Kim Philby, a spy novelist at the peak of his imaginative powers, would scarcely dare to invent the story contained in these extroardinary pages. That a son of the British establishment could, during a thirty year career in his country's secret service, at the same time be a dedicated Communist agent would seem too far-fetched even for fiction. Here in detail is the incredible story, not only of how Philby did it, but what he did and its awesome consequences; of how he betrayed his country, his service and his friends and, above all, the class which nurtured, shaped and finally protected him.