After Words with John Fleming
Sep 17, 2009
John Fleming talked about his book The Anti-Communist Manifestos: Four Books That Shaped the Cold War (W.W. Norton & Co.; August 17, 2009). In his book he talks about four books that influenced the way people viewed the Cold War: Darkness at Noon (1940), by Arthur Koestler; Out of the Night (1941), by Jan Valtin; I Chose .. Read More
John Fleming talked about his book The Anti-Communist Manifestos: Four Books That Shaped the Cold War (W.W. Norton & Co.; August 17, 2009). In his book he talks about four books that influenced the way people viewed the Cold War: Darkness at Noon (1940), by Arthur Koestler; Out of the Night (1941), by Jan Valtin; I Chose Freedom (1946), by Victor Kravchenko; and Witness (1952), by Whittaker Chambers. Professor Fleming dealt with what the authors of those books went through after they decided to speak out against the Soviet Union. The guest interviewer was Amity Shlaes. Topics of discussion included the character of the four authors and why what the said mattered. He also talked about his other works and how he came to this subject. The interview took place in the New York City studio. John Fleming is professor emeritus of literature at Princeton University, where he taught for 40 years before retiring in 2006. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a past president of the Medieval Academy of America. His books include Reason and the Lover and 1492: An Ongoing Voyage. Amity Shlaes is a senior fellow for economic history at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her books include The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression.
