Rewriting Hisstory - by Jeff Kisseloff (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A revelatory political history that uncovers the innocence of alleged Communist spy Alger Hiss and points a finger at who was really behind one of the most sensational and divisive accusations of the twentieth century.When Alger Hiss was accused by Whittaker Chambers in 1948 of being a secret Communist spy in the 1930s, the subsequent perjury trials were some of the most sensational and politically significant trials of the century. Although Hiss was convicted, he maintained his innocence until his death, and historians have taken sides ever since. In this groundbreaking and revelatory book, Jeff Kisseloff brings new perspective, evidence, and accusations to this historical controversy.Rewriting Hisstory is a firsthand account of how over fifty years, beginning when he worked for Hiss as a college student in the mid-1970s, Kisseloff was eventually able to determine the truth about Alger Hiss. With the skills of a veteran reporter and the analytical mind of a scholar, he brings to light a wealth of original material, including 150,000 pages of mostly unredacted previously unreleased FBI files-which he sued the FBI to obtain-and other documents from government and library collections around the country. Kisseloff also acquired a key piece of evidence: Woodstock 230099, the machine that the government claimed was used to type the copies of State Department documents placed in evidence against Hiss.Taken together, Kisseloff has pieced together the truth, showing that Hiss was neither a Communist nor a spy and that the government knew it. But if Hiss didn't produce the documents that were placed in evidence against him, who did? After careful research and by applying a process of elimination used in classic crime novels-who had the means, motive, and opportunity to do the job-Kisseloff points his finger at the only people who fit all three qualifications.An act of vindication for one of the most divisive figures in the twentieth century, Rewriting Hisstory is a thrilling political page-turner about an accused spy that is itself a work of scholarly espionage, built on decades of painstaking research. This is an iconoclastic work that should rewrite history books"--

Book Synopsis

A revelatory political history that uncovers the innocence of alleged Communist spy Alger Hiss and points a finger at who was really behind one of the most sensational and divisive accusations of the twentieth century.

When Alger Hiss was accused by Whittaker Chambers in 1948 of being a secret Communist spy in the 1930s, the subsequent perjury trials were some of the most sensational and politically significant trials of the century. Although Hiss was convicted, he maintained his innocence until his death, and historians have taken sides ever since. In this groundbreaking and revelatory book, Jeff Kisseloff brings new perspective, evidence, and accusations to this historical controversy.

Rewriting Hisstory is a firsthand account of how over fifty years, beginning when he worked for Hiss as a college student in the mid-1970s, Kisseloff was eventually able to determine the truth about Alger Hiss. With the skills of a veteran reporter and the analytical mind of a scholar, he brings to light a wealth of original material, including 150,000 pages of mostly unredacted previously unreleased FBI files--which he sued the FBI to obtain--and other documents from government and library collections around the country. Kisseloff also acquired a key piece of evidence: Woodstock 230099, the machine that the government claimed was used to type the copies of State Department documents placed in evidence against Hiss.

Taken together, Kisseloff has pieced together the truth, showing that Hiss was neither a Communist nor a spy and that the government knew it. But if Hiss didn't produce the documents that were placed in evidence against him, who did? After careful research and by applying a process of elimination used in classic crime novels--who had the means, motive, and opportunity to do the job--Kisseloff points his finger at the only people who fit all three qualifications.

An act of vindication for one of the most divisive figures in the twentieth century, Rewriting Hisstory is a thrilling political page-turner about an accused spy that is itself a work of scholarly espionage, built on decades of painstaking research. This is an iconoclastic work that should rewrite history books.

Review Quotes

"Jeff Kisseloff has written three books in one, each an amazing story that deserves the words 'gripping' and 'compelling.' One is the personal memoir of a curious college student who devotes fifty years to a search for the truth of what happened to Alger Hiss, written with wry humor. The second, the story of the collection of oddballs that Kisseloff encountered on the Hiss defense team, who bickered endlessly but shared a dogged search for evidence to challenge a truly 'rigged' prosecution. The third is the case Kisseloff makes that Hiss was not only innocent of espionage, but was framed by a cabal of unscrupulous ideologues out to destroy the New Deal with Hiss as their evidence of its Communist subversion. I defy anyone with an open mind to read this book and dispute its conclusion that a grave injustice was done to a devoted public servant. This is, truthfully, the most important book ever written on the Hiss case. Kudos to Jeff Kisseloff for the research Hiss's detractors never did, but we now have."--Peter Irons, author of Cold War Crusaders: Harry Truman and the Architects of McCarthyism

"Civic injustices that remain unaddressed do not vanish, but fester, poisoning the body politic and leading to an underlying cynicism. Jeff Kisseloff, working to undo one such injustice, has devoted much of his life to investigating the circumstances surrounding the 1950 conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury. In this riveting account of impeccable journalistic research, Kisseloff leads us step-by-step to the perpetrators of the deception that destroyed the career of one of America's finest civil servants and fed a culture of fear and division that harmed countless others."--Julia M. Allen, author of Passionate Commitments: The Lives of Anna Rochester and Grace Hutchins

"Alger Hiss vs. Whittaker Chambers. It was the most politically explosive trial of the twentieth century. And while many historians believe the case is settled history, now comes Jeff Kisseloff with an indictment against the conventional wisdom. Kisseloff presents meticulous evidence to portray Chambers as a serial fabulist. Die-hard believers in Hiss's guilt will be outraged. But clearly, they have not had the last word. This book is sure to stir a hornet's nest of controversy."--Kai Bird, coauthor of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

"There is an inescapable legal-thriller, mystery-book quality to the story, as Kisseloff recounts his efforts to understand what happened so long ago to Alger Hiss, and why. Piece by brutal piece, as different historical characters play out their roles in a political character assassination, and finally a criminal conviction, Kisseloff carefully and believably builds his argument that Hiss was instead innocent. Just as carefully, and just as believably, Kisseloff shows that the case against Hiss was a foundational use of anti-democratic forces and unchecked government power to tarnish and reverse efforts to make America a fairer, better place. A particularly important lesson, when anti-democratic forces and unchecked government power continue to threaten America."--Lee Weiner, author of Conspiracy to Riot: The Life and Times of One of the Chicago 7

"This book is a remarkable combination of the personal story of almost fifty years of dogged research and a detailed historical detective story presenting the conclusions from that effort. Jeff Kisseloff's remarkable achievement should set the historical record straight. Alger Hiss was innocent and framed. I challenge any of the true believers in the lies of Hiss's accusers to read this book carefully, including the detailed footnotes and honestly attempt to refute it. It is wonderful that Tony Hiss and the rest of Alger Hiss's family have lived to see this document published."--Michael Meeropol, older son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and coauthor of We Are Your Sons: The Legacy of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and Surrender: How the Clinton Administration Completed the Reagan Revolution

"Part detective story and part meticulous historical scholarship, this book is about more than a single man's struggle to clear his name. The detailed case made for Alger Hiss's innocence based on access to previously unreleased government documents is both compelling in itself and the entryway into a broader drama: how the persecution of one man by powerful government agencies can be a battering ram against democracy for all. Rewriting Hisstory is ambitious, provocative, and timely."--Max Elbaum, coeditor of Power Concedes Nothing: How Grassroots Organizing Wins Elections

"Jeff Kisseloff's book on Alger Hiss is a not-to-be-missed, well-told, original piece of history."--Victor S. Navasky, author of Naming Names

"The full truth about what Alger Hiss did or did not do may never be known, but this book shows convincingly that his perjury conviction was based on a web of lies. Like any good journalist, Jeff Kisseloff tells us the who, what, where, when, and--most importantly--why Hiss became the most famous target of the McCarthy-era Red Scare."--James M. Boughton, author of Harry Dexter White and the American Creed: How a Federal Bureaucrat Created the Modern Global Economy (and Failed to Get the Credit)