Since Andrew Lownie’s biography of Guy Burgess (Stalin’s Englishman) was published last September, more facts have emerged about the life of the lesser known member of the Cambridge Spy ring recruited by the Russians.
Lownie comes to Chorleywood this month to talk about his book and update us on some of the latest findings
Over four hundred files recently released by the Foreign Office’s Security Department and MI5 fill in some of the gaps and unanswered questions about the two British diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean and the circumstances surrounding their sudden disappearance in 1951.
We discover more about Burgess’ career, what he was doing in MI6’s Section D, why he was dismissed and how he was nearly sacked from the Foreign Office for indiscretion.
A great deal is revealed about Burgess, his friends – and his dog called Joe (named after Stalin) Transcriptions of telephone intercepts between himself and his mother, plus letters ,confirm his close friendship with Churchill’s niece and Anthony Eden’s future wife Clarissa. It is clear that Burgess was engaged to Kim Philby’s secretary and that Burgess and Donald Maclean had ‘a roaring affair’. New light is shed on Michael Redgrave and Coral Browne’s visit, (the subject of Alan Bennett’s play An Englishman Abroad).
We discover too that Kim Philby was immediately suspected in 1951 but, without a confession , legal action couldn’t be brought.
The British authorities knew that they couldn’t prevent Guy Burgess coming back to Britain – correspondence (58 – 63) shows law officers advising on possible courses of action and other sources show that Anthony Blunt was used to dissuade Burgess from returning and embarrassing his friends .
Burgess wrote to his mother ‘When the whole story is told, I don’t think I shall come out of it too badly.’
We now have some more material to make up our own minds.
An evening with Andrew Lownie, Wed 11 May, 7.30pm,. The Junction, Christ Church. WD3 5SG
Main Photo Guy Burgess Summer 1932 © Steven Runciman Estate