The Philby Conspiracy

Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, and Guy Burgess were all firmly part of the British establishment- Maclean and Burgess in the Foreign Office and Philby in the Secret Intelligence Service. All three worked for the ideals upon which the British nation and world democracy were founded- at least that's what they were able to convince not only the world, but their friends and family as well. In fact all three were highly placed Soviet agents who sold out their nation in the name of ideology. 'The Philby Conspiracy' by Bruce Page, David Leitch, and Phillip Knightley is a brilliant look into their careers as respectable pillars of British society and as cunning communist agents. Wonderfully researched, this book looks at Philby's, Maclean's, Burgess's flirtation with communism during their university years and the lengths to which they went to avoid detection. Philby himself served with Franco's fascists during Spain's civil war in an attempt to downplay his own left-wing past. For anyone interested in cold war espionage, or for a better understanding of just what can drive a man to treason, 'The Philby Conspiracy' is must reading.