london spy locationS & lITERATURE (2)

The Downfall Of The Cambridge Five (#006)

Many a novelist has been inspired by the story of the cambridge five
here are a few recommendations

Safe House Suggestions

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John le Carré

Le Carré’s tale of the hunt for a mole at the heart of the Circus remains a classic, and the inspiration for countless other tails of traitors at the heart of the establishment. For those who prefer their treachery on screen, there is the option of Alec Guinness' iconic portrayal of molehunter-in-chief George Smiley in the 1979 BBC series, or the 2011 film version with Gary Oldman stepping into Smiley's shoes.

Edith and Kim - Charlotte Philby

Spot the connection. Kim's granddaughter provides a novel twist in this fictionalised account, weaving in material from declassified files and family papers. She focuses in on Edith Tudor-Hart, the Austrian born photographer, and communist, who introduced Philby to his recruiter, Arnold Deutsch.

The Trinity Six - Charles Cumming

Taking the Five as a starting point, Cumming brings a contemporary touch in this gripping thriller based on the premise that a sixth member of the spy ring remained undiscovered...

Cambridge Spies - BBC

This very watchable four-parter from the BBC dramatises the story of Blunt, Burgess, Maclean and Philby from their early days at the university until their treachery begins to come to light.

For those seeking further inspiration, we recommend checking out Spybrary

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Key Locations

St Ermin's Hotel, 2 Caxton Street, SW1H 0QW

A legendary spy hotel. As MI6 expanded in the run up to World War II, its Section D was based here, as was the Special Operations Executive in its early days. And it was here that Kim Philby’s recruitment into MI6 began, joining his old Cambridge friend Guy Burgess. Located around the corner from MI6’s then headquarters, it remained a hive of intelligence activity during and after the war. In a nod to its role in the history of espionage, its lobby has a display of spy memorabilia, including gadgets designed by Charles Fraser-Smith, the original ‘Q’. The Caxton Bar, reputed to have been a favoured meeting point for agents and their handlers, offers cocktails named after each of the Cambridge spies.

Turnbull & Asser, 71-72 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6PF

Meeting her several years after his flight to Moscow, Burgess asked the actress Coral Browne to have suits from this classic British shirt makers sent to him. Other notable clients included Winston Churchill - he shopped here for his signature one piece 'Siren Suit' as well as his shirts. And carrying on the espionage theme, they have created a James Bond Collection.

The Grosvenor Hotel (now The Clermont), 101 Buckingham Palace Rd, SW1W 0SJ

This recently renovated Grade II listed hotel with a private exit into Victoria Station provides a fine base for visiting the numerous espionage related sites nearby. Donald Maclean sipped whisky and soda in the Smoking Room (now guest rooms) and also visited the American Bar (now called the Reunion) overlooking the station concourse, while waiting for Guy Burgess to join him, as they plotted their escape to Moscow in 1951.

The Duke of Wellington, 63 Eaton Terrace, SW1W 8TR

This Belgravia hostelry, whose origins were as a 19th century reading room, lies near the bustling King’s Road. Packed with memorabilia of the Duke, it is also one of the many establishments where MI5 trailed Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he drank his way through his final days in Britain.

Some suggested spots to duck into to check plans or lose a tail...

SOME SUGGESTED SPOTS TO DUCK INTO TO CHECK PLANS OR LOSE A TAIL

Pre-Mission Briefing

Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire - Antonia Senior

While countless books have been written about the Five, this 2026 work provides an up to date and comprehensive overview of their activities. Drawing on recently declassified documents, it focuses on the lasting damage caused by the Five. A useful scene setter on this notorious group who pop up in spy city after spy city.

My Five Cambridge Friends - Yuri Modin

Another book to emerge from period of relative openness following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Modin writes from the position of a true insider. His five friends were the agents he ran inside the British system. His memoir, clearly written from the perspective of a KGB officer relishing the success of his own operations, recounts how he handled them, his part in the defections of Burgess and Maclean, and what happened next. He notes that Burgess didn't take to Soviet life and 'missed the London pubs'...

Stalin's Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess - Andrew Lownie

This classic, and very readable, biography takes the reader through the twists and turns of Burgess' career. Drawing on a mass of interviews and declassified documents, Lownie explores how this reckless character worked his way into the heart of the British establishment, as a Soviet agent, despite the warning lights flashing all the way.

A Spy Named Orphan: The Enigma of Donald Maclean - Roland Philipps

Philipps detailed account charts the rise of Maclean inside the Foreign Office, which enabled him to pass copious quantities of material to his Soviet masters. But the growing pressure of the double life, and a self-destructive streak, well captured in the book, kick starts the unravelling of the Cambridge Five, and his hurried flight to Moscow with Burgess in tow in 1951...