The Last Cambridge Spy

Overview

The first biography of John Cairncross, the fifth member of the Cambridge spy ring and colleague of Alan Turing

John Cairncross was among the most damaging spies of the twentieth century. A member of the infamous Cambridge Ring of Five, 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. In 2014, Cairncross appeared as a secondary, though key, character in the biopic of Alan Turing’s life, The Imitation Game. While the other members of the Cambridge Ring of Five have been the subject of extensive biographical study, Cairncross has largely been overlooked by both academic and popular writers. Despite clear interest, he has remained a mystery – until now.

The Last Cambridge Spy is the first ever biography of John Cairncross, using newly released material to tell the story of his life and espionage.

Author Biography

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.