A spy among friends

Incredible story of WWII-era espionage centered on the notorious double-agent Kim Philby, who spent 30 years as one of the most influential spies in both British and American intelligence all the while working directly for the Soviets. The real-life spy stories are exciting and well-told, and in them it's easy to see the origins of fiction like James Bond and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". There is a parallel story about the danger of the "old boy" network, where authority, influence, and trust is given based on social standing, and maintaining appearances is often more important than doing what's right.

Having grown up listening to the news in the 1970s the names of the famous spies who escaped to Moscow were familiar but I didn't know the background of the history or much about the characters. The book is fascinating because the character of Philby is complex. He was incredibly loyal to his ideological cause but intensely disloyal to those closest to him.