LOVE & DECEPTION: Philby in Beirut

The Cold War spy Kim Philby lied and tricked his way through life and Hanning's masterful research lays bare the extraordinary hypocrisy in a tale as gripping as any thriller. It tells the extraordinary story of how Eleanor, a cultured American living in the espionage hotspot of 1950s Beirut, fell in love with the kindest of men. Unknown to her that man, Kim Philby, was under suspicion by the British and US intelligence services of having secretly signed up to help the Russians fight fascism in the 1930s, and of remaining in their pay at the height of the Cold War. Despite his mysterious past, Eleanor adored and married Philby, but the strength of their love was challenged as the net steadily closed in on him. His story may be familiar, but this angle breaks remarkable new ground and is an eye-opening tale of friendship, politics, love and loyalty which surpasses the best spy fiction and is a cautionary tale about the true costs of male privilege on the higher echelons of the British establishment. 408pp, paperback with 16 pages of photos and useful timeline. In the words of David Cornwell, aka John le Carré, 'The scale of Philby's betrayal is barely calculable to anyone who has not been in the business. In Eastern Europe alone, dozens and perhaps hundreds of British agents were imprisoned, tortured and shot.' Map. Paperback, 2022.