Guy Burgess cover art

Guy Burgess

The Spy Who Knew Everyone

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About this listen

Cambridge spy Guy Burgess was a supreme networker. He also set a gold standard for conflicts of interest, working variously for the BBC, MI5, MI6, the War Office, the Ministry of Information and the KGB. Yet Burgess was never challenged by Britain's spy catchers: his superiors were convinced he was too much of a liability to have been recruited by Moscow.

Now, with a major new release of hundreds of files into the National Archives, Purvis and Hulbert reveal just how this charming establishment insider was able to fool everyone for so long, without suspicion, all the while working for the KGB.

©2016 Stewart Purvis & Jeff Hulbert (P)2016 Oakhill Publishing Espionage Europe Freedom & Security Great Britain Historical Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Russia True Crime England War Imperialism Royalty Winston Churchill Soviet Union United Kingdom Socialism

Critic reviews

"[An] excellent biography." ( Financial Times)
"Adds much to a familiar story thanks to newly released files.... [Stewart Purvis and Jeff Hulbert's] revelations leave us all the more astonished that such a smelly, scruffy, lying, gabby, promiscuous, drunken slob could penetrate the heart of the establishment without anyone apparently noticing that he was also a Soviet masterspy." ( The Observer)
All stars
Most relevant
extremely detailed they missed the point that burgers being a homosexual, which was against the law was a motive for betraying his country, a way to get even.

Very good shows how gaulable the British are

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What did you like best about Guy Burgess? What did you like least?

Unfortunately, the narrator sounded less animated than the shipping report. I cannot quite tell without reading this book if the book is being robbed of its conjecture, insights and reflections or if it is the fault of this bland, really terrible, narrator. I usually spot a bad reader at the point when you can hear the sample. Sadly his voice sounded fine in those few moments what I could not know is that it remains the same throughout. I will have to buy the book in print since I have sneaking suspicion it is a well researched and possibly interesting book who knows - fire your narrator!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I am not too sure I kept falling asleep

What didn’t you like about Andrew Cullum’s performance?

As above

Did Guy Burgess inspire you to do anything?

What like spying? Daft question moment

'A' level assignment style narrator

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