The Cambridge Five Cold War Spy Ring: Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Blunt & Cairncross (423)

The Cambridge Five Cold War Spy Ring: Philby, Burgess, Maclean, Blunt & Cairncross (423)

The incredible story of the five most damaging spies in British history, from their recruitment at Cambridge University to their infiltration of the government and the security services, all while successfully eluding prosecution. I speak with Shawnna Morris the author of a new book The Cambridge Spy Ring: The Treachery of the Five Who Got Away. We explore the backgrounds, motivations, and the intricate web of espionage that defined the lives of Kim Philby, Donald McLean, John Cairncross, Guy Burgess, and Anthony Blunt. The Cambridge Five's legacy is one of betrayal, loyalty, and moral ambiguity. Their actions had far-reaching consequences, not only for themselves but for the intelligence community and the political landscape of the time. Episode extra including video interviews of the Cambridge Five here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode423/ Book Giveaway entry (until 4th Oct 2025) https://coldwarconversations.com/giveaway1/ Related episodes Guy Burgess and the Cambridge Spy Ring https://pod.fo/e/a5e38 Charlotte Philby talks about her grandfather Soviet spy Kim Philby & her book “Edith & Kim” https://pod.fo/e/115bd7 An evening with Kim Philby https://pod.fo/e/d8080 The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(447)

The ultimate guide to Cold War locations in Berlin (296)

The ultimate guide to Cold War locations in Berlin (296)

Jonny Whitlam has been a Berlin tour guide since 2010, and since then he’s been showing travellers from across the world the fascinating history of Berlin. We met via social media after I noticed his ...

20 Jun 20231h 14min

A KGB trained spy's desperate escape from Cold War South Africa (295)

A KGB trained spy's desperate escape from Cold War South Africa (295)

South Africa in the 1980s is a brutal, racist Apartheid regime. Those who oppose it risk their lives. Apartheid was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa from 1...

16 Jun 202354min

A KGB trained spy in Cold War South Africa (294)

A KGB trained spy in Cold War South Africa (294)

South Africa in the 1980s is a brutal, racist regime. Those who oppose it risk their lives. Sue Dobson, was a young white South African woman who was also a spy for the banned African National Congres...

9 Jun 202350min

The 10 year old girl who tried to stop a nuclear war (293)

The 10 year old girl who tried to stop a nuclear war (293)

In November of 1982, at the height of the Cold War, Samantha Smith, a 10-year-old girl from Manchester, Maine, wrote to the Soviet leader Yuri Andropov and asked him if he was going to wage a nuclear ...

2 Jun 20231h 12min

Cold War Polish People Army Radio Operator (292)

Cold War Polish People Army Radio Operator (292)

Communist Poland had universal conscription and the armed forces were huge by contemporary standards. The Polish People’s Army, Navy, and Airforce had just over 400,000 troops for most of the 1980s in...

26 Mai 202356min

Volker the Berlin Wall Escape Helper (291)

Volker the Berlin Wall Escape Helper (291)

It’s 1966 in Berlin and the city has now been divided for 5 years by an almost impenetrable wall erected by the communist German Democratic Republic. Together with his friends, West German student Vol...

19 Mai 20231h 19min

 Cold War Canadian airborne anti-submarine missions (290)

Cold War Canadian airborne anti-submarine missions (290)

Colonel Terry Chester’s flying career spanned some 42 years, and 10,000 flying hours. He joined the RCAF in Sept 1964 and in 1968 was awarded Navigator Wings. Terry flew for 3,000 hrs on the Argus Mar...

12 Mai 202339min

Discovering your husband is a KGB spy (289)

Discovering your husband is a KGB spy (289)

The second part of Svetlana’s story starts shortly after her arrival in West Germany with her husband Oleg who is the Chief Editor of the Russian Service of Radio Liberty a CIA-financed station beamin...

5 Mai 20231h 6min

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