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Reviewer: JJ Marsh
What we thought:
On one hand, anyone with an interest in the 1930 to 1950s
Cambridge/Moscow spy ring of Philby, Blunt, Maclean, Caincross and Burgess must
wonder if there is anything left to say. On the other, there is such an evergreen
fascination with the spies, the politics, the morality and the culture which fostered
such a scandal, readers still wonder how it happened.
And after reading this book,
I wonder how much has changed in the last 100 years.
What is added to a life already picked over and exposed is
the hall of mirrors Burgess himself created. He batted for both sides, but
neither trusted him. His background and education shaped a personality with an
ego all his own. Duplicitous and charming, this man was a player, and one far
more significant, according to Lownie, than previously assumed.
An absorbing read, strong on research and new perspectives, peppered
with wit and humour, you emerge from this book enlightened and entertained by one
man’s exceptional lives.
You’ll enjoy this if you liked:
Alan Turing: The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges, The
Mitford Girls, by Mary S. Lovell, Present Indicative by Sheridan
Morley
Avoid if you don’t like: British history, real
characters, the realities of spying
Ideal accompaniments: Pimms, kedgeree and Benjamin Britten’s Death in
Venice
Genre: Biography, non-fiction
Available on Amazon
Genre: Biography, non-fiction
Available on Amazon
off to order it now, sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteoff to order it now, sounds fascinating.
ReplyDelete