The Philby Files: The Secret Life of Master Spy Kim Philby
Students of espionage will value this biography of the legendary Soviet mole who penetrated the inner sanctum of British intelligence. Borovik, a Moscow journalist, taped hundreds of hours of interviews with the master spy during his final years, and was granted access to Philby's KGB files. There's a wealth of new material here, especially on the 1951-56 period, when the shock waves from the Donald Maclean-Guy Burgess defections threatened to unmask Philby. He defended himself so successfully under interrogation that MI6 re-recruited him for an extended mission to Beirut. In 1963, about to be exposed, he defected to Moscow, where he remained until his death in 1988. As depicted in this engrossing biography, presented from the Russian viewpoint, Philby was not only a brilliant spy but a man of charm and wit who, whatever else can be said about him, remained true to his ideals to the end. Photos.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.