Lot 1297 George Seldes. The People Don't Know. The …

The People Don't Know. The American Press and the Cold War. New York: Gaer Associates, 1949. 342 S. Originalleinen mit Originalschutzumschlag. (Schutzumschlag ist an den Rändern bestoßen und hat kleine Fehlstellen).

Moderne Literatur und Kunst – Widmungsexemplar für Mátyás Rákosi. Auf dem Vorsatz eigenhändig vom Autor gewidmet: "To Deputy Premier Rakosi with many thanks for the interviews - and my best wishes George Seldes nov. 1. 1949". Dieses Buch hat eine außergewöhnliche Provenienz. Der amerikanische Enthüllungsjournalist und Medienkritiker George Seldes (1890-1995) schenkte es dem Mann, den er selbst interviewt hatte: Mátyás Rákosi, Generalsekretär der Ungarischen Partei der Werktätigen, stellvertretender Ministerpräsident und damals der mächtigste Mann Ungarns. Das Gespräch ist im Buch als letztes Kapitel abgedruckt (Appendix 6: "Rakosi Speaks on Tito, Russia, the U.S."). Seldes gab von 1940 bis 1950 den werbefreien Newsletter "In Fact" heraus. In "The People Don't Know" wirft er der amerikanischen Presse vor, die öffentliche Meinung im beginnenden Kalten Krieg einseitig zu lenken. Die Widmung stammt vom November 1949, kurz nach dem Schauprozess gegen László Rajk, der als "Titoist" verurteilt wurde. Sie zeigt eindrücklich, wie nah sich ein westlicher Linksintellektueller und die stalinistische Führung Ostmitteleuropas zu dieser Zeit kamen. Katholische Kritiker warfen Seldes später vor, er habe Rákosis Angriffe auf die Kirche im Umfeld des Mindszenty-Prozesses verbreitet. 1953 musste er vor McCarthys Ausschuss aussagen.

Modern Literature and Art – Original cloth in the original dust jacket (jacket rubbed at the edges, with small losses). Presentation copy to Mátyás Rákosi, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper: "To Deputy Premier Rakosi with many thanks for the interviews - and my best wishes George Seldes nov. 1. 1949". This copy has a remarkable provenance. The American investigative journalist and press critic George Seldes (1890-1995) gave it to the man he had interviewed himself: Mátyás Rákosi, General Secretary of the Hungarian Working People's Party, Deputy Prime Minister, and at that time the most powerful man in Hungary. The interview is printed as the book's final chapter (Appendix 6: "Rakosi Speaks on Tito, Russia, the U.S."). From 1940 to 1950 Seldes published the ad-free newsletter "In Fact". In "The People Don't Know" he accuses the American press of steering public opinion one-sidedly in the early Cold War. The inscription dates from November 1949, shortly after the show trial of László Rajk, who was convicted as a "Titoist". It is striking evidence of how close a Western left-wing intellectual and the Stalinist leadership of East Central Europe could be at that time. Catholic critics later accused Seldes of spreading Rákosi's attacks on the Church during the Mindszenty trial. In 1953 he had to testify before McCarthy's committee.

Startprice: 360 €
Estimate: 450 €

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