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A Spy Named Orphan
- The Enigma of Donald Maclean
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
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A Spy Named Orphan
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Summary
A gripping tale of betrayal and counterbetrayal that tells the story of the most enigmatic member of the Cambridge spy ring - Donald Maclean.
Donald Maclean was a star diplomat, an establishment insider and a keeper of some of the West's greatest secrets. He was also a Russian spy, driven by passionately held beliefs, whose betrayal and defection to Moscow reverberated for decades.
Christened ‘Orphan’ by his Russian recruiter, Maclean was the perfect spy and Britain’s most gifted traitor. But as he leaked huge amounts of top-secret intelligence, an international code-breaking operation was rapidly closing in on him. Moments before he was unmasked, Maclean vanished.
Drawing on a wealth of previously classified material, Roland Philipps now tells this story for the first time in full. Philipps unravels Maclean’s character and contradictions: a childhood that was simultaneously liberal and austere; a Cambridge education mixing in Communist circles; a polished diplomat with a tendency to wild binges; a marriage complicated by secrets; an accelerated rise through the Foreign Office and, above all, a gift for deception. Taking us back to the golden age of espionage, A Spy Named Orphan reveals the impact of one of the most dangerous and enigmatic Soviet agents of the 20th century, whose actions heightened the tensions of the Cold War.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel
- 31-07-22
The in-depth life of Donald Maclean
I've always found the Cambridge five you be one of the most interesting spy rings, and this book gives an interesting leak into one of its profilic members.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Medusa104
- 07-08-19
Well researched and beautifully read
What a pleasure it has been to spend those hours listening to this great book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Keith H. Slater
- 15-04-19
loved it!
Really enjoyed it!. The reading by Jonathan Keeble was superb. I will lookout for him again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue F
- 23-06-18
Fascinating!
Excellent narrator. For those thinking of a life in the Secret Service, this gives an insight into the stresses involved in secrecy and having to lie to defend one's ideals. It did make me wonder how anybody could be trusted in the world of espionage.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- "tpurcell9"
- 22-04-24
Deserved reputation.
After a journey starting at M I eventually arrived at Orphan, Just about every of the other books dealing with the Cambridge Five, the SIS etc. referenced Phillips and A Spy Named Orphan at some stage. I decided to try it. It is worth the reputation. Well worth listening to.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- KENNETH SYME
- 17-04-19
A fine biography, seen in context of its time.
One of the best biographies I can recall - well researched but not encumbered with irrelevant detail. Excellentllently read by Jonathan Keeble.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mr J Coates
- 14-09-23
Excellent Retelling
This was an excellent retelling of an individual of whom I knew nothing about. Never dull, perfectly narrated I recommend to anyone who enjoys the espionage genre. A perfect accompaniment to reading a biography of the better known of the Cambridge Five, Kim Philby. The author does a grand job in weaving together the subjects very complex character. I felt profoundly sad at the end of it that he sold his Presbyterian birthright for the pot of stew of communism.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- I. Finlayson
- 28-01-21
Fantastic biography of one of the Cambridge 5
I loved this well researched biography of Donald McLean. A great book for any espionage fans. The narration was excellent. I thoroughly look forward to listening to it again in the future.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- N. Holden
- 11-08-22
Really enjoyable.
Having known quite a bit about Philby and Burgess, I wanted to know more about McClean. What I didn't expect was the fact that he was a truly decent and great man. This is an excellent biography, well narrated too. The story is easily visual in your mind as you go through the turbulent chaos of the 50+ years of McClean's personal and professional adult life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Daniel Parry
- 12-09-18
Great story
An enjoyable listen. A great story well read. I would sincerely recommend the audio book.
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1 person found this helpful