A Spy Among Friends

Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal

By: Ben Macintyre

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The epic true story of Kim Philby, the Cold War’s most infamous spy, from the “master storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle) and author of Prisoners of the Castle.

Now an MGM+ series starring Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, and Anna Maxwell Martin

“[A Spy Among Friends] reads like a story by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, or John le Carré, leavened with a dollop of P. G. Wodehouse.”—Walter Isaacson, New York Times Book Review

Who was Kim Philby? Those closest to him—like his fellow MI6 officer and best friend since childhood, Nicholas Elliot, and the CIA’s head of counterintelligence, James Jesus Angleton—knew him as a loyal confidant and an unshakeable patriot. Philby was a brilliant and charming man who rose to head Britain’s counterintelligence against the Soviet Union. Together with Elliott and Angleton he stood on the front lines of the Cold War, holding Communism at bay. But he was secretly betraying them both: He was working for the Russians the entire time.

Every word uttered in confidence to Philby made its way to Moscow, sinking almost every important Anglo-American spy operation for twenty years and costing hundreds of lives. So how was this cunning double-agent finally exposed? In A Spy Among Friends, Ben Macintyre expertly weaves the heart-pounding tale of how Philby almost got away with it all—and what happened when he was finally unmasked.

Based on personal papers and never-before-seen British intelligence files and told with heart-pounding suspense and keen psychological insight, A Spy Among Friends is a fascinating portrait of a Cold War spy and the countrymen who remained willfully blind to his treachery.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Shelf Awareness

©2014 Ben Macintyre (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Macintyre has produced more than just a spy story. He has written a narrative about that most complex of topics, friendship. . . . When devouring this thriller, I had to keep reminding myself it was not a novel. . . . [Macintyre] takes a fresh look at the grandest espionage drama of our era.”—Walter Isaacson, The New York Times Book Review

“A Spy Among Friends is the latest in Ben Macintyre’s series on twentieth-century espionage. All are superb, and A Spy Among Friends is no exception. Macintyre gives the familiar story of Philby new life.”—Malcolm Gladwell,The New Yorker

“Macintyre does here what he does best—tell a heck of a good story. A Spy Among Friends is hands down the most entertaining book I’ve reviewed this year.”—Boston Globe

Struggled to finish

Great story
I am always interested in spies and espionage
True history
This was a great listen, even though I
struggled to finish, But will probably listen again to fill in what I may have missed.

Fantastic story but jumps around some.

Writing moves around in time and introduces many characters who you find out don't matter much in the end. Performance is superb so stick through the early part and brace yourself for a thrilling tale.

Very well done

Interesting story with great narration. I have liked all the Ben Macintyre books. I will look for more by this narrator.

Highly Recommend

Listened non stop to this and can't recommend it any higher. Fascinating portrait of a passion driving a man to do unthinkable things. An excellent look at Cold War treachery.

Compelling, memorable, unique.

Hugely important history. True yet stunning.
Well told story of the Kim Philby defection. Great writing. Careful study of the major characters — and some fascinating minor characters, like the father of the founder of The Police. Gripping evaluation of the lives of two best friends on either side of the Cold War.

Terrifically written 

Very well, written, great narration, firsthand accounts, quoted, and super easy to follow and understand.

Recommended for fans of John Le Carre

If you enjoy fiction like John Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold," this nonfiction book is right up your alley. Top notch performance by narrator John Lee.

Ben MacIntyre writes you to the edge of your seat!

A Spy Among Friends was the first book I "read" about Philby and I'm hooked. I want more. Although we may never know the details of the incident, MacIntyre keeps you entertained and spellbound from beginning to end. MacIntyre follows Philby and his many friends and colleagues to climax and conclusion. Philby, always the chameleon, weaved in and out of trouble and suspicion. His friends knew him intimately.? He faced questions head on. I wish to beleive, in the end, he must have felt dejected and betrayed like so many of his friends did.

absolutely riveting

This is a brilliant spy story about a brilliant spy, told by a master writer who knows how to blend character, culture and action flawlessly. For people of a certain age, the characters are familiar but the links between them and the remnants of the culture that protected them are revelatory. I listen to audiobooks in my iPod when I walk, and I walked more frequently and longer while listening to this riveting story. I am now looking into other audio books by this author. I found Lee's reading a bit fast paced and clipped, though his imitations of Russian, American, and upper class English accents were flawless.

"The Good Shepherd" Meets "Yes Minister"

What did you love best about A Spy Among Friends?

You know how the book turns out; yet you're gripped by it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Spy Among Friends?

When Philby sits down for an interrogation. They suspect his secret strongly, but cant prove it.

Have you listened to any of John Le Carré’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

If you could give A Spy Among Friends a new subtitle, what would it be?

But He Was One Of Us!

Any additional comments?

An excellent depiction of Whitehall politics and class snobbery as well as a great intelligence history.