121. Kim Philby: Stalin’s Mole Inside MI6 (Ep 1)

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger

History

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kim Philby has gone down in history as Britain’s most notorious double agent: spying for Stalin while running the MI6 counter-intelligence operation against him. But how did a quiet public school boy go on to change the course of the Cold War? Listen as David and Gordon begin their four-part series on the rise of Kim Philby, from the son of an anti-colonial eccentric in India to one of the most powerful, and dangerous, men in Britain. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year – go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community. Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts. ------------------- Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply. ------------------- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/restisclassified⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee ------------------- Email: ⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com ⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified Social Producer: Emma Jackson Producer: Becki Hills Head of History: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	For exclusive interviews, bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to series, first
0:09.2	look at live show tickets, a weekly newsletter, and discounted books, join the declassified
0:14.1	club at the rest is classified.com.
0:17.5	It's a story about spying, yes, but also in war and betrayal.
0:21.6	Really remarkable figure and has to be an Irish history.
0:24.3	I think he's got a good claim to be the greatest traitor of the 20th century.
0:28.7	This is a person who spends years in British intelligence, in MI6, heading towards the top,
0:35.3	while all the time working for Moscow.
0:37.5	And that trip leaves a deep impression.
0:39.4	He's in Munich on the eve of an election.
0:41.6	And he actually attends a massive Nazi rally at which Hitler speaks.
0:46.5	In January, Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, horrified by Hitler and the rise of the Nazis.
0:53.8	Then the most dramatic thing happens.
0:56.7	This episode is sponsored by HP.
0:59.5	Most people are not counter-espionage experts, but that won't stop them getting targeted
1:04.7	by cyber criminals seeking to extract their secrets.
1:08.5	HP understands that approximately four in 10 UK businesses have reported cyber breaches
1:13.6	in the past 12 months alone.
1:15.6	That's why HP business laptops, desktops, and workstations bought directly on HP Store
1:20.6	are secure straight out of the box with their endpoint security.
1:24.6	No more stressing about dodgy emails or unexplained pop-ups.
1:28.8	HP's independently verified Wolf Pro Security works alongside your existing security tools
	...

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