Alger Hiss : why he chose treason / Christina Shelton ; an introduction by Richard Pipes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shelton, Christina.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hiss, Alger.

United States. Department of State.

Spies--United States--Biography.

Spies.

Espionage, Soviet.

History.

United States.

Communism--United States--History--20th century.

Communism.

Espionage, Soviet--United States--History--20th century.

United States. Department of State--Officials and employees--Biography.

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities.

Hiss, Alger--Trials, litigation, etc.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xvii, 330 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First Threshold Editions hardcover edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Threshold Editions, 2012.

Summary:

In 1948, former U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss was accused of being a Soviet spy. Because the statute of limitations on espionage had run out, he was convicted only of perjury. Decades later-after the Hiss trial had been long forgotten by most-archival evidence surfaced confirming the accusations: a public servant with access to classified documents had indeed passed crucial information to the Soviets for more than a decade. Yet many on the American left still consider Hiss an iconic figure-an innocent victim accused of unsubstantiated crimes. They prefer to focus on the collectivist ideals Hiss stood for, rather than confront the reality of a man who systemically and methodically betrayed his country. Former U.S. Intelligence analyst Christina Shelton employs an in-depth knowledge of Soviet intelligence affairs as well as recently released Hungarian and KGB archival material to shine a fresh light on one of the most famous U.S. espionage cases. The story is dramatic, but Shelton's analysis goes beyond sensationalism as she explores both the ideological motivation behind Hiss's behavior and the lasting influence it has had on U.S. foreign policy. Book jacket.

Contents:

The early years.

Growing up in Baltimore

Hopkins and Harvard Law

Priscilla Hiss

Supreme Court clerk and attorney-at-law

A committed communist.

The new dealer

The Ware Group

Whittaker Chambers

The State Department bureaucrat

Yalta

Fascism and communism

Accused and convicted.

The case

Lewisburg Prison

Attempt at vindication 1954-1996

The evidence.

Testimonies

Venona program

Archival material:

A. Hungarian archives

B. KGB archives.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781451655421

1451655428

9781451655438

1451655436

9781451655452

1451655452

OCLC:

741542473