THIS DECEPTION

by Mede Massing ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 1951

A candid confessional by Hede Massing, one time wife of Gerhart Kisler, and her early years of dedication to the Communist party both in Europe and America, her later severance. Born in Vienna and unhappy in her childhood, Hede drifted into Communism with her marriage to isler and his casual coterie of revolutionaries, acquired firmer, more fervent convictions in her third marriage to Paul Massing. Here is something of the operation of Communism, the ""apparatus"" to which each was assigned- in isolation from other units, the secrecy with which each manoeuver was accomplished, her own missions as a courier and as a spy. As a recruiting agent in America, she ""developed"" Noel Field of the State Department, won over Laurence Duggan, and in her contact with Alger Hiss was used as a witness against him in the later trial. In 1937, she decided to break with the Party, went back to Russia at the time of the purge, barely escaped, and came back to America for a retirement to Buck Country broken only by her decision to give evidence to the F.B.I. A first person fascination here for a story of danger and defection, occasionally suspect in its latter day naivete, this will have strong support and may do well.

Pub Date: March 21, 1951

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: O. S.. & P.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1951

Categories: NONFICTION