My Silent War (Modern Library Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Kim Philby's Autobiography: a Must for Spy-Buffs
Review: "My Silent War" presents a witty and literate glimpse into the the subtle mind of one of the KGB's most successful spies, Kim Philby, who penetrated MI6 and was being groomed to be "C", or head of British Intelligence, during World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, when he was finally unmasked because of the flight of his fellow Cambridge spies, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess. Yes, Philby wrote in Moscow under the noses of the KGB, and was therefore selective in his reminiscences, but the book, written in lucid prose, never ceases to fascinate. Raising as many questions as it answers, "My Silent War" never sinks to Communist Propaganda--Philby is too clever by far, and too competent a writer. An absorbing read, Kim Philby' s autobiography fully deserves its niche in the "Modern Library" series.



Rating:
Summary: A confused spy
Review: I agree with the previous reviewer, so you don't need to read this review any further if you don't want to. Kim Philby's personality is evident in this book and will therefore be a useful aid to anyone doing a psychological study. The usefullness will not come from what he reveals but in what he does not reveal and how he does not reveal it. This man is a true spy. A concealer and obfuscator at heart, this book is all smoke and mirrors and no substance. It's a whole lot liek the PR from movie stars and the White House. The words never really answer your question because as is the case in this book, it never takes one to the heart of the matter and fails to satisfy the curiosity, which I guess, is the reason why anyone would buy this book. Forget it. You don't find anything out. In the first few pages he tells you straight off (because, as the previous reviewer said, he is more intelligent than us) that he won't be telling us how and why he was contacted by the communists. Need I say more. THAT is the thing that I wanted to know. Thank god, I got this book from the local library. Back it goes, mostly unread.

Rating:
Summary: Viewpoint vs. point of view
Review: Kim Philby seems to have been motivated to betray his country and spy for Russia by a lifelong commitment to communism. And so his autobiography reeks with the conviction of a man who is certain in his own mind that his actions were honorable.

Robert Hanssen -- who would one day become an FBI agent -- was strongly influenced by Philby's book, and perhaps something else. He once said in a note to his Russian handlers, "I decided on this course when I was 14 years old. I'd read Philby's book." The two sentences may convey an ambiguous meaning Hanssen did not intend. At any rate, he read Philby's book at some time, but not before he was twenty-four.

Philby's strong convictions were transmitted to Hanssen by some influence that even Philby would probably not understand. How that influence stayed with Hanssen until he was 35 is even harder to grasp, for he detested communism. But he never wavered from "the course" he had decided on. It seems impossible that Hanssen's motivation was ideological, but rather a quest for the exciting and romantic life of the spy, as depicted by Philby. Hanssen must have found something attractive about spying besides the money, for he kept at it for fifteen years and continued even when he knew he was under suspicion.

I found it easy to look at Philby with as much understanding as Archie Bunker might -- a dirty rotten pinko commie. In Russia, however, Philby is a genuine hero. And somehow that's how I feel about Russians opposed to communism who spy for the U.S.

Rating:
Summary: worthless tripe that sheds nothing new
Review: on Philby (clearly by choice). What you can deduce from Philby is that he was completely amoral, not to mention a traitor. Pity how he didn't get into his ultimate disillusionment with the Soviet Union towards the end (and communism for that matter). Treason in the Blood by Cave is much better informative source than even Philby's autobiography simply for the reason that Philby doesn't want to say anything

Rating:
Summary: worthless tripe that sheds nothing new
Review: on Philby (clearly by choice). What you can deduce from Philby is that he was completely amoral, not to mention a traitor. Pity how he didn't get into his ultimate disillusionment with the Soviet Union towards the end (and communism for that matter). Treason in the Blood by Cave is much better informative source than even Philby's autobiography simply for the reason that Philby doesn't want to say anything

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Sure it's not a tell- all book, but Philby wrote it in the middle of the cold war. I still found it fascinating because I am new to his story.I especially enjoyed the cat and mouse game when Maclean and Burgess disappear.I'd rather hear it from Philby than any biographer.I understand he probably held back alot of juicy details,and attacked people he didn't agree with politically or personally, but it's still a really enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Who cares if this book influenced Hansson?
Review: The autobiography of Kim Philby, minus the last years (25) he spent in the Soviet Union, after his defection in 1963, is STILL a great read, his influncing US spy Hanssen, or not, notwithstanding. Mind you, a great deal of what he states is misinformation, based on fact, but that in itself makes for an even better read, for it is precisely at that game, that of misinforming, that Philby had no peer in the world of intelligence, ever. Moreover, his crafty use of the English language should also provide readers with a clue, or two, about the use of it, as should his former MI6 colleage and friend Graham Greene's brilliant prologue. Philby's unremorsefulness, disdain for his Queen and Country, and true allegiance to the communist cause ( which had already lasted nearly 35 years by the time the book was written), is not really the point here. After his defection, he knew what sort of people would buy his memoirs, and that was for the most part the MI6, MI5, FBI and CIA crowd he'd worked so hard to penetrate, and desinform, through the long years. And, in 1967, he wanted to inflict an even bigger damage on them. In this regard, he only partly succeeded. For a complete overview in the life of this, the most intriguing of all British traitors, interested readers should turn, first and foremost, to "Treason in the blood" ( tracing both Kim's and his famous father St John's lives). In addition, American readers could explore "The Cambridge Spies: The untold story of McLean, Philby and Burgess in America", for a detailed, and harrowing account of how much did Philby and their cohorts achieve, in as little as a seven-year period at the dawn of the Cold War (from McLean's arrival in Washington, in 1944, to Philby's departure from the US, in 1951, and including Burgess' short, but deadly D.C. stay, at the start of the Korean War in 1950), in the penetration of the US intelligence establishment, on Moscow's orders.

Rating:
Summary: Kim Philby: The Silent Rat
Review: There is precious little excitement between the pages of "My Silent War" to titillate the reader. We should remember that no spy worthy of the name would sit down and bare his soul, spilling trade secrets. Philby is no exception. Very little is revealed in "MSW". There are 3 points of minimal interest: The first is to observe how Philby jockeys and maneuvers for position in a competitive bureaucracy-the British Secret Service. That would be the same Secret Service he sold out. The second is a surprisingly strong introduction, which gives the plot context that Philby failed to provide. The third entails his brief station in Washington (circa 1950) as head of British counter-intelligence in the US. The noose closes in on fellow spies Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and the author himself. (Suspicions again arise about his '"loyalty" upon his return to England.) No point justifies the purchase price! The bottom line is that Kim Philby was a hard core Communist spy in the best Cold War tradition, He was a traitor to his country. He broke into small pieces whatever oaths he gave to England and his Queen. Added to that mix is his overtly snide contempt for his readers. (He is so much smarter than we are, you know). The best example of this is on page 193 when under suspicion in England and evading his surveillance, he meets clandestinely with his Russian handlers. "What passed there", we are informed, "is of no concern to the reader". No concern? Then why reveal the incident all! What a conceited little snob! The British have a word for books like this: "RUBBISH"!