My Silent War
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Review
"Far more gripping than any novel of espionage I can remember." --Graham Greene
"To this day I am convinced that he was not an ideologue. Spying was just his way of being above lesser mortals." --Nigel West
"Addictive . . . highly polished . . . written with style and a feline sense of irony, making it a much better read than any of the other Philby literature." --"The Guardian"
"Philby has no home, no women, no faith. Behind the inbred upper-class arrogance, the taste for adventure, lies the self-hate of a vain misfit for whom nothing will ever be worthy of his loyalty. In the last instance, Philby is driven by the incurable drug of deceit itself." --John le Carre --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
"To this day I am convinced that he was not an ideologue. Spying was just his way of being above lesser mortals." --Nigel West
"Addictive . . . highly polished . . . written with style and a feline sense of irony, making it a much better read than any of the other Philby literature." --"The Guardian"
"Philby has no home, no women, no faith. Behind the inbred upper-class arrogance, the taste for adventure, lies the self-hate of a vain misfit for whom nothing will ever be worthy of his loyalty. In the last instance, Philby is driven by the incurable drug of deceit itself." --John le Carre --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Book Description
A fascinating insight into the mind and motivations of the notorious British 'Master Spy' and Soviet double agent.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
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First Sentence
It was a quite early in my career as a Soviet intelligence official that I first ran into serious trouble, escaping, almost literally, by the skin of my teeth. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
It was a quite early in my career as a Soviet intelligence official that I first ran into serious trouble, escaping, almost literally, by the skin of my teeth. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Of all the entertaining spy stories written, this is the original and true version. Clearly an educated writer it also reads well. He presents his case well and will add value to your understanding of the Cold War- whatever you personally may think of Philby.
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"My Silent War" presents a witty and literate glimpse into the subtle mind of one of the KGB's most successful spies, Kim Philby. The Cambridge graduate had thoroughly penetrated MI6 and was being groomed to be its chief--although some writers including Nigel West dispute this--during World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, when he was finally unmasked because of the flight of his fellow Cambridge spies, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess.
Kim Philby, according to Seale and McConville, has become a "caricature" of "Western demonology," a "byword of reproach," the deadly "viper" in the "trusting bosom of his country" ("Philby: The Long Road to Moscow," 1978, 13). Nigel West's characterization of "My Silent War" as a "vitriolic" memoir illustrates this proposition (even though his assessment of Philby in "The Friends" [1988, 51-68], is otherwise balanced). As evidence of "vitriol" he presents Philby's judgment ("MSW,"109) of Sir Stewart Menzies ("C" of MI6) as an intellectually "unimpressive . . . fairly cloistered son of the upper levels of the British establishment" whose attitudes [as far as counterespionage was concerned] were "schoolboyish-- bars, beards, and blonds"--an assessment that West himself corroborates in "The Friends" (117). Vitriol in this instance and truth do not seem to be mutually exclusive. Was Menzies truly "hounded" by Philby's words? In retrospect, they seem rather mild when compared to those of John Le Carré (a.k.a. David Cornwell of MI5--eternal rival of MI6) in respect to Philby in the MI5-agent-turned-best-selling-author's introduction to Page, Leitch, and Knightley's "Philby: The Spy who Betrayed a Generation" (1969, 24). Le Carré writes: "In ten year's time [Philby] may be stopping British tourists in the Moscow streets. Imagine that leaky-eye and whisky-voice, that hesitant, soft-footed charm [.]"
Now THAT is vitriol!
Demonizing only impedes historical truth, as far as it can ever be discerned. Yes, Philby wrote in Moscow under the noses of the KGB, and was therefore selective in his reminiscences, but "My Silent War," written in lucid prose, never ceases to fascinate. Raising as many questions as it answers, the book never sinks to Communist Propaganda-- Philby is too clever by far, and too competent a writer. An absorbing read, Kim Philby' s autobiography fully deserves its niche in the thesaurus of western literature.
Kim Philby, according to Seale and McConville, has become a "caricature" of "Western demonology," a "byword of reproach," the deadly "viper" in the "trusting bosom of his country" ("Philby: The Long Road to Moscow," 1978, 13). Nigel West's characterization of "My Silent War" as a "vitriolic" memoir illustrates this proposition (even though his assessment of Philby in "The Friends" [1988, 51-68], is otherwise balanced). As evidence of "vitriol" he presents Philby's judgment ("MSW,"109) of Sir Stewart Menzies ("C" of MI6) as an intellectually "unimpressive . . . fairly cloistered son of the upper levels of the British establishment" whose attitudes [as far as counterespionage was concerned] were "schoolboyish-- bars, beards, and blonds"--an assessment that West himself corroborates in "The Friends" (117). Vitriol in this instance and truth do not seem to be mutually exclusive. Was Menzies truly "hounded" by Philby's words? In retrospect, they seem rather mild when compared to those of John Le Carré (a.k.a. David Cornwell of MI5--eternal rival of MI6) in respect to Philby in the MI5-agent-turned-best-selling-author's introduction to Page, Leitch, and Knightley's "Philby: The Spy who Betrayed a Generation" (1969, 24). Le Carré writes: "In ten year's time [Philby] may be stopping British tourists in the Moscow streets. Imagine that leaky-eye and whisky-voice, that hesitant, soft-footed charm [.]"
Now THAT is vitriol!
Demonizing only impedes historical truth, as far as it can ever be discerned. Yes, Philby wrote in Moscow under the noses of the KGB, and was therefore selective in his reminiscences, but "My Silent War," written in lucid prose, never ceases to fascinate. Raising as many questions as it answers, the book never sinks to Communist Propaganda-- Philby is too clever by far, and too competent a writer. An absorbing read, Kim Philby' s autobiography fully deserves its niche in the thesaurus of western literature.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Kim Philby, arguably the most famous of the cold war spies, writes his memoirs in this volume. Unfortunately, as the foreword indicates, these memoirs were written from Moscow following his escape to Russia, and as such were subject to censorship by the Soviet authorities.
The result, for the most part, is a rather boring account of Philby's movement within the civil service. There is precious little of his activities as a Soviet spy, and I would presume that this is due to the censors. There is much beaurocratic detail, which I personally find uninteresting and unnecessary (unless it's function was as book-filler), although I am aware that some readers might thrive on such.
The book warms up towards the last few chapters, as he discusses his relationship and dealings with fellow Cambridge communist compatriots, Burgess and Maclean. There is an engaging account of how their position in the West became untenable and how this endangered his own position, and Philby briefly describes his own life under suspicion.
For such an intriguing character, Philby's auto-biography promises much and delivers little, although I'm rapidly developing the impression that factual accounts of secret services seem to share this common pattern.
The result, for the most part, is a rather boring account of Philby's movement within the civil service. There is precious little of his activities as a Soviet spy, and I would presume that this is due to the censors. There is much beaurocratic detail, which I personally find uninteresting and unnecessary (unless it's function was as book-filler), although I am aware that some readers might thrive on such.
The book warms up towards the last few chapters, as he discusses his relationship and dealings with fellow Cambridge communist compatriots, Burgess and Maclean. There is an engaging account of how their position in the West became untenable and how this endangered his own position, and Philby briefly describes his own life under suspicion.
For such an intriguing character, Philby's auto-biography promises much and delivers little, although I'm rapidly developing the impression that factual accounts of secret services seem to share this common pattern.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
good
almost true, about same as spy catcher, it makes you think why uk gov. tried to ban these books, even though information was well over 30 years old. Read more
Published 6 months ago by oppkuk
my secret war
Book was not in good condition, pages so brown I had a job reading them. Took an age to get to me. Not too impressed
Published 20 months ago by Morgan Le Fey
Propaganda
You have to read this with one eye or ear open to what Philby's masters in Moscow would allow him to say. Read more
Published 20 months ago by R Howey
Secretly Serving Stalin
Many of us enjoy the escapism of a good spy story, whether fictional or "true", and there is something strangely fascinating about the world of the secret services - a world we... Read more
Published 21 months ago by P. Webster
Terrible- How can is it possible to make something exciting so turgid?
I really had to struggle through the first 70 pages of this, skimmed the rest then flung it away. I can't believe that such excitings events can be made to read so very badly! Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2010 by John Keane
Fascinating, if distasteful
This book was quite exciting to read and the quote from Graham Greene on the front cover of my edition, that it is far more gripping than any novel of espionage, while over-stated,... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2008 by John Hopper
WHERE SHALL THE TRAITOR REST?
Treason tends to get rather an unflattering press, however successful and elegant-minded the traitor. The basic question of loyalty goes back, I guess, to time immemorial. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2007 by DAVID BRYSON
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