THE AGONY OF THE AMERICAN LEFT

by Christopher Lasch ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 20, 1969

Five long essays by an American historian, the author of The New Radicalism in America (1965). Under the rubric of ""the collapse of mass-based radical movements,"" Lasch examines the decline of populism, the disintegration of the American socialist party, and the weaknesses of black nationalism. There is also a history of the Congress for Cultural Freedom and a discussion of the '60's revival of ideological controversy. Much of the material first appeared in the New York Review of Books. One overall impression is that Lasch is most comfortable shaping specific barbs for the intellectual shabbiness of a range of '50's cold warriors. He sees the need for historical connections and systematic analysis, but his seems to lead him to uncritical admiration for some of the work he discusses (James Weinstein on the Socialist Party and Harold Cruse on black power) and an indulgence in vague concepts like ""postindustrial society,"" which complement rather than challenge the romantic anarchism he deplores in black militants and the obscurantist anti-intellectualism he excoriates in New Leftists. At any rate, Lasch raises the right questions; he writes well, without bombast or professorial mannerisms; and the collection will attract the academic wings of ""the movement,"" those in search of historical perspective for building ""a Left which speaks to the real needs of the community.

Pub Date: March 20, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION