by ▁defect ed ▁to ▁Moscow , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁out ▁his ▁life ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Amb ala , ▁P un j ab , ▁British ▁India , ▁Phil by ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁D ora ▁John ston ▁and ▁St ▁John ▁Phil by , ▁an ▁author , ▁Arab ist ▁and ▁expl orer . ▁St ▁John ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Civil ▁Service ▁( IC S ) ▁and ▁later ▁a ▁civil ▁servant ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁and ▁ad visor ▁to ▁King ▁I bn ▁Sa ' ud ▁of ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia . ▁ ▁Nick named ▁" K im " ▁after ▁the ▁boy - sp y ▁in ▁Rud yard ▁Ki pling ' s ▁novel ▁Kim , ▁Phil by ▁attended ▁Ald ro ▁prepar atory ▁school , ▁an ▁all ▁boys ▁school ▁located ▁in ▁Sh ack le ford ▁near ▁God al ming ▁in ▁Sur rey , ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁In ▁his ▁early ▁te ens , ▁he ▁spent ▁some ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁Bed ou in ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁of ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia . ▁Following ▁in ▁the ▁foot steps ▁of ▁his ▁father , ▁Phil by ▁continued ▁to ▁West min ster ▁School , ▁which ▁he ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 . ▁He ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁history ▁and ▁econom ics . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁with ▁a ▁ 2 : 1 ▁degree ▁in