Their wives socialized with one another and they all travelled in the same social circles. Even when assigned to different spots on the globe, they remained close and visited often. Philby and Elliott’s careers in British intelligence took them to countries around the world, often ending up in the same place, most notably London and Istanbul. He was covertly working for Moscow, taking everything he was told by Elliott and passing it on to his Soviet spymasters. All the while, Philby had a secret he never shared. They attended the same schools, belonged to the same clubs, drank in the same bars, wore the same well-tailored clothes, and sought out the same career. Elliott became very attached to his new friend and they remained friends for decades. Although both attended Cambridge, Elliott began the year Philby graduated, so the two did not meet until they each joined the British intelligence service.Įlliott’s best friend at Cambridge, Basil Fisher, was killed during the Battle of Britain in World War II, leaving a hole that he believed would be filled when he met Philby. Both had privileged upbringings and domineering fathers, and were heavily influenced by both.

Philby and Elliott were bred from aristocracy, going to the finest schools and associating with high society in Britain. The story weaves through the early years of each man, into the era of service in the British intelligence service, and all of the people and events along the way, ending with the final revelation of the truth. It is a tale of deception, intrigue, betrayal, love and loyalty, a loyalty to an ideology over a nation. This is the story of two men whose lives were intertwined, who shared so many similarities, yet were decidedly different. Elliott and Philby both joined the British intelligence service and served for years before Philby’s double role as a Soviet spy was revealed. Kim Philby, one of the most notorious spies of the twentieth century, kept certain aspects of his life secret from friends and family, but most importantly, from his closest friend, Nicholas Elliott.

A spy among friends novel