The Writer and the Traitor

'A wholly fascinating account of an extraordinary friendship. Robert Verkaik's nuanced and insightful portraits of these two highly complicated individuals is brilliantly convincing.' - William Boyd

'Ever since first reading Graham Greene's extraordinary foreword to my grandfather's autobiography, My Silent War, I have been intrigued by the relationship between one of Britain's most loved writers, and the real Third Man. In his vivid and rigorously researched new book, The Writer and the Traitor, acclaimed journalist Robert Verkaik shines new light on one of the most fascinating friendships of the Cold War - proving that fact is stranger than fiction, and just as compelling.' - Charlotte Philby, author of Edith and Kim

'A superb spy book. This masterpiece of forensic research asks troubling new questions about two of Britain's most mysterious and famously complex figures. Verkaik explores wartime secret service and reveals its hidden stories of friendship, loyalty and betrayal.' - Richard J Aldrich, author of GCHQ

'The novelist's eye of Kim Philby's friend and MI6 colleague Graham Greene certainly provides a new perspective on the treachery of Philby and the Cambridge spies. It may not all be fact. But it is all certainly plausible. And that makes for a richly entertaining tale.' - Professor Sir David Omand, former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator

'Robert Verkaik's latest work is a highly gripping, beautifully crafted page-turner that combines the narrative flair of a bestselling thriller with the forensic precision of investigative journalism. The Writer and the Traitor draws the reader into a world of tension, pace, and intrigue, vividly animating the flaws, cunning, and irrepressible quirks of two of Britain's most compelling spies.' - Richard Kerbaj, author of The Secret History of the Five Eyes

The friendship between Graham Greene and Kim Philby is one of the most mysterious of the twentieth century. Greene, the internationally lauded novelist who wrestled with the themes of faith and betrayal in his work. Philby, the British intelligence-officer-turned-spy for the Soviets, and one of the most reviled men of his era. The two men met as young MI6 officers in war-torn London, working together to defeat the Nazis.

But after Greene suddenly resigned just days before D-Day, questions started to arise. He turned back to literature, using his experience in the intelligence services as a backdrop for his novel Our Man in Havana and the screenplay of The Third Man. Lurking within the pages lay suspicions of his friend, 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 M16?

In this revelatory book, bestselling author Robert Verkaik chronicles the relationship of these two giants of the 20th century, spanning the defeat of Nazism and the end of the Cold War, right up until Philby's death in 1988. This is more than just a riveting tale of espionage; it is the story of an unusual friendship that survived against all odds. Ultimately, The Writer and the Traitor explores the perplexing question that nobody yet has answered: why did Graham Greene remain loyal to Britain's most hated traitor?