A Spy Named Orphan

Brilliantly fluent…fascinating…[Philipps] writes so cleanly, and at such a clip, handling the big scenes with aplomb…This biography first grips and then lingers long in the mind. It is a page-turner of the most empathetic kind. – Rachel Cooke * Guardian *
Superb…full of contemporary relevance… Philipps relates the complex narrative of Maclean’s treason…with tremendous aplomb, limpidity and acuity – WILLIAM BOYD * New Statesman *
With A Spy Named Orphan, the last piece of this bizarre jigsaw falls into place. The outline story is familiar, but the amount of new detail here — on Maclean’s personal, professional, and secret lives – exceeds all expectations. Roland Philipps has managed to make the new material come alive by relating it intimately to its historical context, of which he has a deep and sympathetic understanding. – Sebastian Faulks, author of BIRDSONG
The definitive account of the life of a “gifted” traitor… Impressive… By drawing on a wealth of previously classified material, Philipps weaves a gripping tale of misplaced loyalty, intrigue and betrayal that is unlikely to be bettered – Dominic Midgley * Daily Express *
Fascinating and page-turning. An exceptional story of espionage and betrayal, thrillingly told. I devoured it. – Philippe Sands, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for EAST WEST STREET
A lively and beautifully engineered biography – John Banville
Philipps… is punchy and hard-nosed in his handling of facts, but pliant, imaginative and humane in his understanding of motives and emotions – Richard Davenport-Hines * Guardian *
Fresh and thought-provoking throughout… rich in archive material – Giles Udy * The Times *
A cracking story… An impressively researched and smoothly polished debut… persuasive.. [an] excellent book – Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *
A masterpiece. The rich renderings of secret assignations, smuggled documents, damning intelligence and brilliant code-breaking will delight lovers of fiction and non-fiction alike. Picture Erik Larson meets John le Carré and you have only begun to scratch the surface of this absolutely gripping book. – Brad Thor, author of international bestseller SPYMASTER

Roland Philipps was a leading publisher for many years. A Spy Named Orphan, his first book, arose from lifelong connections to Donald Maclean and his story. It was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and shortlisted for the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize 2018, was a Daily Mail Book of the Year and received widespread critical acclaim. His second book, Victoire, was published by The Bodley Head in 2021.

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