A Generation on Trial: U.S.A. v. Alger Hiss
by Alistair Cooke
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The story of Whittaker Chambers, HUAC, and the case that defined the McCarthy era, as reported by one of the twentieth century's most respected journalists. In August 1948, a former Communist Party member named Whittaker Chambers testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee that a secret cell of Communists had infiltrated Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal administration. Chief among the conspirators, according to Chambers, was Alger Hiss, a former government attorney and State show more Department official who had taken part in the Yalta Conference and been instrumental in the creation of the United Nations. Hiss's categorical denial of the charges, which led Chambers to produce evidence linking both men to Soviet espionage, quickly escalated into one of the most divisive episodes in American history and ignited the widespread fear and paranoia of the McCarthy era. As the US correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, Alistair Cooke reported extensively on the Hiss affair. In an atmosphere that he memorably compares to that of a seventeenth-century religious war, Cooke maintained a clear head and his signature intellectual rigor. A Generation on Trial, which begins with a brilliantly succinct summary of the case--"We are about to look at the trials of a man who was judged in one decade for what he was said to have done in another"--is both a fascinating historical document and a stirring example of journalistic integrity. show lessTags
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63+ Works 4,362 Members
Alistair Cooke is a journalist and broadcaster. Cooke was born in Manchester, England on November 20, 1908. He obtained his education at Cambridge, Yale, and Harvard. His career is based on his observations of American life and culture. Cooke worked as a correspondent for NBC and as a special correspondent for the London Times and the Guardian. He show more is perhaps most famous for his BBC weekly broadcast, "Letter From America," which has been successful for over fifty years because of its sophisticated wit. Cooke became well-known in the United States as host for Omnibus for nine years and later as host of the Masterpiece Theatre. He has also written numerous books including the bestsellers Alistair Cooke's America, Six Men, and Fun and Games with Alistair Cooke. In 1973, Cooke was made an honorary Knight of the British Empire. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Genres
- Nonfiction, Politics and Government, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 351.74 — Society, Government, and Culture Public administration & military science Public administration North America [Formerly: Property and financial management and related topics; administration of public safety and related fields] Police measures
- LCC
- E743.5 .H55 .C6 — History of the United States United States Twentieth century General Political history Un-American activities
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- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 7
