Status
Genres
Collection
Publication
Description
"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 a man 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.""--Provided by publisher.… (more)
User reviews
This account is compelling and beautifully researched and written, but it veers too far towards sympathizing with Maclean and his fellow traitors for my liking. As a historical biography I can happily rate it with four stars. I'm also contemplating which other books in my library have provided such a devastating critique of postwar, and post-Imperial, British foreign policy as this important book by Roland Philipps. There can't be many.