life largely wasted thanks to a bad decision born of naivete and narcissism.
It's disquieting to read this about someone who shares your heredity. But I suppose I'd prefer to know the enormity of what these genes might do.
June 5, 2014
This is a fascinating story told with all the historical context needed to understand Lee's entire life. Mark Bradley expertly combines Lee's personal letters with OSS, CIA, NSA, and FBI documents to tell the story of a very complicated man.
March 16, 2020
Mark Bradley examines the life of a traitor, Duncan Lee, and, in so doing presented a history of the rise of the threat of Communism, in England and then in America, as well as, the history of American politics in wartime and post war Washington DC.; this is a large agenda, yet, Bradley is to be commended for the comprehensive way he reviews this era.
Bradley is uniquely qualified for this study based on credentials that include an Ivy League education, a Rhodes scholarship and a career in government service as a lawyer and CIA analyst.
His singular approach to this narrative is based on his training as an analyst, very thorough research and a clear and concise writing style. He digs deeply into Lee’s life and into the history of communism. This comprehensive approach answers many questions among them how and why a very bright child of privilege, parented by missionaries with a great education could betray everything and everyone.
Many books have been written about traitors like Aldrich Ames and the Kim Philby’s of this world and the same questions continually arise. Why would these intelligent men betray everything and everybody? I believe that Mark Bradley has answered this question.
Bradley talks about the environment existing at Oxford during post war England. England had lost a generation of men in the Great War and there was a mixture of anger and grief in almost every household in England. Added to this “witch’s brew” was the great Depression that exasperated the gulf between the haves and have nots and exposed the failings of capitalism. A great debate raged among the intellectual elite about the sins of capitalism and the great hatred of Fascism. Many intellectuals saw communism as the answer to all the problems facing the world, yet, they had a myopic view of the great many flaws of the communist political system. This reviewer while appreciating the authors insight into the miscalculation of these intellectuals does not answer the question why people with many intellectual gifts would betray, friends, family and Country?
This reviewer has wrestled with this conundrum in every book read on this subject and my conclusion is simply, arrogance! The definition is, “An attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.” “Someone who is arrogant behaves in a proud, unpleasant way towards other people because they believe that they are more important than others.” So, says, Websters dictionary.
Duncan Lee had a privileged life, parents who did their best to provide the best for him and were betrayed and I believe, he knowingly took pleasure in deeply hurting them. He betrayed a wife who had stood by him. During his entire life people helped him get into schools, supporting his efforts to get scholarships and jobs. Bill Donavan saw all his better attributes and brought him into the OSS, our author states that the relationship between Lee and Duncan was a personal relationship, and yet, Lee betrayed them all. All out of arrogance and egomaniac conceit not out of any intellectual philosophy or lofty idealism, just plan arrogance, admittedly, a very human frailty that most of us possess to some degree, yet, Lee possessed in great abundance. Good job Mark Bradley, your thoughtful analysis perfectly depicts an arrogant young man who believes his thoughts and opinions were superior to everyone else, and therefore was entitled to betray everyone.
Bradley’s narrative at times reads like a police report, “at 5:30pm, he arrived home…...! This phraseology gives the readers the impression that they are being debriefed; it also adds pace and context to his text.
As we progress through this story, all the Pseudo intellectualism disappears. Lee becomes a whining coward now afraid of paying the price for his treasonous actions, his NKVD handlers become alcoholics, one is sexually confused, and all are afraid of being exposed and/or killed by the thugs representing the NKVD. The NKVD insurgents are just killers looking for the opportunity to kill everyone involved. Bradley gives us especial psychological profiles of all these flawed people.
Lee’s handler, Elizabeth Bentley fearing for her life, went to the FBI and now the story changes and we get a “birds eye view” of bureaucracy in action with various offices and agencies in competition and the politics dominating, it is not a pretty sight. Our author gives us a biographical sketch of J. Edgar Hoover, and this is well done. Bradley turns away from Duncan Lee and thoroughly reviews the political life of the Country during the post war era. The infighting is quite nasty and reminds the reader that the dirty politics of 2020, has been going on in this country for quite a long time. Truman’s accession to the Presidency after the death of Roosevelt caused a fire storm in politics and the Red scare became a political tool of the Director of the FBI, as well as, the two political parties. Bradley brings out several interesting stories and incidents regarding Hoover, the Justice Department, the Truman administration, the ineptitude of the FBI and the HUAC; and it makes for good reading.
Bradley eventually comes back to Duncan lee who appears before the HUAC, this man seems to have charmed life because he continually demonstrates the ability to cast doubt and lie his way out of bad situations. Lee’s intellect, education and debating skills proves to difficult for the HUAC to break, yet most observers saw he was a liar and a traitor.
The reader must remember that this story is nonfiction, because the tale takes a bizarre twist when In 1949, following the fall of China to the communists, Lee represented a CIA-front company in the Hong Kong and the UK courts in a successful effort to keep a large fleet of transport aircraft in Hong Kong. These planes were once owned by the Nationalist Chinese government, and Lee’s efforts were to keep them from being seized by the new communist Chinese regime, so Lee becomes a fighter against communism.
Bradley tells us about the FBI’s continued efforts to prove that Lee spied for the Soviet Union and was a traitor to his Country. This reviewer wondered with the FBI’s limited manpower why did they continue to pour its limited resources into the hunt for evidence against Lee for up to eight years after the World War?
As the reader gets closer to the conclusion of this book, the author becomes more philosophical, as he puts things in perspective. He discusses the issue of the US relationship with Russia during the War years. For instance, FDR realized that Russia would need to carry the burden of the fight if Germany was to be defeated, and Russia would also have to declare war on Japan in order to gain an allied victory. The US supplied most of the weaponry, but Russia provided the manpower in this war and it was Russia who was responsible for the allied victory against Fascism. FDR was willing to look the other way regarding communism in the US, in order not to jeopardize the Russian relationship. This multi-layered relationship in my mind alters the treachery of Duncan Lee. He is still a traitor, and he was driven by youth, ego and arrogance to betray Country, family and friends. Yet, there seems to be an awaking at some point, he seems to realize that what he did was stupid, he withdraws from his treasonous actions by 1945 and even becomes a warrior in the fight against communism. In a real sense this book becomes a Greek tragedy, A gifted young man through acts of stupidity destroys what could have been a brilliant life and career.
Mark Bradley has written a remarkable book. He spent the better part of three years in research, interviews and study and his writing style provided a clear and concise narrative. I believe this book to be among the best of the genre and I wonder why didn’t this work have more traction and become a best seller and be recognized for its quality?
Bradley is uniquely qualified for this study based on credentials that include an Ivy League education, a Rhodes scholarship and a career in government service as a lawyer and CIA analyst.
His singular approach to this narrative is based on his training as an analyst, very thorough research and a clear and concise writing style. He digs deeply into Lee’s life and into the history of communism. This comprehensive approach answers many questions among them how and why a very bright child of privilege, parented by missionaries with a great education could betray everything and everyone.
Many books have been written about traitors like Aldrich Ames and the Kim Philby’s of this world and the same questions continually arise. Why would these intelligent men betray everything and everybody? I believe that Mark Bradley has answered this question.
Bradley talks about the environment existing at Oxford during post war England. England had lost a generation of men in the Great War and there was a mixture of anger and grief in almost every household in England. Added to this “witch’s brew” was the great Depression that exasperated the gulf between the haves and have nots and exposed the failings of capitalism. A great debate raged among the intellectual elite about the sins of capitalism and the great hatred of Fascism. Many intellectuals saw communism as the answer to all the problems facing the world, yet, they had a myopic view of the great many flaws of the communist political system. This reviewer while appreciating the authors insight into the miscalculation of these intellectuals does not answer the question why people with many intellectual gifts would betray, friends, family and Country?
This reviewer has wrestled with this conundrum in every book read on this subject and my conclusion is simply, arrogance! The definition is, “An attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.” “Someone who is arrogant behaves in a proud, unpleasant way towards other people because they believe that they are more important than others.” So, says, Websters dictionary.
Duncan Lee had a privileged life, parents who did their best to provide the best for him and were betrayed and I believe, he knowingly took pleasure in deeply hurting them. He betrayed a wife who had stood by him. During his entire life people helped him get into schools, supporting his efforts to get scholarships and jobs. Bill Donavan saw all his better attributes and brought him into the OSS, our author states that the relationship between Lee and Duncan was a personal relationship, and yet, Lee betrayed them all. All out of arrogance and egomaniac conceit not out of any intellectual philosophy or lofty idealism, just plan arrogance, admittedly, a very human frailty that most of us possess to some degree, yet, Lee possessed in great abundance. Good job Mark Bradley, your thoughtful analysis perfectly depicts an arrogant young man who believes his thoughts and opinions were superior to everyone else, and therefore was entitled to betray everyone.
Bradley’s narrative at times reads like a police report, “at 5:30pm, he arrived home…...! This phraseology gives the readers the impression that they are being debriefed; it also adds pace and context to his text.
As we progress through this story, all the Pseudo intellectualism disappears. Lee becomes a whining coward now afraid of paying the price for his treasonous actions, his NKVD handlers become alcoholics, one is sexually confused, and all are afraid of being exposed and/or killed by the thugs representing the NKVD. The NKVD insurgents are just killers looking for the opportunity to kill everyone involved. Bradley gives us especial psychological profiles of all these flawed people.
Lee’s handler, Elizabeth Bentley fearing for her life, went to the FBI and now the story changes and we get a “birds eye view” of bureaucracy in action with various offices and agencies in competition and the politics dominating, it is not a pretty sight. Our author gives us a biographical sketch of J. Edgar Hoover, and this is well done. Bradley turns away from Duncan Lee and thoroughly reviews the political life of the Country during the post war era. The infighting is quite nasty and reminds the reader that the dirty politics of 2020, has been going on in this country for quite a long time. Truman’s accession to the Presidency after the death of Roosevelt caused a fire storm in politics and the Red scare became a political tool of the Director of the FBI, as well as, the two political parties. Bradley brings out several interesting stories and incidents regarding Hoover, the Justice Department, the Truman administration, the ineptitude of the FBI and the HUAC; and it makes for good reading.
Bradley eventually comes back to Duncan lee who appears before the HUAC, this man seems to have charmed life because he continually demonstrates the ability to cast doubt and lie his way out of bad situations. Lee’s intellect, education and debating skills proves to difficult for the HUAC to break, yet most observers saw he was a liar and a traitor.
The reader must remember that this story is nonfiction, because the tale takes a bizarre twist when In 1949, following the fall of China to the communists, Lee represented a CIA-front company in the Hong Kong and the UK courts in a successful effort to keep a large fleet of transport aircraft in Hong Kong. These planes were once owned by the Nationalist Chinese government, and Lee’s efforts were to keep them from being seized by the new communist Chinese regime, so Lee becomes a fighter against communism.
Bradley tells us about the FBI’s continued efforts to prove that Lee spied for the Soviet Union and was a traitor to his Country. This reviewer wondered with the FBI’s limited manpower why did they continue to pour its limited resources into the hunt for evidence against Lee for up to eight years after the World War?
As the reader gets closer to the conclusion of this book, the author becomes more philosophical, as he puts things in perspective. He discusses the issue of the US relationship with Russia during the War years. For instance, FDR realized that Russia would need to carry the burden of the fight if Germany was to be defeated, and Russia would also have to declare war on Japan in order to gain an allied victory. The US supplied most of the weaponry, but Russia provided the manpower in this war and it was Russia who was responsible for the allied victory against Fascism. FDR was willing to look the other way regarding communism in the US, in order not to jeopardize the Russian relationship. This multi-layered relationship in my mind alters the treachery of Duncan Lee. He is still a traitor, and he was driven by youth, ego and arrogance to betray Country, family and friends. Yet, there seems to be an awaking at some point, he seems to realize that what he did was stupid, he withdraws from his treasonous actions by 1945 and even becomes a warrior in the fight against communism. In a real sense this book becomes a Greek tragedy, A gifted young man through acts of stupidity destroys what could have been a brilliant life and career.
Mark Bradley has written a remarkable book. He spent the better part of three years in research, interviews and study and his writing style provided a clear and concise narrative. I believe this book to be among the best of the genre and I wonder why didn’t this work have more traction and become a best seller and be recognized for its quality?
March 5, 2017
Dragged. Much of the book detailed the activities of other people in his story. This was something like a report and observation of a "person of interest."
July 16, 2014
Duncan Lee, descendant of Robert E Lee and Lighthorse Harry Lee. A boy who had everything, was totally an insider beyond reproach or suspicion, who decided to give secrets to the Russians during WWII. Narcissistic, depressed, angry, anxious, alcoholic, womanizer the whole nine. Just doesn't have much life, for all his flaws.
December 14, 2020
Governments are always very interested in those who turn spy against their countries. They ask, "What was their background?", "What were they trying to gain?", and "What did the other side have to offer?" From recently declassified Soviet and American documents, Mark A. Bradley fits together the puzzle of one such man.
A Very Principled Boy delves into the life of Duncan Lee, a privileged boy who who stole secrets for the Soviets time and time again at the highest levels. Bradley comprehensively examines the people and events who shaped Lee into the person he was. Bradley also illuminates who Lee hurt, those he worked for, and his personal relationships. Bradley also reveals the circumstances that influenced Lee into becoming "a misguided idealist who chose his conscience over his country."
A Very Principled Boy delves into the life of Duncan Lee, a privileged boy who who stole secrets for the Soviets time and time again at the highest levels. Bradley comprehensively examines the people and events who shaped Lee into the person he was. Bradley also illuminates who Lee hurt, those he worked for, and his personal relationships. Bradley also reveals the circumstances that influenced Lee into becoming "a misguided idealist who chose his conscience over his country."
May 18, 2018
Intriguing overview of a fascinating time in history; Bradley ties Lee's personal story into the overall historical epoch of WW2, the HUAC trials and the Communism witch hunts, and the following years.
May 29, 2018
The book gave insight on how there was a basis for the “Red Scare” (Stalin infiltrating the US with spies) in the US; how one politician (Hoover) covered up denials and blunders; another one (McCarthy) exploited the situation for self fame.
April 3, 2015
Here is the best part. It really is exceptionally well written, and true.
This book is exceptionally well written and tells a compelling tale. It is a real page turner. There is a powerful Shakespearean element to the tale because it is about how the truth is rarely known and how power can obscure it. This book rips away the veil, but in a very balanced manner, simply holding a very accurate mirror up to the actions and facts as they naturally happen. The author does not have an ax to grind. You will have to read the rest of your life to find a small handful of books that are as thoroughly researched; it is clear that the author has read everything directly and indirectly involved with this personal history. Here is the best part. It really is exceptionally well written. I have recently read Adrian Goldsworthy's book on Julius Ceasar, and it contained missing antecedents, poorly turned phrases, meandering suppositions, and some rather large omissions. But it is one of those books that everyone feels they have to praise or else they are not an intellectual. A Very Principled Boy is much more well written. You won't be able to put it down. And it will leave you with the shuddering realization that there are Duncal Lee types all around us, people who have gotten away with it.
This book is exceptionally well written and tells a compelling tale. It is a real page turner. There is a powerful Shakespearean element to the tale because it is about how the truth is rarely known and how power can obscure it. This book rips away the veil, but in a very balanced manner, simply holding a very accurate mirror up to the actions and facts as they naturally happen. The author does not have an ax to grind. You will have to read the rest of your life to find a small handful of books that are as thoroughly researched; it is clear that the author has read everything directly and indirectly involved with this personal history. Here is the best part. It really is exceptionally well written. I have recently read Adrian Goldsworthy's book on Julius Ceasar, and it contained missing antecedents, poorly turned phrases, meandering suppositions, and some rather large omissions. But it is one of those books that everyone feels they have to praise or else they are not an intellectual. A Very Principled Boy is much more well written. You won't be able to put it down. And it will leave you with the shuddering realization that there are Duncal Lee types all around us, people who have gotten away with it.
July 25, 2015
To tell the truth I didn't finish this book. I got through the first 100 pages and felt I had learnt everything I intended when I picked this book up. It is very factual which makes quite a hard and slow read.
The amount of research the author has carried out to tell the story is phenomenal, and should be applauded in that it is a true biography of Lee. Unfortunately it is just so impersonal.
The author outlines the life of Duncan Lee in a very precise way. However, there are no moments where you feel the rush and anxiety a spy might feel. Instead it is stated matter of factly as a serious of events. The events weren't connected well enough to be able to understand how Lee had ended up in his current situation and what emotional process he went through to get there. This occurred throughout the book (well the first 100 pages anyway).
The amount of research the author has carried out to tell the story is phenomenal, and should be applauded in that it is a true biography of Lee. Unfortunately it is just so impersonal.
The author outlines the life of Duncan Lee in a very precise way. However, there are no moments where you feel the rush and anxiety a spy might feel. Instead it is stated matter of factly as a serious of events. The events weren't connected well enough to be able to understand how Lee had ended up in his current situation and what emotional process he went through to get there. This occurred throughout the book (well the first 100 pages anyway).
August 17, 2014
Interesting book! What really stands out is the ineptness of the government operations and the ego-driven rule of the government's departments.The story seems to center on the players that surrounded Duncan Lee rather than on Lee himself.
May 10, 2015
Highly informative book that merits questions about its approach: http://wcinbooks.whittakerchambers.or...
December 31, 2015
Interesting - but oh, too long! Overwhelmed in detail that detracted from a fascinating story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews