Sam Tanenhaus je uznávaný redaktor a kritik, známy svojimi prenikavými komentármi k literatúre a politike. Jeho redakčné vedenie The New York Times Book Review formuje súčasnú literárnu diskusiu a ponúka čitateľom starostlivo zostavené pohľady. Prostredníctvom svojich kritických esejí sa ponára do zložitostí kultúrnej a politickej krajiny, čím preukazuje bystrý analytický pohľad. Tanenhausov prísny prístup k písaniu a redigovaniu z neho robí významný hlas v americkej literatúre.
The author charts the story of Whittaker Chambers, whose transformation from Communist agent to anti-Communist witness climaxed in 1948, when he testified against Alger Hiss, a senior U.S. State Department official, in the controversial trial that shook and changed America.
The book explores the historical evolution of the American conservative movement, highlighting a 75-year ideological divide between two main factions. One group, the consensus-driven "realists," advocates for the government's role in adapting to societal changes, while the other, the movement "revanchists," harbors a deep skepticism of government and societal structures, often positioning themselves in opposition to American values. Sam Tanenhaus's analysis offers a comprehensive examination of these conflicting perspectives and their impact on contemporary politics.