Witness

Rating:
Summary: Whittaker Chambers is not a Conservative
Review: "WITNESS" BY WHITTAKER CHAMBERS WAS ULTIMATE CAUTIONARY TALE,
GAVE BIRTH TO MODERN CONSERVATIVISM
By STEVEN TRAVERS

Modern conservatism began in 1938, when a Communist apparatchuk named Whittaker Chambers broke from Moscow, contacted Federal authorities, and informed them that a rising Democrat star named Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy.

It took a decade for Chambers' accusations to be made public. Chambers most likely would have faded into obscurity, but for a chain of events and a few patriots. FDR did not pay heed to the accusation that Communists had infiltrated his government, but Naval intelligence intercepted word that Joseph Stalin was planning a separate peace with Adolf Hitler. The Navy did not trust the Democrats. They devised the Venona project, intercepting Soviet cables, and discovered that Chambers was right about Hiss. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover refused to go public with Venona (not opened until the 1990s), because the on-going intercepts were too important to be exposed. But he told the right political people. The case went to HUAC, led by the young California Congressman, Richard Nixon. The Left excoriated Chambers. Hoover refused to shed light on Venona, letting the wheels of justice grind on their own terms. Hiss was proven right. Nixon became the first hero of conservatism. McCarthyism followed, and sides were taken.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: "Witness" has been on my reading list for quite some time. It is after reading Ann Coulter's "Treason", that I decided to read it to get a good understanding of Whittaker Chambers and the Alger Hiss Case. And I ended up doing this on the double: I also read Sam Tanenhaus's biography of Chambers: "Whittaker Chambers."

"Witness" was a moving account of how one person, who endured a disastrous childhood and adolescence in a dysfunctional family, was attracted to the liberal thinking, eagerly sought to become a communist, went through wrenching mental struggles with respect to communist ideology and methodology, eventually broke with the party and its underground apparatus, re-established himself in "respectable" society, and finally made a determination to expose communist infiltration of the U.S. government, culminating in his pivotal role in the trials and conviction of his friend Alger Hiss.

Many people have said this: Whittaker Chambers was a complex person. Indeed he was.

"Witness" was essentially truthful, albeit somewhat self-serving. It was filled with vivid details of Chambers's thought processes and gives a rather nuanced (although far from complete) portrayal of the communists, the "open party" as well as the underground (espionage) apparatus. Except for some minor points, Chambers's account of his life up to that point was fairly independently collaborated by Sam Tanenhaus's biography of Chambers. I say "fairly independently" because Tanenhaus referenced "Witness" quite copiously.

There were so some intentional omissions in "Witness" that are not altogether immaterial, however. Chambers did not disclose in his book that he had strong homosexual tendencies and had engaged in habitual homosexual acts for a period of time, even though he had made testimonial depositions to that effect. In fact, in "Witness", one gets the impression that he regarded his adversaries' insinuation of his homosexuality as a baseless attack. Another omission was that Chambers, in his youth, was apprehended for stealing significant number of books from two libraries, and was barred from them. These issues later emerged as a strike against him during the Hiss trials. A third, perhaps most significant "omission" was that Chambers consistently claimed that the reason he withheld the evidence of espionage was because he wanted to shield Hiss and his family from being prosecuted for that much more serious crime. The truth of the matter is that Chambers was also shielding himself from the same crime. These omissions are quite understandable and it is probably normal for autobiographers to gross over some warts and scars. In my judgment, considering the overall proportionality, they do not impair the value and truthfulness of "Witness."

To get the whole story, however, the reader is strongly recommended to also read Tanenhaus's book. Besides putting Chambers life story in a more neutral footing, with warts and all, Tanenhaus's book also gave a much more detailed version of the proceedings of the Hiss trials, as well as some interesting facets of Chambers's life after the Hiss conviction, in particular the writing and publication of "Witness", his friendship with William Buckley, Jr., and the gradual, mellowing shift of his political thinking in his last years away from the extreme right. Also, Tanenhaus's book added some new material, which surfaced years later, that tend to put Alger Hiss's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Back to Chambers's "Witness", it is a captivating story written with a superb writing style and a perfect mastery of the English language. And because of the unusually variegated life Chambers had lived, which touched many big events and big names in mid-century American history and with the backdrop of the epic ideological debate, it is hard to overstate the stylistic and substantive values of this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the 25 most important conservative books
Review: A master of English prose, Chambers was a senior editor of Time magazine until he resigned, in 1948, to testify against a man he once considered his friend, Alger Hiss. Chambers testified that several years earlier, before World War II, he had been a member of the Communist Party of the United States, and that through the Party he had met Hiss, a fellow Party member and a State Department employee. What's more, Chambers charged that Hiss routinely delivered to him secret U.S. government papers to be given to the Soviets.

        At the time of Chambers' testimony, Hiss was president of the prestigious Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Chambers' charges shocked the liberal establishment. Hiss denied ever being a Communist and denied even knowing Whittaker Chambers. He made these denials in the wrong place, before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Thanks in part to the efforts of a congressman from California named Richard Nixon, Hiss was eventually convicted of perjuring himself in his testimony before the House committee and went to jail.

        Witness, Chambers' account of his ordeal, is powerful, wrenching book. Any conservative who reads the first section, Letter to My Children, should become a Chambers admirer for life.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling Reading
Review: Chambers, being a master wordsmith by trade, has put together a story that again confirms the aphorism, "truth is stranger than fiction." Any open minded reader who observes the facts of this first hand account cannot help but see the severity of the threat posed by communists in the mid 20th century. In the preface Robert Novak tells us he has read "Witness" three times (as of that date, perhaps more now) and reminds us "He (Chambers) views this struggle as inseparable from faith in God, asserting that 'man without mysticism is a monster.'"

In considering ideological warfare, listen to Chambers' analysis, "...in the war between capitalism and communism, books are weapons, and, like all serviceable weapons, loaded." In fact, it is through reading, he tells us, that his eyes were opened. Consider the challenge he lays out as he asks, "Why is it that thirty years after the greatest revolution in history, the communists have not produced one single inspired work of the mind?"

Chambers tells us he learned to pray by doing. It started as an awkward attempt, but led into a "daily need." Consider how he describes the providence of God in bringing the woman who would become his wife into his life as he writes, "Neither of us had much to do with the fact that we met again. Our meeting came about by what the world calls chance, but in which we now see the workings of a grace before which we feel reason to be reverent."

This is a classic for a reason, it's excellent! Historically it records an insider's account of a crossroads moment in American history. It is exceptionally well written. It has my highest recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: An Important Piece Of American History
Review: It is sad but true that a large portion of young Americans--even many with college degrees--probably have no idea who Whitaker Chambers was. Indeed, numerous conservatives likely know the name only as belonging to someone who was anti-communist but would be unable to provide more than vague generalities on his life and accomplishments.

Ann Coulter helped rectify this unfortunate development last year with the publication of her mega-bestseller "Slander". Her trenchant exploration of twentieth century communism and the unbridled invective hurled against those who dared to oppose the murderous ideology introduced Chambers to a whole new generation. In interviews she has often stated that his autobiography Witness is one of the absolute-must reads for conservatives and an important title for all students of American history.

As someone whose knowledge of Alger Hiss' nemesis was lacking, I decide to follow the sapient blonde's advice and picked up a copy of the 800-page memoir. I now second Miss Coulter's call; Witness is a moving and educational read. The extent to which communists infiltrated the United States Government in pre-World War days is frightening both in its scope and in the fact that today few Americans appreciate just how serious actual security breaches were. Chambers was well-qualified to address the magnitude of the red threat because for more than a decade he was a part of the menace. As a committed fellow traveler, he hobnobbed in all the right (left?) circles. So powerful was the communist structure within our nation that when he eventually grew disillusioned and abandoned the atheistic dead end, he firmly believed that he was "leaving the wining world for the losing world."

Among the most striking features of the communist organization he exposed was its massive bureaucratic nature. Within the clandestine cabal there was an "underground" so completely sequestered from the regular communists that few committed adherents knew who was who in the parallel penumbras. Additionally, the labyrinthine steps taken to maintain secrecy are almost laughable. Chambers' talks about never learning addresses to places he regularly visited for years; rather he knew to get there by landmarks and neighborhoods. This was a precaution in case of capture--unknown information could not be provided to the authorities. Furthermore, Chambers relates cumbersome machinations for all his assignments; yet his endeavors to deliver "plans" or meet ever-changing, ephemeral "contacts" seem like little more than wheel-spinning busy work. It is no wonder that conspiracy theories abound among modern day leftists--the direct descendants of the very group that perfected the art.

Many of Chambers' observations are as suitable to the early 21st century as they were in the 1940s. A cavalier attitude toward abortion permeated communists. As soon as his first child was conceived Chambers and his wife readily conceded that abortion was their only option, but when faced with the reality of their circumstance, the innate bond of parenthood trumped the dictates of good communists. Mrs. Chambers informed her husband, "we couldn't do that awful thing to a little baby," a demand that he whole-heartedly accepted.

Considering that Chambers' communist days predated the formation of Israel, his asides on that issue truly show how much things have remained the same. He writes "Arab outrages were occurring in Palestine; the Communist International chose that moment to call for the formation of a "Soviet Arabism" to attack the Zionists." He also talks about how pure communism demanded its followers' ideologies remain and in an earlier incarnation of Hillary's Clinton's dreaded "right wing conspiracy," he sites numerous expulsions due to "rightwing deviationism." Even the problem of illegal immigration is shown to not be an entirely new phenomenon. At least one German communist contact is described as "probably in the United States illegally."

One situation that has changed radically concerns Chambers successful post-Communist career at Time. It is not newsmagazine today.

Beyond the important political tale Chambers tells, his personal story proves inspirational too. Born into a badly dysfunctional home (his only brother committed suicide, his parents lived in the same house without communicating for years), the lost soul was easy prey to the false promises of communist utopia. Marrying a left-leaner and starting a family as an avowed red forced him to confront reality, and his transformation to conservative Christian was painful and controversial but ultimately redemptive.

His celebrated accusations against Alger Hiss stripped away his family's privacy and provoked piles of scorn upon his name (think Linda Tripp, Ken Starr, Miquel Estrada, Clarence Thomas, etc.) With the release of KGB files a few years ago Alger Hiss' guilt was proven anew, yet some influential voices still argue the traitor's innocence. As quoted in Robert Novak's newly added introduction, upon Hiss' 1996 death liberals from President Clinton's National Security Adviser Anthony Lake to Peter Jennings spoke of the charges against Hiss as either false or unsubstantiated. The incontrovertible record tells a different story, and Witness lays out the facts in perhaps a more engrossing and chilling way than any other source. Ann Coulter's Slander makes for an engaging and stimulating read, but Whittaker Chambers eloquently gives the full story in his own words.

Rating:
Summary: An Important Piece Of American History
Review: It is sad but true that a large portion of young Americans--even many with college degrees--probably have no idea who Whitaker Chambers was. Indeed, numerous conservatives likely know the name only as belonging to someone who was anti-communist but would be unable to provide more than vague generalities on his life and accomplishments.

Ann Coulter helped rectify this unfortunate development last year with the publication of her mega-bestseller "Slander". Her trenchant exploration of twentieth century communism and the unbridled invective hurled against those who dared to oppose the murderous ideology introduced Chambers to a whole new generation. In interviews she has often stated that his autobiography Witness is one of the absolute-must reads for conservatives and an important title for all students of American history.

As someone whose knowledge of Alger Hiss' nemesis was lacking, I decide to follow the sapient blonde's advice and picked up a copy of the 800-page memoir. I now second Miss Coulter's call; Witness is a moving and educational read. The extent to which communists infiltrated the United States Government in pre-World War days is frightening both in its scope and in the fact that today few Americans appreciate just how serious actual security breaches were. Chambers was well-qualified to address the magnitude of the red threat because for more than a decade he was a part of the menace. As a committed fellow traveler, he hobnobbed in all the right (left?) circles. So powerful was the communist structure within our nation that when he eventually grew disillusioned and abandoned the atheistic dead end, he firmly believed that he was "leaving the wining world for the losing world."

Among the most striking features of the communist organization he exposed was its massive bureaucratic nature. Within the clandestine cabal there was an "underground" so completely sequestered from the regular communists that few committed adherents knew who was who in the parallel penumbras. Additionally, the labyrinthine steps taken to maintain secrecy are almost laughable. Chambers' talks about never learning addresses to places he regularly visited for years; rather he knew to get there by landmarks and neighborhoods. This was a precaution in case of capture--unknown information could not be provided to the authorities. Furthermore, Chambers relates cumbersome machinations for all his assignments; yet his endeavors to deliver "plans" or meet ever-changing, ephemeral "contacts" seem like little more than wheel-spinning busy work. It is no wonder that conspiracy theories abound among modern day leftists--the direct descendants of the very group that perfected the art.

Many of Chambers' observations are as suitable to the early 21st century as they were in the 1940s. A cavalier attitude toward abortion permeated communists. As soon as his first child was conceived Chambers and his wife readily conceded that abortion was their only option, but when faced with the reality of their circumstance, the innate bond of parenthood trumped the dictates of good communists. Mrs. Chambers informed her husband, "we couldn't do that awful thing to a little baby," a demand that he whole-heartedly accepted.

Considering that Chambers' communist days predated the formation of Israel, his asides on that issue truly show how much things have remained the same. He writes "Arab outrages were occurring in Palestine; the Communist International chose that moment to call for the formation of a "Soviet Arabism" to attack the Zionists." He also talks about how pure communism demanded its followers' ideologies remain and in an earlier incarnation of Hillary's Clinton's dreaded "right wing conspiracy," he sites numerous expulsions due to "rightwing deviationism." Even the problem of illegal immigration is shown to not be an entirely new phenomenon. At least one German communist contact is described as "probably in the United States illegally."

One situation that has changed radically concerns Chambers successful post-Communist career at Time. It is not newsmagazine today.

Beyond the important political tale Chambers tells, his personal story proves inspirational too. Born into a badly dysfunctional home (his only brother committed suicide, his parents lived in the same house without communicating for years), the lost soul was easy prey to the false promises of communist utopia. Marrying a left-leaner and starting a family as an avowed red forced him to confront reality, and his transformation to conservative Christian was painful and controversial but ultimately redemptive.

His celebrated accusations against Alger Hiss stripped away his family's privacy and provoked piles of scorn upon his name (think Linda Tripp, Ken Starr, Miquel Estrada, Clarence Thomas, etc.) With the release of KGB files a few years ago Alger Hiss' guilt was proven anew, yet some influential voices still argue the traitor's innocence. As quoted in Robert Novak's newly added introduction, upon Hiss' 1996 death liberals from President Clinton's National Security Adviser Anthony Lake to Peter Jennings spoke of the charges against Hiss as either false or unsubstantiated. The incontrovertible record tells a different story, and Witness lays out the facts in perhaps a more engrossing and chilling way than any other source. Ann Coulter's Slander makes for an engaging and stimulating read, but Whittaker Chambers eloquently gives the full story in his own words.

Rating:
Summary: Eloquent and Piercing
Review: Rarely in literature does a novel impact its readers so deeply. In both prefaces, one written by William F. Buckley, jr, the other Robert Novak, the authors claim that Whittaker Chambers' autobiography changed their lives. This sentiment is shared by myself and surely thousands of others who have read it.

This book is difficult to categorize. It is an autobiography, an historical account, a religious tome, a political science examination, a thriller, and much more. The novel accounts Chambers' life as a Communist, working in the underground sector which infiltrated the U.S. government, and his eventual break with the Communists to live in fear, only to one day be the chief witness against his friend and former comrade, Alger Hiss. This trial still draws great emotions today, though it is difficult to doubt Hiss' guilt after reading this.

The book's title, however, does not simply refer to the trial itself. As Chambers explains in his introduction, he was witness to two opposite faiths; Communism and Christianity. It is Chambers' account of his experiences in these faiths which is the true draw of this book. The story is enthralling and beautifully written (Chambers writes better than any author with whom I have come in contact), but Chambers' explanation of what caused him to switch faiths and what it means to be a part of each is the most captivating aspect.

The length of the book (over 800 pages) is welcome once the first pages are read. The account of his life, though not perfectly chronological, is written in a very organized and well-thought out manner. I cannot recommend this book enough. Although Conservatives will likely be more drawn to Chambers' words, the impact of his experiences should be shared by all. I will read it many times in my life, but it would be best that all Americans read it at least once.

Rating:
Summary: Eloquent and Piercing
Review: Rarely in literature does a novel impact its readers so deeply. In both prefaces, one written by William F. Buckley, jr, the other Robert Novak, the authors claim that Whittaker Chambers' autobiography changed their lives. This sentiment is shared by myself and surely thousands of others who have read it.

This book is difficult to categorize. It is an autobiography, an historical account, a religious tome, a political science examination, a thriller, and much more. The novel accounts Chambers' life as a Communist, working in the underground sector which infiltrated the U.S. government, and his eventual break with the Communists to live in fear, only to one day be the chief witness against his friend and former comrade, Alger Hiss. This trial still draws great emotions today, though it is difficult to doubt Hiss' guilt after reading this.

The book's title, however, does not simply refer to the trial itself. As Chambers explains in his introduction, he was witness to two opposite faiths; Communism and Christianity. It is Chambers' account of his experiences in these faiths which is the true draw of this book. The story is enthralling and beautifully written (Chambers writes better than any author with whom I have come in contact), but Chambers' explanation of what caused him to switch faiths and what it means to be a part of each is the most captivating aspect.

The length of the book (over 800 pages) is welcome once the first pages are read. The account of his life, though not perfectly chronological, is written in a very organized and well-thought out manner. I cannot recommend this book enough. Although Conservatives will likely be more drawn to Chambers' words, the impact of his experiences should be shared by all. I will read it many times in my life, but it would be best that all Americans read it at least once.

Rating:
Summary: FUN TO READ
Review: This book is fun to read. It can be read easily by a teen for an insight into the times involved. It is more an autobiography of Chambers than a discussion of Hiss specifically.

Rating:
Summary: A journey into light
Review: This is the true story of Whittaker Chambers. Born in depravity, he lashed out at the status quo in a typical outburst of youthful angst. Driven by the depression and a trip to post-Great War Europe, he sought a rational mental framework in the writings of Karl Marx. He immersed himself in his writings and philosophy and adopted the tactics of Lenin. He joined the American Communist Party and later migrated into the Soviet-run Communist Underground. He was charged with creating and maintaining a Communist "apparatus" in Washington DC for the purpose of generating espionage at a later date. He had several Russian masters while in this role and formed close relationships with the operatives he controlled. One of these was Alger Hiss, a darling of the liberal elite in power in FDR's administration. Chambers broke from the Communist party and returned to a seemingly normal life for a decade. Then he becomes a focal point for the House Committee that Richard Nixon was on, which was charged with finding Communist influence in US Government. Chambers served as a lightning rod for all those who saw an attack on Hiss as a challenge to the status quo. Much of what is detailed in this book has been corroborated in other's testimony and in the more recent Venona transcripts, the FBI deciphered Soviet cables.

There is another side of this book that is at least as interesting as the actual spy tale. It is the passage of a person from spiritually dead to brimming with an awake spirit willing to join in the battle between good and evil. Chambers identifies God's will as fighting the godless Communists and unraveling their efforts to cause the US to more closely resemble the USSR through the New Deal and other social programs. He laments how these imbedded Communists managed to change US policy that led to years of totalitarian rule in China. His spiritual journey is detailed here, including his failings, in considerable detail. At 800+ pages, it is not a casual read, but not merely for its length.

It is kind of eerie to read about these hidden cells of terrorists in light of the US' recent history. The tactics have not evolved that much, and yet they are still deadly in the US because of the freedoms we enjoy.