Chambers reminds me a lot of Churchill. They're both kind of odd ducks. They both solved the key ideological question of their time (although Churchill never dabbled on the dark side). They were both powerful writers who made their living selling their wordcraft in a variety of settings. They were both the solitary voice in the wilderness when all very much seemed lost. And they both left an indelible mark on the century in which they lived. Incidentally they both were very devoted to their wives and kids. Interestingly GWB gave Chambers a posthumous award after taking office (I think Reagan did as well) which is why Novak wrote the intro in my edition of the book. It's also interesting that Chambers was the intellectual mentor of Nixon, McCarthy, Buckley and a few others whose names escape me.