A mole's story

Since 1983, Blunt's memoirs had been left untouched, collecting dust at the British Library, which had vowed not to release them for 25 years in accordance with the donor's wishes. Now that date has expired, and tales from Blunt's clandestine life – his motivations, reflections, and regrets – have been brought to light.

"Although it contains no revelations, the memoir is important as an account of Blunt's life and motives in his own words and with his own emphasis," said Frances Harris, head of modern historical manuscripts at the British Library. "It is the one central document bearing on this long, complex and controversial episode in recent history which has been known to exist, but has not hitherto been accessible."

Before he became known as the "Fourth Man" of a spy ring, Blunt had led a relatively quiet life in Cambridge as an art history professor. By 1936, however, he had taken-up a post with the M15 domestic intelligence service where he funneled hundreds of secret documents to Moscow, setting him on a path to become one of the Soviet Union's highest-level agents in Britain.

In from the cold

The other Cambridge recruits in the four-man spy ring were Harold "Kim" Philby, Donald Maclean, and Guy Burgess - the man responsible for introducing Blunt to the Soviets.

Blunt writes that he did not take to Burgess immediately when they first met in 1931, describing him as "perverse both in argument and behavior," but he admits to having become intoxicated by his intelligence and left-wing politics.

"I was thus faced with the most important decision of my life," he wrote. "I might have joined the Communist Party, but Guy, who was an extraordinarily persuasive person, convinced me that I could do more good by joining him in his work."

Blunt's memoirs omit details of his espionage activities during the 1940s and 1950s, but provide insight into the recruitment process and his public exposure 30 years later by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. By that time he had left M15, settled back into his role as a professor, and was a surveyor of the Queen's pictures.

Although Blunt was granted immunity following his confession in exchange for information, and was able to continue working, he admits to having contemplated suicide.

"Many people will say that it would have been the 'honorable' way out," he wrote. "After a great deal of thought I came to the conclusion that it would on the contrary be a cowardly solution."

Blunt is believed to have gone into hiding somewhere in Europe after that, where he wrote his memoirs – a 30,000 word manuscript – in which he spoke of his eventual "disillusionment" with Marxism and the Soviet Union, and called spying for Moscow "the biggest mistake of my life".

Anthony Blunt returned to London prior to his death in 1983.

vj/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Nathan Witkop