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'I am always gripped by the Philby story, and James Hanning succeeds in putting new flesh on this fascinating period in his double life. Maximum betrayal, maximum stress, maximum misbehaviour, maximum booze - I thoroughly recommend losing yourself in lives which I trust are far more terrifyingly rackety than your own' - Marina Hyde
About the author
James Hanning
Summary
'A brilliantly researched and revelatory book, written with compelling authority and great narrative drive. Completely fascinating' William Boyd
Love & Deception is the extraordinary story of how Eleanor, an able, cultured American living in the espionage hot spot of 1950s Beirut, fell in love with the kindest, most sensitive of men. Unknown to her, that man, a Lebanon-based journalist, 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, who later begged her to defy his difficulties. As the net closed in on Philby, he manoeuvred to save himself, but would their love survive?
The outline of Philby's story is familiar to many, but Love & Deception breaks remarkable new ground - even for spy buffs. Through in-depth research, Hanning produces an eye-opening tale of friendship, politics, love, and loyalty.
Foreword
Including new evidence from key figures, Love and Deception is the result of 20 years of research into one of the Cold War's most mysterious episodes.
Additional text
If ever there was a cautionary tale about the true costs of male privilege in the higher echelons of the British establishment - this is it. Hanning's masterful research lays bare the extraordinary hypocrisy that enabled Kim Philby to lie and trick his way through life.
