Kim Philby, Super Spy: Part 1, Codename Sonny

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Born to the British upper-crust - devoted to the Revolution. Harold 'Kim' Philby was the ultimate Soviet superspy.

For decades, Philby sold secrets to the Russians from inside the upper echelons of MI6. Inspired by an unpublished memoir recently acquired by Spyscape, we bring his fascinating story to life.

In Part 1, Rhiannon Neads details Philby's rise to the top - and the fateful decisions that will lead to his undoing.

From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan. Kim Philby voiced by Dominic Mafham.

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Your narrator is incredible. I can see Philby as the actor talks

rosainecalmeyer

So much more details in this video than all of the other ones I’ve seen on YouTube. Very well done, as I feel as if I’m in a room listening to Kim.

BlackAfrikan

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."

romanclay

This really is very good and the actor is spot on!

Love him or hate him, 'Kim' Philby was no dilettante radical. It is too easy for us to view him in a teleological manner and judge him accordingly.
He reacted, quite understandably, to what he saw going on around him in the World (he may well have had some personal epiphany, perhaps?) and, on being offered a chance to do 'something about it', he took it.
He considered that the 'So-Called Elites', the privileged, exploitative and connected Bourgeoisie of which he was a member, had betrayed their own countries' people, and not just in the UK but everywhere.
The 'Remedy' these same elites proposed - authoritarian, quasi-religious, violent, militaristic, aggressively nationalist and corporatist - was worse than the disease.
To him, they, as a socio-economic class, had already committed the worst sorts of Treason.
It was no 'phase' for him. He understood that Class Struggle was War, not a Battle.
Wars involve loss, personal sacrifice, courage, cowardice, loyalties and betrayals. And, unlike a battle, War is ubiquitous and it is relentless.
Whilst making allowances for human beings' tendency to rewrite their pasts in the light of subsequent developments, he seems to have genuinely had more awareness, rather than the soon-acquired experiential knowledge, of his 'hostage to fortune' status than most.
That near-miss by a shell up near Teruel - I had relatives who fought/froze on that health destroying front and their sardonically humourous 'Sunny ffwcin Sbaen?!' memories spoke volumes! - which only he survived taught him the extremely sudden, totally capricious and very permanent nature of death in War.
But, certainly to him and his world view, the casualties of capitalism in an ongoing forever-War between Classes were evidence enough and justified him in his decision to take a side.
Just saying, like!

jonathanmarsh

I meant to add that this was superb- first rate. Anyone can sympathize with Philby's compassion for the plight of the poor and wanting to do something radical for them- and that he was a man of real courage and integrity- but to go from that to siding with the most vile, controlling, political, anti-human system of oppression in the post-war world...All the same, I have a feeling he went to his grave with few if any regrets.

kevinwhelan

I'm a Le'Carre fan and find espionage from this period fascinating. The book; Tinker Taylor Solder Spy and 2 other novels in the trilogy are said to have been inspired partly by this. A later book from late 80s; A Perfect Spy, I feel has more in common to it..
Magnus Pym thinks, does and behaves very similar to Philby, however is a person I can emphasise with much more.

In the book, when Pym is placed in Vienna as a low level agent, or it may have been Army service, hes shown 2 photographs by a superior and told to arrest them if he comes across them. He's never arrested anyone before and asks how to do it in a hilarious part of one he never encounters them, but writes later in his diary years later those 2 people were Philby and Burgess.

Its an outstanding book and the 'Perfect' spy novel IMO. It follows the story of the entire life of a man recruited to a top level spy and then a Czech double agent and finds it impossible to get out even when he could - he enjoys the thrill so much of his double life at times and doesn't know who he is. Betrayal and the search of love are very strong themes and it does give a very deep insight of why and how people can end up as high level double agents - highly recommended book!!

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