James Jesus Angleton's rabbit hole was lined with mirrors...

Espionage is a world of mirrors, but counter-espionage is a world of  mirrors within a world of mirrors. It involves finding out what your enemies plans are and responding to them without them knowing that you know what their plans are. They are doing the same which pushes the reflections to infinity.

James Jesus Angleton lived in that world and his rabbit hole was long, twisting and mirror lined. Born in Idaho in 1917 to an American father and Mexican mother his education took him from Malvern College in England to Yale University where poetry was his love. He corresponded with the always contrary, (to say the very least!) Ezra Pound and was an admirer of TS Eliot, William Empson and Carlos Williams among others.

The rabbit hole came into view in World War 2 when he worked with  OSS in London where he met his nemesis, one Harold 'Kim' Philby. His work in OSS led to him becoming a  founder officer of the CIA, of which he became head of counter-intelligence.

Knowing that his organisation had penetrated Soviet, and other, intelligence agencies led Angleton to believe that his own was subject to the same threat. With time his view was not to prove that a particular suspect was a spy but they were not a spy

And so the rabbit hole became lined with mirrors. In his spare time Angleton was as obsessive in his interests, fly-fishing, making jewellery and  cultivating orchids as he was with his work.

The defection and exposure as a KGB mole of Kim Philby, (below) who had been a trusted colleague and friend, shattered the mirrors lining Angletons rabbit hole into a mosaic of shards from which he was to never escape.

From then on Angleton saw Reds not just under but on and in the bed and his hold on the CIA allowed him to pursue his obsessions until a New York Times article by Seymour Hersh confirmed that the CIA had been operating within the USA under Angleton. Angleton resigned and retired to fish and grow orchids.

His legacy is mixed, some see him as a paranoid obsessive who did more harm than good. Others see him as far seeing and justified in his beliefs.

A new book by Jefferson Morley allows us to make our own judgements. A deft mix of personal and professional biography 'The Ghost' is a glimpse into the world of a strange, multi-faceted man. A world where most of us would truly fear to tread.

To go down this rabbit hole take the ISBN 9781911344735 to your local bookshop, it's in mine;)

Another rabbit hole soon...