I took Lawrence’s book SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM with me when we went to Wadi Rum in Jordan in 2006 and actually saw the Mountains he based the title of his book on and did a tour in a jeep of some the Lawrence of Arabia sites within that area. Jordanians hail him a hero of all time – why don’t we ?

Perhaps the above commentators on Cambridge Spy Ring might like to take a look at the following regarding Ruth Ellis. If they have questions now, well……… :

http://copperknob.wordpress.com/places-in-the-ruth-ellis-story/

The above excellent book hits on the secret life of Ruth Ellis and her circle and the real reason why she might have died. It mentions Stephen Ward, Portland Spy Ring, Burgess and MacLean case, etc !! At one point even Phillip Knightley’s book is quoted from.

I sympathise with Francesca as I have just been reading about the Profumo Affair and Stephen Ward again and my brain is jelly now from al the complexities of the case, etc. How can anybody understand it all ? Two books that did were Phillip’s book and also HONEYTRAP by Stephen Dorrill and Anthony Summers, which I read a few years back. Perhaps I’m getting old now and my brain can’t take it all anymore !!!!

I briefly covered the Profumo Scandal when I put on a large exhibition at Dudley Library in 2003 about the life and times of Dudley MP George Wigg and confidante of Harold Wilson [and all things security based]. He resigned eventually over the ‘D’ Notice Affair/Scandal.

It was an interesting time for me, because I received a few calls from Stephen Wards friend Paul Mann and I also spoke with a relatiive of Mandy Rice Davies. Nothing like a scandal or the memories of one, to bring people out of the woodwork again !!!

Why, after his unspeakable rampage in Cairo, was Donald Maclean appointed to the American Desk at the FO? Why, after he ran amok in Tangiers and blew the cover of SIS agents right and left, was Burgess sent to such an important diplomatic post as Washington–even if only as third secretary (If Whitehall wanted to get rid of him, surely they could have sent him to some insignificant post with a nasty climate.)? Why did Burgess move in with Philby (for that matter, why did Philby let him? [I find the usual excuses for this odd behavior unconvincing.])? Why did Burgess proceed to embarrass Philby to such an extent that both were declared PNG and sent home ASAP? Could it be that Burgess, who once supposedly contemplated putting a hit on another pal (G.R.), had been turned by SIS/MI5 and promised an unimpeded escape to Moscow if he brought his friend Philby down (which he certainly did)?

There are no answers to these questions, and because of secrecy, coverups, gaps in the evidence, and other hidden agendas, even more wild speculations than the one I just posited, will continue to flourish.

I grew up in London, England, and during my National Service in the
1951 I met a well read chap who introduced me to ‘ the Seven Pillers of Wisdom. ‘ From there I progressed to collecting any books that were writen by Lawrence or about him.
I am staggered to hear about his secret life as a British Agent. I must get this book. Some where I read of a black car being seen in the area where Lawrence was killed on his motor bike, makes you wonder! Yours Thomas Buchan .