The Real Spies Among Friends

Following the recent dramatisation of Kim Philby's defection, 'A Spy Among Friends', this documentary provides a brisk retelling of the actual facts. For many, it's a now familiar story, but its efficiently told here. The striking thing (and one which the drama also focussed on) is how the British establishment was unwilling to acknowlege, first to itself and then later to the public, that its own members had betrayed their country. The diverse characters of the four (famous) spies makes the story so intriguing; John Cairncross, later outed as "the fifth man", is not mentioned. It's also pretty amazing that Philby was exposed, denied the allegations on television, and then went back to working for the secret service until finally forced out twelve years later. Big secrets were betrayed; yet you do get the idea that a lot of this was game playing for its own sake, and not a game that anyone actually won.