It would be difficult to make the story of Harold "Kim" Philby and the Cambridge 5 spy ring boring. As I started this book, I was afraid the author was somehow pulling that off. It's a slow starter, and unlike previous Macintyre books I've read (Operation Mincemeat, Agent Zigzag, The Englishman's Daughter), this one didn't have much fun or lighthearted material.

Philby's betrayal of his family, his country, and his friends is still hard to understand. Macintyre does as good a job as anyone at trying to unravel the tangled web woven by this one difficult, yet apparently charming, man.

This is not new material, but Macintyre has a deft hand for these types of stories. And with some items still classified, one suspects there will continue to be books published about Philby for some time to come.

Recommended for: history buffs, anyone who has seen "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

I received a copy of this book for review from Blogging for Books, opinions are my own.