Very good book. Well written. Simply put, Philby was true to the cause he believed in. How wrong was this really? Makes you wonder. Before I read the book my opinion of Philby was cut and dried: TRAITOR! After reading his autobiography I am left with questions as to how mistaken were his loyalties to the "wrong"(in our opinion) philosophy. Be as it may, he was loyal to the very end, and with no material gain (unlike other spies). Make no mistake, he will always be a monster and a spy, but he was doing his job, one he believed in and dedicated all of his life to. He should not, and cannot ever be forgiven for what he did, but perhaps better understood for his motivation.