Originally Posted by
langleybaston
I have just finished the Philby bio by MacIntyre.
Astonishing to present day thinking that Philby, Burgess and Maclean were all, in effect, presumed innocent until found guilty despite giving off signals that they were not to be trusted with the price of bus ride. The Establishment at its worst. The attempts at coverups continuing for years after the events were ludicrous and amateurish.
Having now waded through all three biographies I am at least comforted by the fact that their exiles in Russia were basically unhappy.
Blunt is next up for a read. No exile for him.
Don't forget the fifth man, Cairncross. All five of them, in my opinion, should have been charged with treason, just as Amery and Joyce were. They should have faced Pierpoint at 9 o'clock one cold dark morning at Wandworh or Penonville for the ultimate punishment for traitors. Under Elizabth I, they would have found getting dead following their interrogation somewhat prolonged and painful, no happy chat in a convivial atmosphere..They were lucky of they had not been victims of the erstwhile employers as they may have got the reputed Penkovsky treatment.