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Stalin's Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess

The Lives of Guy Burgess

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Stalin's Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess

By: Andrew Lownie
Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
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Summary

 'MORE RIVETING THAN A SPY NOVEL': THE GRIPPING TRUE STORY OF CAMBRIDGE SPY GUY BURGESS

Readers LOVE Stalin's Englishman:

'Fantastically detailed . . . a very quick, absorbing read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Andrew Lownie's biography of Guy Burgess is that rare achievement - a historical biography of considerable political and human complexity that is also a page turner.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Surely the definitive account of one of the country's most prominent traitors.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Guy Burgess was the most important, complex and fascinating of 'The Cambridge Spies' - Maclean, Philby, Blunt - all brilliant young men recruited in the 1930s to betray their country to the Soviet Union. An engaging and charming companion to many, an unappealing, utterly ruthless manipulator to others, Burgess rose through academia, the BBC, the Foreign Office, MI5 and MI6, gaining access to thousands of highly sensitive secret documents which he passed to his Russian handlers.

In this first full biography, Andrew Lownie shows us how even Burgess's chaotic personal life of drunken philandering did nothing to stop his penetration and betrayal of the British Intelligence Service. Even when he was under suspicion, the fabled charm which had enabled many close personal relationships with influential Establishment figures (including Winston Churchill) prevented his exposure as a spy for many years.

Through interviews with more than a hundred people who knew Burgess personally, many of whom have never spoken about him before, and the discovery of hitherto secret files, Stalin's Englishman brilliantly unravels the many lives of Guy Burgess in all their intriguing, chilling, colourful, tragi-comic wonder.

PUBLISHED TO GREAT CRITICAL ACCLAIM:

Winner of the St Ermin's Intelligence Book of the Year Award.

'One of the great biographies of 2015.' The Times

Fully updated edition including recently released information.

A Guardian Book of the Year. The Times Best Biography of the Year. Mail on Sunday Biography of the Year. Daily Mail Biography of Year. Spectator Book of the Year. BBC History Book of the Year.

'A remarkable and definitive portrait ' Frederick Forsyth

'Andrew Lownie's biography of Guy Burgess, Stalin's Englishman ... shrewd, thorough, revelatory.' William Boyd

'In the sad and funny Stalin's Englishman, [Lownie] manages to convey the charm as well as the turpitude.' Craig Brown©2015 Andrew Lownie Historical Political Science Politics & Government Russia
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Enjoyed this biography of Guy Burgess. Less has been said about this Cambridge Spy than Philby & Blunt. How he wasn't uncovered as a traitor until his defection beggars belief. I have also read about Philby and neither he nor Burgess were "perfect" spies. Both were under suspicion by their bosses and/or friends. Burgess, Maclean & Philby all mysteriously escaped to the Soviet Union at the time of exposure. Were they allowed to leave ? Were they surrounded by people who knew of their guilt but didn't want to believe it? Were there many more intelligence officers who leaned more to the communists than to capitalist America? Many questions remain unanswered. It appears though that Burgess regretted going to the Soviet Union as did Philby although he would never have admitted it. Remain loyal to Britain - the greatest country on earth !

Patriotism v Treachery

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This is an amazing, fact-filled tale that anyone interested in this period of history will enjoy.

Great story, well-read!

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Many interesting parts but found the narrative repeated itself, so some parts were a bit boring.

Interesting but repetitive

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I enjoyed this book but as it is a listen I found the number of characters difficult to remember and distinguish. I resorted to searching them via the Internet. Burgess comes over as persuasive but self destructive - very much a user of people. Not sure that I agree that he was the most important figure in the Cambridge spy ring but I did change my view from the one I held after reading "An Englishman Abroad". I will probably listen to this again at some future date.

Interesting perspective

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So informative. This book has stimulated my interest in espionage history at that time. The author gives a well researched and balanced account.

well researched and interesting

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