The Writer and the Traitor

Graham Greene, Kim Philby, and the Great Betrayal

Robert Verkaik

The fascinating untold story of the mysterious, decades-long friendship between Graham Greene, one of the leading novelists of the twentieth century, and Kim Philby, Britain's most hated traitor.

In The Writer and the Traitor, acclaimed historian Robert Verkaik sheds a completely fresh light on the enigmatic relationship between two giants of the twentieth century: Graham Greene, the internationally lauded novelist, and Kim Philby, the intelligence-officer-turned-traitor.

The two men met as MI6 officers in London, joining forces in a deadly secret war to defeat the Nazis. But Greene unexpectedly resigned just days before British intelligence's greatest triumph—D-Day—and he used his experience in the intelligence services as a backdrop for his novels Our Man in Havana and The Human Factor and the screenplay The Third Man. Lurking within the pages lay suspicions of his friend and former colleague, with characters and plots echoing Philby's life. Was Philby the real Third Man? Did Greene's work contain coded messages and warnings of betrayal to MI6? Where did Greene's ultimate loyalties lie and who was he really working for?

In this highly revealing narrative based on astonishing new archive material, Verkaik takes readers on a mesmerizing journey from pre-war Vienna to Cold War Moscow, via wartime Sierra Leone and London during the Blitz. This is more than just a riveting tale of espionage; it is the story of a mysterious friendship that survived against the odds. Ultimately, The Writer and the Traitor explores the perplexing question that nobody yet has answered: why did one of Britain's most famous writers remain loyal to Britain's most hated traitor?

Robert Verkaik is an author and award-winning journalist. He was the home affairs editor of the Independent and the security editor of the Mail on Sunday. Robert is the author of a number of history books published in Britain, but The Traitor of Arnhem is his first book to be published in America. He lives in Surrey, England.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for The Traitor of Arnhem:

"A bombshell book.” The Daily Mail

“Mr. Verkaik relates the complex stories of Lindemans and Blunt with the economy and verve of a spy novelist.” Dominic Green, The Wall Street Journal

“Unnerving findings about one of the great failed Allied operations of WWII. A disturbing reevaluation of an iconic World War II battle.” Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Verkaik uncovers a startling new dimension to a well-known story of betrayal. An explosive and paradigm-shifting account.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Through meticulous research, journalistic passion, and a touch of serendipity, Verkaik uncovers an 80-year-old cold case rife with disloyalties and tales of double- and triple-crossing spies who often endangered all parties involved. Verkaik’s thorough research and skillful integration of numerous first-person accounts make this book a compelling read.” Booklist

“Excellent. A remarkable answer through considerable research to the vexed question: why were the Nazis unexpectedly lying in wait?” The Jewish Chronicle

"Original, thought-provoking and exceedingly well written. I have not read such a convincing portrayal of the German intelligence war in Holland. A worthwhile read.” Robert Kershaw, author of Landing on the Edge of Eternity and It Never Snows in September

“Serves as a powerful and timely reminder of how the failure to tackle Joseph Stalin's threat to the West at the end of World War II has forced the free world to face up to the aggression of Vladamir Putin today.” Bill Browder, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order

"Robert proves the case as far as circumstantial evidence allows one to do.” Bob de Graff, official historian of the Dutch intelligence services