The Matusow affair

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

As a government witness in the McCarthy hearings, Harvey Matusow falsely accused labor leaders, political figures and others of being communist sympathizers. His perjured testimony helped derail many lives. Then in 1955 his confession that he was a witness paid by the government created a national scandal. His book, False Witness, exposed Justice Department manipulation and the FBI's paid informer system. He also accused Roy Cohn, then U.S. assistant attorney, of prefabricating testimony for him. Kahn, who died in 1979, was Matusow's publisher, along with Cameron (who later became an editor at Knopf). The Matusow Affair recounts in detail how and why McCarthy's star witness recanted, and the federal government's strenuous efforts to suppress False Witness. In this era of White House scandals and threatened civil liberties, Matusow's storyhe is director of the Gandhi Peace Centre in Massachusettscrackles with relevance. (October 26)

School Library Journal

YA Harvey Matusow was a paid informant witness for the FBI and Senator Joseph McCarthy in the Red Scare congressional hearings of the 1950s; he was also the first to recant his testimony. This book, written by his publisher, is an account of his struggle to tell the truth both in court and through the press when many political careers depended on his original lies. This powerfully written book allows teens access to the reality of the McCarthy era. It is not an easy book, and it does require an interest in the subject, but it is also spellbinding and frightening in its truth, especially the power wielded by some major figures until very recently. Well indexed and footnoted, this will be an excellent source for American history and government term papers. Dorcas Hand, Episcopal High School, Bellaire