Kim Philby: Unseen footage of Soviet spy - BBC News

The BBC has uncovered previously unseen footage of one of Britain's most infamous spies talking about his work as a double agent.

[charleshendrix]

A Spy Among Friends is also a fine read. Philby’s great asset was twofold, his ability to achieve complete duality, and his ability to engender deep friendship. The two talents together proved lethal.

[marshlightning]

The only revenge we got, after all the people he got tortured and murdered, is that he eventually had to see and live in the shit-hole society he betrayed us for.

[anthonycox]

The upper class tribe would not accept the possibility of one of it's members being a cad.

[andrewcalladine]

It's a timely reminder that the British class system is a fundamental weakness which leads to bad governance, nepotism and incompetence.

[romanclay]

MY SILENT WAR by Kim Philby: "During my youth in the 1930s two paths were presented to me---the rank appeasement of nazis by PMs Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain or the opposition of USSR.  But for the power of the USSR and the Communist idea, the whole world would now be ruled by hitler and hirohito. It is a matter of great pride to me that I was invited at so early an age, to play my infinitesimal part in building up that power. How, where and when I became a member of the Soviet intelligence service is a matter to myself and my comrades. I will only say that when the proposition was made to me, I did not hesitate. One does not look twice at an offer of enrollment in an elite force."

[nunyabizness]

Why didn't you just show the interview, unless you don't have it?

[starwonder]

"RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR"? BY PROFESSOR WALTER VEITH AND MARTIN SMITH YOU TUBE POWERFUL POWERFUL UNMISSABLE WATCH FROM SOUTH AFRICA... TRUTH ALWAYS WINS ❤️🙏🏾❤️

[miuk]

If you're interested in Oleg Gordievsky, this anecdote may be of interest. John le Carré described Ben Macintyre's fact based novel, The Spy and The Traitor, as "the best true spy story I have ever read". It was about Kim Philby's Russian counterpart, a KGB Colonel named Oleg Gordievsky, codename Sunbeam. In 1974 Gordievsky became a double agent working for MI6 in Copenhagen which was when Bill Fairclough aka Edward Burlington unwittingly launched his career as a secret agent for MI6. Fairclough and le Carré knew of each other: le Carré had even rejected Fairclough's suggestion in 2014 that they collaborate on a book. As le Carré said at the time, "Why should I? I've got by so far without collaboration so why bother now?" A realistic response from a famous expert in fiction in his eighties!

Gordievsky never met Fairclough, but he did know Fairclough's handler, Colonel Alan McKenzie aka Colonel Alan Pemberton. It is little wonder therefore that in Beyond Enkription, the first fact based novel in The Burlington Files espionage series, genuine double agents, disinformation and deception weave wondrously within the relentless twists and turns of evolving events. Beyond Enkription is set in 1974 in London, Nassau and Port au Prince. Edward Burlington, a far from boring accountant, unwittingly started working for Alan McKenzie in MI6 and later worked eyes wide open for the CIA. What happens is so exhilarating and bone chilling it makes one wonder why bother reading espionage fiction when facts are so much more breathtaking.

Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote the raw noir anti-Bond narrative, Beyond Enkription. Atmospherically it's reminiscent of Ted Lewis' Get Carter of Michael Caine fame. If anyone ever makes a film based on Beyond Enkription they'll only have themselves to blame if it doesn't go down in history as a classic espionage thriller.

[amcmenemy]

Incredible how Philby was not uncovered years earlier. Sheer incompetence or maybe something else.

[starwonder]

"FROM EVOLUTIONIST TO CREATIONIST" BY PROFESSOR WALTER VEITH BEAUTIFUL TRUE AMAZING POWERFUL INSPIRING STORY FROM SOUTH AFRICA ENJOY YOU TUBE ENJOY BEAUTIFUL WATCH ❤️🙏🏾❤️

[shiulqx]

I'm curious to know that 'dirty story' of how he got rid of his boss. Anybody know where I can get that info?

[keithad]

To live a lie and an unundiscovered traitor to his birth country for so many years must have been awfully taxing on his sanity. Unless he had a so far undiagnosed psychosis such as psychopathy or similar which might allow him to cope with ease his persona he presented to those he worked with and who he was fooling each and every day with SIS. Thank you for reading my two cents worth.

[tranquility]

He didn’t have much fun in the Soviet Union, he didn’t have much to do and was kept under close watch by the KGB. Some stories say he was depressed and turned to drink more- some stories say he was quite happy, he never learnt Russian fluently. On the other hand George Blake spoke fluent German, worked for the Soviet govt and had a fine time by all accounts.

[bastiaanstapelberg]

Je kan het ook als volgt zien. Hij zag, net als de overige 'Four' dat het zonder het communisme onmogelijke zou zijn om het fascisme te verslaan. Dat was een correcte inschatting alleen als je al kijkt naar de enorme verliezen aan Russische kant, die waren en zijn onvoorstelbaar. Zonder de Russen...het communisme...had de bevolking in GB nu Duits gesproken en dat is de realiteit. Dus hij heeft GB juist geholpen.

[TheCWMHALL]

Kim Philby's father was St John Philby persona non grata in England

[arturoderobilant]

Is there any spy who may not be defined "infamous"?

[isprikitikburkabush]

KGB espionage tactics makes CIA and Mi6 a fucking jokes haha.

[TheKategolden]

Interesting the lecture is given with a sign in the background that is in German .

[cBearTV-]

It should NEVER be forgotten that people died because of that man's deceit. I say to those who lost their lives due to his treachery.... May you RIP ✝️... As for Philby Russia shoved him in a cheap and dank block of flats, were he was NEVER without a KGB escorts, as Russia didn't trust him, obviously as he'd already proven himself a traitor, and they gave him as much whisky as he wanted to keep him quiet... But don't be mistaken Russia didn't deem him a hero, yes they did the funeral for show, but in life they repaid him by keeping under literal guard, and untrust... I hope he thought it was worth it.

[juggergabro]

It's staggering how many affairs he had