Witness, Whittaker Chambers
Witness, Whittaker Chambers
List: $38.95 | Sale: $27.27
Club: $19.47

Witness

Author: Whittaker Chambers

Narrator: John MacDonald

Unabridged: 30 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/21/2008

Synopsis

Whittaker Chambers' harrowing account of his journey to hell and back—through espionage, treason, and terror—is, ultimately, a story of faith.First published in 1952, Witness came on the heels of America's trial of the century, in which Whittaker Chambers accused Alger Hiss, a full-standing member of the political establishment, of spying for the Soviet Union. In this penetrating philosophical memoir, Chambers recounts the famous case as well as his own experiences as a Communist agent in the United States, his later renunciation of Communism, and his conversion to Christianity. Chambers' worldview—"man without mysticism is a monster"—helped to make political conservatism a national force. Witness packs the emotional wallop and the literary power of a classic Russian novel and has gained Chambers recognition by critics on both sides of the spectrum as a truly gifted writer.Witness is part spiritual autobiography, part spy thriller, and part trial drama, told in a compellingly eloquent, deeply moving voice of Dostoyevskian power.

About Whittaker Chambers

Whittaker Chambers (1901–1961) was an American writer, editor, Communist Party member and spy for the Soviet Union who defected and became an outspoken opponent of Communism. He is best known for his testimony about the perjury and espionage of Alger Hiss.

About John MacDonald

John MacDonald has narrated audiobooks by many bestselling and award-winning authors, including John Grisham, John Updike, and Tom Clancy. Some of his credits include The Centaur, The Client, and The Hunt for Red October.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kristen

Witness is the autobiography of Whittaker Chambers who grew up on Long Island, joined the communist party in 1925, and later worked as an agent in the underground in Washington DC. He defected from the party in 1937, due to a mixture of factors including his spiritual conversion to Christianity, his......more

Goodreads review by Ben

If you hate politics, if you loathe old Cold War battles, if you have no interest in any of such things, you should still pick up this book. It is more eloquent and moving than anything you will ever read on the subject. And if you still do not believe me, then pick it up, and read the chapter entit......more

Goodreads review by Conrad

Witness, which treats the truth like a part-time mistress, is a masterpiece of evasion and embellishment, a perfect portrait of neurosis, and at the same time a hyperarticulate tale of religious conversion and helpless do-gooding. I suspect that some on the left still bother to revile Whitaker Chamb......more

Goodreads review by Gwen

My mom told me for years that I would love this book. She also said that, as a writer, I would be underlining every other word. Whittaker Chambers doesn't simply have an astounding story to tell (ex-Communist turned Quaker turned Time editor turned key witness in the earthquaking Alger Hiss case), b......more

Goodreads review by Kristi

I usually do not finish an 800-page book and wish it were longer. I usually don't even read 800-page books (especially these days!), but I devoured Witness. I've heard that some conservatives have found Witness very influential in the development of their own beliefs, and it articulately and persuas......more

Quotes

“As long as humanity speaks of virtue and dreams of freedom, the life and writings of Whittaker Chambers will ennoble and inspire.”

Ronald Reagan

“Whittaker Chambers has written one of the really significant American autobiographies…penetrating and terrible insights into America in the early twentieth century.”

Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

“Confession, history, potboiler—by a man who writes like the literary giant we would know him as, had not Communism got him first.”

Christopher Caldwell, National Review, 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century

“Chambers had a gift for language…To call Chambers an activist or Witness a political event is to say Dostoevsky was a criminologist or Crime and Punishment a morality tract.”

Washington Post

“Written with extraordinary intensity and power.”

Yale Review

“One of the few indispensable autobiographies ever written by an American—and one of the best written too…It deserves to be recognized as a first class achievement.”

New Criterion

“This many-dimensioned apologia, which is also a spy drama, a Quaker testament, and a spiritual autobiography, telescopes the major political and religious conflicts of the century.”

Booklist

Awards

  • #1 New York Times Bestseller
  • National Review’s 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the Century
Add to Cart
Add to Wish List