The Last Cambridge Spy
The Last Cambridge Spy
Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Summary
The first biography of John Cairncross, the fifth member of the Cambridge spy ring and colleague of Alan Turing
The feel-good place to buy books
- Free delivery in Ireland
- Supporting authors with AuthorSHARE
- 100% recyclable packaging
- Proud to be a B Corp – A Business for good
- Buy-back with Ziffit

The Last Cambridge Spy by Chris Smith
John Cairncross was among the most damaging spies of the twentieth century. A member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring, he leaked highly sensitive documents from Bletchley Park, MI6 and the Treasury to the Soviet Union – including the first Atomic secrets and raw decrypts from Enigma and Tunny that influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk. Based on newly released archival materials, this biography will be the first to cover the life and espionage of this singularly important spy. In 2014 Cairncross appeared as a secondary, though key, character in the biopic of Alan Turing's life, The Imitation Game. The result was considerable negative reaction within the national press. Despite this clear interest, the function filled by Cairncross remains an untold story. Where all of the other members of the Cambridge spy ring have been the subject of extensive biographical study, Cairncross has largely been omitted by both academic and popular writers, and no biography has yet been penned of his life.
The Last Cambridge Spy is not just a fascinating, well-placed book about an interesting individual, but is also invites us to re-appraise the very idea of the 'Cambridge spy ring' -- Sir Dermot Turing
Chris Smith offer us a remarkable account of John Cairncross..he has captured him at last - a riveting read -- Professor Richard Aldrich
Chris Smith offer us a remarkable account of John Cairncross..he has captured him at last - a riveting read -- Professor Richard Aldrich
DR CHRIS SMITH is a Lecturer in History at Coventry University. He is the author of The Hidden History of Bletchley Park (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) as well as several related articles that have been published in journals such as History of Science.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780750998604 |
| ISBN 10 | 0750998601 |
| Title | The Last Cambridge Spy |
| Author | Chris Smith |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The History Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2022-01-27 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |