The Bridport Literary Festival 2018

Christened ‘Orphan’ by his Russian recruiter, Maclean was the perfect spy and Britain’s most gifted traitor. As he leaked huge amounts of top-secret intelligence, an international code-breaking operation rapidly closed in on him. With a wealth of previously classified material to draw upon, Roland Philipps now reveals a gripping tale of betrayal and counter-betrayal to tell the story of the most enigmatic member of the Cambridge Spy Ring. He unravels Maclean’s character and contradictions; a childhood that was both liberal and austere; a Cambridge education mixing in Communist circles and a career as a polished diplomat with a gift for deception.