Whittaker Chambers

TLS Letters to the Editor: Harry Dexter White

David Chambers — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:45:50 +0000

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Published: 26 April 2013

Sir, – Eric Rauchway‘s review of Benn Steil‘s book The Battle of Bretton Woods contains a common mistake about my grandfather, Whittaker Chambers. He did not defect in 1938 “after a [...]

TLS: Harry Dexter White, Whittaker Chambers

David Chambers — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:33:24 +0000

The Times Literary Supplement issue of April 5, 2013, published a review called “How the Soviets Saved Capitalism,” written by UC Davis professor Eric Rauchway.

It reviews Benn Steil The Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the making of a [...]

Atlantic Shrugs Atlas

David Chambers — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:03:31 +0000

The Atlantic picks a very helpful quote from Ayn Rand‘s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged that goes a long way to explain why Whittaker Chambers’s review makes sense:
Bill Buckley once said he thought Whittaker Chambers had gone too far when [...]

FBI Trumpets Hiss Conviction – but Hides Hiss Papers?

David Chambers — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:20:53 +0000

[Whittaker Chambers, circa 1920s]

The website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recounted the conviction of Alger Hiss 63 years ago this month in its blog “A Byte Out of History.”

It characterizes the 18-month ordeal by stating, “The central issue of the trial was espionage.”

The [...]

Remembering Christmas 1945

David Chambers — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:30:06 +0000

Nearly seven decades ago, Whittaker Chambers wrote TIME‘s cover story “Christmas 1945.”

Back then, it was “the first Christmas without war” for seven years: for Christmas 2012, Americans remain fighting in Afghanistan after more than a decade. Back then, Chambers was concerned about “the Bomb”: sadly, that fear remains [...]

Salon.com debate on Whittaker Chambers Farm

David Chambers — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:39:42 +0000

Whittaker Chambers relative: Farm need not be open to public

[Editor's Note: Title suggested to Salon.com was "Creepin' 'Round My Door"; HNN has syndicated]

Chambers’ grandson suggests the author of a new book never visited the family farm; the historian confirms he did

BY DAVID CHAMBERS

Dr. Jon Wiener needs [...]

Max Bedacht 40 Years Later

David Chambers — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:16:22 +0000

Forty years ago today, Max Bedacht died on July 4, 1972. He was a socialist revolutionary, born in Germany, who helped establish the Communist Party of America. He headed the International Workers Order.

Bedacht is also the person who recruited Whittaker Chambers into the Communist underground, according to [...]

The Sanity of Saint Benedict

David Chambers — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:45:26 +0000

Writing for Commonweal magazine, Whittaker Chambers continued his musings on the meaning of history with this article in September 1952. After some childhood reminisces, he recalls the power words of an instructor in Contemporary Civilization: “the world is entering upon a new Dark Ages.” He ponders [...]