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Bezig met laden... Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Casedoor Allen Weinstein, Allen Weinstein
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. An in-depth look at the case involving accusations (directly) of perjury against State Department official Alger Hiss, and (indirectly) further accusations that he passed material to Soviet intelligence at various points in the 1930s. The author does a very good job of analyzing both Hiss' background, and that of Whitaker Chambers, the Time editor who made the accusations in spectacular fashion in 1948. The author flat out states, at the very end, that he believes Hiss committed perjury, and he did a very good job of laying out the case that Hiss was playing a very shifty game in his testimony. The author doesn't shy away from the fact that Chambers wasn't a perfect witness, either, and had major faults, but the evidence laid out, in my view, is compelling. Definitely recommended, especially as a counter to many apologia for Hiss that emerged in the Watergate era. ( ) Although Nasvasky raised some real questions Weinstein accurately reported testimony from certain veteran Communists, overall, I have no doubt ththat Weinstein's basic conclusion --that Hiss was guilty -- is correct. This is less from reading this book than from reading In Re Alger Hiss, compiled by Hiss's supporters from documents obtained from the FBI, which demonstrate (to me at least) that the FBI knew nothing about the famous typewriter until Hiss's defense produced it, and in fact the FBI was deeply suspicious of it when it was produced. There are other details (some of which I no lonfer recall) which were very much against Hiss. I told him so once in person and Hiss had no real reply. My feeling is that Hiss's real defense (which he never made) was that sharing information with a potential ally (which ttthe USSR was at the time) is by no means as bad as sharing data with a potential enemy (as the USSR was by the time Hiss was on trial.( 3385 Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case, by Allen Weinstein (read 2 Jan 2001) After on July 11, 1998, I read with much appreciation Sam Tanenhaus' superlative biography of Whittaker Chambers I wanted to read this book, but only now have done so. It is a tour de force and is very convincing. One thinks, in view of Hiss's lifelong assertion of innocence, there is a reasonable doubt as to his guilt, but when one looks at the evidence it is clear he is guilty. i think this book demolishes all the pro-Hiss arguments. It is a fascinating subject. and especially the accounts of the trials--the first one where the jury hung (the foreman was convinced of Hiss's innocence before the trial began) and the second, where Hiss was easily convicted. This is a most worthwhile book. When this book came out, in 1978, the tide which since Watergate had been turning in Hiss' favor, quit rising. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
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When the Hiss-Chambers case first burst on the scene in 1948, its main characters and events seemed more appropriate to spy fiction than to American reality. The major historical authority on the case, Perjury was first published in 1978. Now, in its latest edition, Perjury links together the old and new evidence, much of it previously undiscovered or unavailable, bringing the Hiss-Chambers's amazing story up to the present. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)364.1Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Criminology Crimes and OffensesLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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