“A Spy Among Friends,” a recently released espionage thriller, is the story of betrayal among friends and treason perpetrated by British Intelligence Officer Kim Philby, who was regarded as the largest mole in British intelligence. Even though this series did not justify the story, it is one that must be told. The plot revolves mostly around Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott, who have been steadfast allies for almost 23 years until Nicholas discovers the truth about Kim Philby. Because of its excessively stylized storyline, the series didn’t clarify the confusion and ended up ruining everything. This series was unwatchable due to the constant flashbacks of Philby and Elliott, as well as the incessant back-and-forth time-hopping sequences. Since we already know that “A Spy Among Friends” is an adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s well-known novel of the same name but are unsure of what is written in the book, the series is all we have to go on to learn what it is exactly about. However, to be honest, you wouldn’t learn much from the series, and the rest would confuse you and cause you to stop watching the series from the very first episode. Therefore, we are trying to provide the truth behind the treachery Kim Philby and his colleagues, intelligence officials, committed, which shattered the United Kingdom’s belief system.
Harold Adrian Russell “Kim” Philby, a Soviet double agent who worked for the British intelligence service SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) or MI6, was exposed to be a member of the Cambridge Five espionage group in 1963, together with Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, and probably Anthony Blunt. Prior to joining the British Intelligence Service, or SIS, in 1940, Philby had worked as a journalist, gathering data on the Spanish Civil War and the battle of France. Then, both before and after World War II, he conveyed a significant number of British secrets to the Soviet Union. Kim Philby was initially intrigued by Communism and Marxism while studying at Cambridge, and a Cambridge tutor introduced him to the plight of victims of German fascism. When he began working with German refugees in Vienna in 1934, he met Litzi Friedmann, an Austrian communist. Kim was intrigued by Litzi’s political ideals and her passion for rescuing afflicted Jews, so they married in February 1934 and moved to the United Kingdom within two months. Edith Tudor Hart, Litzi’s companion, was supposed to have been a Soviet operative who initially introduced Philby to Soviet intelligence. However, it was later discovered that Arnold Deutsch was looking for talented students at British institutions, and Philby caught his eye; therefore, he recruited Philby into Soviet Intelligence.
When Philby returned to the United Kingdom, he began working as a freelance journalist and as a first-hand reporter for “The Times.” In truth, Philby wished to recruit his acquaintance Flora Solomon as a Soviet spy but couldn’t do it without the authorization of the Russian spymaster. Philby afterward met Aileen Furse, a friend whom Solomon had introduced to him. In 1946, his marriage to Litzi ended, and following the divorce, he married Aileen 1946. His relationship with Aileen, on the other hand, did not survive as well. Aileen died in 1957, troubled by her psychological problems. But before all of that, in the 1940s, Kim was eventually recruited by MI6 at the suggestion of his friend Burgess. In 1941, Philby was assigned to MI6’s Section Five, the Counterintelligence Department, and it was during this period that he met James Jesus Angleton, who later became the CIA’s chief of counterintelligence. Angleton became skeptical of Philby when he failed to provide him with information on a British spy who had been executed by the Nazis, but Angleton’s concerns were not much heeded. A serious incident ensues in the meantime involving a Soviet agent, Konstantin Volkov, who is offered by British officers to provide accurate information about three Soviet agents in London in exchange for a large sum of money. Unfortunately, that task is assigned to Philby, who is sent to Turkey to deal with Volkov. Philby eventually gave him over to Soviet operatives, and Volkov mysteriously vanished in Moscow. In a scene from “A Spy Among Friends,” we watch Soviet officers shoot Volkov and his wife.
During this time, Philby relocated to Washington, DC, and his colleague Maclean came under the scrutiny of British intelligence, and his interrogation was planned for May 23, 1951. As a consequence of Burgess’ persistence, Philby assisted Maclean, and Burgess fled to Moscow. Philby returned to London and was subjected to a series of interrogations in which he was asked if he was the third man in Burgess and Maclean’s Soviet spy ring. Philby calmly disputed all charges and suspicions, claiming that he had never worked for the Soviets or been a communist. Finally, he left MI6 in 1951 and failed to secure employment at any organization, not even as a journalist. Additionally, his activities as a Soviet agent were put on hold. He was exonerated and fired from MI6 and Soviet intelligence. In 1956, he was dispatched to Beirut, where he contributed to ‘The Observer’ and ‘The Economist.’ But during the time, the chief directorate of the KGB, Anatoliy Golitsyn, disclosed Philby’s position as a Soviet double agent during an interrogation in 1961. Nicholas Elliott, a longtime acquaintance of Philby and a masterful SIS intelligence officer, was sent to question Kim about the situation. Nicholas first felt Kim Philby was innocent, but once the facts and Flora Solomon’s testimony came to light, he was compelled to accept the truth. Nicholas demanded a full-fledged confession letter from Kim. However, Philby confirmed to Nicholas that he had worked as a spy for the Soviets, but he held off on signing a letter of confession. In January, a second meeting was scheduled, but on January 23, 1963, Philby left Beirut. His escape was verified in July, and it was reported that he was based in Moscow. However, upon his return to Moscow, he discovered that he was not a KGB general but instead was being held in a room with KGB guards and effectively under house arrest by Soviet intelligence. The Soviets then hired him for a minor position in the KGB and stepped-up security out of concern that Philby might go back to London. However, Philby believed that he was devoted to the Soviet intelligence service and communism and that he was not a double agent but rather a straightforward penetration agent who had worked under the Soviet Union. In 1971, he had his fourth marriage to Rufina Pukhova, who was 20 years younger than him. Though it was the greatest fear of the Soviet Union, Philby never went back to London till his last day on earth and passed away in Moscow in 1988.
In the closing scenes of “A Spy Among Friends,” the portrayal of Kim Philby’s mental collapse is not a fictional addition but is actually a true account of events. When Nicholas visited Kim in Beirut to obtain a confession from him, he discovered him inebriated. He had a bandage on his head since he had been injured multiple times while drunkenly sliding down the stairs. Eleanor Brewer, his third wife, had also spotted him drinking extensively at the time, and his aloof demeanor was highly concerning. However, it was the period when all communication with Soviet Intelligence was cut that truly disturbed him emotionally because the KGB was afraid concerning the fact that a man who had betrayed his nation might betray Russia at any time. Despite the fact that he had served under Soviet Intelligence for thirty years, the Soviet Union had virtually house-arrested him following his arrival in Moscow. However, Kim stayed faithful to the Soviets until his last breath. After his passing, Philby received a hero’s burial and countless honors from the Soviet Union.
