Alger Hiss - by Christina Shelton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

A solid look at the specifics of the case as well as a useful overview of the ideological debate gripping America." --Kirkus

"Rigorous and carefully documented analysis...[Alger Hiss] is a rare thing: a good book about an important subject. Shelton makes a sledgehammer of a case...a sustained artillery assault." --National Review

"Shelton makes clear what Hiss did and the impact it had on U.S. intelligence. . . . A well-done book written by someone who knows."

--David Murphy, retired chief of Soviet operations at CIA HQ and author of What Stalin Knew

" A much needed book... With clarity, conciseness, and a sure hand, Christina Shelton guides the reader through what has become an otherwise nearly impenetrable jungle of controversy."" -- Tennent H. Bagley, author of Spy Wars


"A timely reminder that the worries about national security and loyalty--concerns often derided as paranoiac, right-wing delusions--were entirely justified." --Wall Street Journal

"In Alger Hiss: Why He Chose Treason, Christina Shelton ably captures the real Alger Hiss--his path to communism, his treason, and his conviction and imprisonment. Her evidence is overpowering: Alger Hiss was indeed a communist spy. Shelton carefully connects Hiss to his historical context inside America's political elite, which was chagrined and strangely baffled when Hiss's treason was exposed." --Burton Folsom, Jr. and Anita Folsom, authors of FDR Goes to War