C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, Spymaster to Winston Churchill

Brown (Bodyguard of Lies) has dug up an impressive amount of information about the almost-legendary figure who headed British Intelligence during World War II and the early years of the Cold War. Menzies's organizational and proprietary efforts on behalf of the Ultra Project, by which German codes were broken and monitored, are covered in detail. The author reveals how ""C'' 's guardianship of the Ultra secret became his most important task during the war. In the end he became a prisoner of the secret, as Brown puts it, for he could not reveal it even in his own defense. Thus Menzies refrained from justifying his appointment of Kim Philby, the Soviet penetration agent, to the post of counterespionage chief. Brown examines the ``inexplicable decisions'' made by Menzies in regard to Philby, which included assigning him as liaison officer to the CIA and FBI during the Cold War, a position in which he had more access to secret military and policy information than any foreigner in Washington. Photos. (January)