
Cold War Conversations· Staffel 35· Folge 462
The Cambridge Five - new files reveal untold stories (462)
Samstag, 27. Juni 2026 · 1 h 06
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Shownotes
Antonia Senior’s new book,"Stalin’s Apostles" (amzn.to/4es5v76), challenges what you may have believed about the Cambridge Five, a group of British citizens who spied for the Soviet Union.
Antonia argues that their actions during the Cold War have long been romanticised in popular culture., however, the reality is far more complex and tragic.
Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross, were not merely glamorous rogues; their espionage activities had dire consequences for countless individuals in Eastern and Central Europe.
Antonia challenges the traditional narrative that often portrays them as victims of circumstance, highlighting instead the profound impact their betrayals had on nations and individuals who suffered under Stalinist regimes.
Drawing on recently released MI5 documents and various international archives, the episode sheds light on the meticulous research that uncovers the broader implications of the Cambridge Five's actions.
Buy the book and support the podcast here amzn.to/4uTaRxi
Linked Episodes.
• To Catch a Spy – How the Spycatcher Affair Brought MI5 in from the Cold coldwarconversations.com/episode361
• CIA and MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War coldwarconversations.com/episode459
• Burgess and the Cambridge Five Spy Ring coldwarconversations.com/episode148
• Charlotte Philby talks about her grandfather Soviet spy Kim Philby & her book “Edith & Kim” coldwarconversations.com/episode228
• The Cambridge Five Spy Ring: Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Blunt & Cairncross coldwarconversations.com/episode423
• An evening with Kim Philby coldwarconversations.com/episode186
Curated video extras coldwarconversations.com/episode462 (coldwarconversations.com/episode462%E2%81%A0)
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