Episode Overview

Podcast: The Rest Is Classified
Episode: 124. Kim Philby: Britain’s Most Notorious Traitor (Ep 4)
Date: February 4, 2026
Hosts: David McCloskey (former CIA analyst & novelist) and Gordon Corera (veteran security correspondent)

In the riveting finale of their four-part series, McCloskey and Corera dissect the postwar years of Kim Philby, focusing on the most pivotal phase of his career: running MI6’s Soviet Section while secretly serving as a Soviet spy. The episode hones in on Philby’s high-wire act in the early Cold War, exposing the immense damage he inflicted on Western intelligence, his close escapes, and the personal consequences of living a double life. They chart the chilling betrayals culminating in death, Philby’s growing psychological strain, and the shifting moral judgments around his choices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Philby’s Position and the Cold War Landscape

• Backdrop: After WWII, Philby occupies an extraordinary post—he heads MI6’s operations against the Soviet Union while secretly working for Soviet intelligence ([04:03]).
• Tightrope Act: As the new Soviet section chief (Section 9), Philby must sabotage the West without making his actions too obvious or ineffective ([04:58]).
• “The period in which he’s going to do the greatest damage to Western intelligence but...is also the most stressful and the most difficult for Philby to manage…” — Gordon Corera ([04:58]).

2. The Challenge of Managing Defectors

• Igor Gouzenko Defection: September 1945, the defection of Soviet cipher clerk Gouzenko exposes the extent of Soviet espionage in the West ([06:44]).
  • First, the West’s initial disbelief and slow acceptance of Gouzenko's claims.
  • Philby receives the first reports, giving him time to alert Moscow, thus undermining investigations.
• Heightened Suspicion: Jane Archer, MI5’s communist expert, becomes a concern for Philby due to her expertise with defectors ([07:22]).

3. The Volkov Incident: Philby’s Most Dangerous Test

• Konstantin Volkov Approaches MI6: August 1945—Volkov (Soviet Vice Consul, Istanbul) offers to defect, promising to reveal hundreds of Soviet agents, including spies within British intelligence ([10:04]).
• Philby Reading His Own Death Warrant: Philby is present when MI6’s chief shares Volkov’s letter, which indirectly threatens Philby’s cover ([14:50]).
  • “He is sitting there in front of the chief of MI6, reading what could be effectively his death warrant.” – Gordon Corera ([14:57])
• Dramatic Luck and Delay: A series of coincidental delays (rival officer unable to fly, flight diversions) slow Philby’s trip to Istanbul, buying Soviets time to neutralize Volkov ([17:35], [18:07]).
• Philby’s Calm Under Pressure:
  • “He plays it cool…knows that the thing not to say is ‘this is nothing.’” — Corera ([15:39])
  • _“Let me come back to you tomorrow morning with a plan." – Philby’s reported answer when faced by MI6’s chief ([15:39])

4. Betrayal and Death

• Soviets Kidnap Volkov: Thanks to Philby’s tip, KGB reaches Volkov first, drugging and secretly transporting him and his wife back to Moscow, where they are executed ([21:32]).
  • “Famously, two figures entirely covered in bandages are seen being loaded onto a Soviet aircraft on a stretcher. And that is Volkov and his wife. And they are taken to the Lubyanka...” — Corera ([21:32])
• Philby’s Report: Philby writes a misleading after-action report, deflecting suspicion ([23:32]).
• Cynicism about Espionage:
  • "Spying’s a rough game, David." — Corera ([22:44])
  • "If Volkov gets out, Philby is...well, he may not be dead. I guess that is the difference..." — Corera ([22:58])

5. Personal Toll: Philby’s Psychological Decline

• Heavy Drinking: Philby’s close friend Tim Milne notes that Philby’s drinking escalates after the Volkov affair, showing the emotional toll ([26:05]).
  • “Somewhere around this time there was a perceptible change...drink becomes a bit of a bigger factor.” — Quoting Tim Milne ([26:05])
• Marital Turmoil and Aileen’s Decline: Philby’s wife, Aileen, suffers severe stress, mental health crises, and self-harm ([33:48]).
  • Philby’s secretive behavior and affairs contribute to her unraveling.
  • Philby is “angry” more at her disrupting his life than genuinely empathetic ([35:56]).

6. Moral Reckoning: Where Do We Stand on Philby?

• Political vs. Personal Loyalty: Philby cares more for his ideological beliefs than for individuals—contributing to numerous deaths ([39:57], [40:23]).

  • _“I've always operated on a personal and a political level. When the two have come in conflict, I’ve always put politics first...”—Philby (quoted by McCloskey at [45:16])

• Sympathy and Revisionism: Hosts debate if any sympathy for Philby remains at this stage ([43:18], [44:17]).

  • Corera: “Part of the point is it is too late. He started on this path...once you’ve gone in that deep, I think it is pretty hard to turn back.” ([44:17])

• Did Philby Ever Belong?

  • “To betray you must first belong. I never belonged.” — Philby (quoted at [46:14])
  • Corera reflects on Philby’s alienation from the British establishment, suggesting this was key to his self-justification.

• McCloskey’s Final Take: Philby in the end is “totally twisted up and wrecked inside,” motivated more by narcissism and self-loathing than ideology ([45:40], [48:24]).

  • “…the self-hate of a vain misfit for whom nothing will ever be worthy of his loyalty.” — Quoting John Le Carré ([47:14])

7. Philby’s Career Ascends—And Downfall Looms

• Promotion to Washington: Despite everything, Philby becomes MI6 station chief in Washington D.C. at age 37, serving as British liaison to the newly created CIA ([41:35]–[42:20]).
  • “He is just 37 years old, and some of his colleagues believe...this is the next step on his future, to become, you know, the head of the British Secret Service.” — Corera ([42:20])
• Foreshadowing His Fall: Hosts point out that Washington is where Philby’s own choices—and past betrayals—will finally catch up to him ([42:20], [42:24]).
  • The pod promises a future series covering Philby’s exposure and downfall.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Philby reading Volkov’s letter:
  “He is sitting there in front of the chief of MI6, reading what could be effectively his death warrant.” — Corera ([14:57])

• Philby’s cold composure:
  “In his memoir, he says, ‘I stared at the papers rather longer than necessary to compose my thoughts.’ I bet he did.” — Corera ([15:29])

• The nature of betrayal:
  “To betray you must first belong. I never belonged.” — Quoting Kim Philby ([46:14])

• Corera on Philby’s slide: “My sympathy for Philby begins at this point to be stretched somewhat and become harder...” ([23:17])

• Philby’s stance on politics vs. people:
  “When the two have come in conflict, I’ve always put politics first, first. And anybody who’s putting politics above friends, family, children...I find that to be very icky.” — McCloskey ([45:16])

• Le Carré on Philby:
  “Behind the inbred upper class arrogance, the taste for adventure, lies the self hate of a vain misfit for whom nothing will ever be worthy of his loyalty.” — Quoted by McCloskey ([47:14])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:03 | The Cold War dawns—Philby runs Soviet Section | | 06:44 | Gouzenko defection, Philby's delicate act begins | | 10:04 | Volkov approaches British, offers to reveal Soviet moles | | 14:50 | Philby faces Volkov’s letter—the personal threat | | 17:35 | Philby’s journey/delays to Istanbul and Soviet abduction | | 21:32 | Volkov and wife abducted, executed by Soviets | | 26:05 | Philby’s drinking increases, psychological cracks appear | | 33:48 | Aileen’s mental health decline and marital fallout | | 39:07 | Betrayal of young Georgian agents—Philby enables deaths | | 41:35 | Summoned to London, Philby promoted to Washington | | 44:17 | Revisiting sympathy for Philby—ideals vs. reality | | 46:14 | Philby’s justification: “To betray you must first belong” | | 47:14 | Le Carré quote—Philby as eternal misfit and traitor |

Tone & Style

• Deeply dialogic, reflective, with flashes of dark humor (“spying’s a rough game, David”).
• Analytical, but unafraid to show moral revulsion (“that to me is very icky”).
• Engaged and skeptical—hosts challenge each other’s interpretations, revisiting earlier sympathy and critically reassessing Philby’s choices.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode delivers a gripping account of the most impactful phase in Kim Philby’s treachery, combining double-cross drama and psychological depth. You’ll come away understanding not just what Philby did—compromising Western intelligence and enabling the deaths of both adversaries and innocents—but also why he did it, and at what personal cost. The hosts dig into the operational detail, the blurred lines between loyalty and betrayal, and the profound, often destructive, effects of living a lie—both on oneself and those closest.

Whether you’re a Cold War novice or espionage aficionado, this episode captures the tension, fallout, and tragedy of Britain’s most notorious spy at the height of his deception.