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The Cambridge Spies continue to fascinate - but one of them, John Cairncross, has always been more of an enigma than the others. He worked alone and was driven by his hostility to Fascism rather than to the promotion of Communism. During his war-time work at Bletchley Park, he passed documents to the Soviets which went on to influence the Battle of Kursk. Geoff Andrews gained exclusive access to the Cairncross papers and secrets, and has spoken to friends, relatives and former colleagues. In his portrait, a complex individual emerges – a scholar as well as a spy – whose motivations have often been misunderstood. After his resignation from the Civil Service, Cairncross moved to Italy and there he rebuilt his life as a foreign correspondent, editor and university professor. This gave him new circles and friendships – which included the writer Graham Greene – while he always lived with the fear that his earlier espionage would come to light.
The full account of Cairncross's spying, his confession and his dramatic public exposure as the 'fifth man' is told here for the first time, unveiling the story of his post-espionage life.
Prologue: 'The Chase'
Chapter 1: A Scottish Education
Chapter 2: From Glasgow to Germany
Chapter 3: A Political Awakening
Chapter 4: Cambridge
Chapter 5: The Foreign Office
Chapter 6: Agent Moliere
Chapter 7: Appeasement
Chapter 8: A Political Career Begins
Chapter 9: Bletchley Park
Chapter 10: Enter Graham Greene
Chapter 11: Cold War and Resignation
Chapter 12: An Italian Escape
Chapter 13: Professor Cairncross
Chapter 14: Confession and Exile (Again)
Chapter 15: Hot Autumn
Chapter 16: The 'Fifth Man'
Chapter 17: The Human Factor
Epilogue: 'Fact and Fiction in the Life of John Cairncross'
Description
The Cambridge Spies continue to fascinate - but one of them, John Cairncross, has always been more of an enigma than the others. He worked alone and was driven by his hostility to Fascism rather than to the promotion of Communism. During his war-time work at Bletchley Park, he passed documents to the Soviets which went on to influence the Battle of Kursk. Geoff Andrews gained exclusive access to the Cairncross papers and secrets, and has spoken to friends, relatives and former colleagues. In his portrait, a complex individual emerges – a scholar as well as a spy – whose motivations have often been misunderstood. After his resignation from the Civil Service, Cairncross moved to Italy and there he rebuilt his life as a foreign correspondent, editor and university professor. This gave him new circles and friendships – which included the writer Graham Greene – while he always lived with the fear that his earlier espionage would come to light.
The full account of Cairncross's spying, his confession and his dramatic public exposure as the 'fifth man' is told here for the first time, unveiling the story of his post-espionage life.
