THE AMERICAN LEFT: Radical Political Thought in the Twentieth Century

by Loren -- Ed. Baritz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 1971

An uneven collection of writings and documents spliced together without conspicuous insight. Though Baritz is a history professor and not unsympathetic to the left, his introductory squibs display something less than the immersion in leftwing history required for editorial competence. He merely sets forth minimal facts and pigeonholes questionable cliches and references to ""today's youth,"" as when the campus ferment of the '30's is viewed as ""background"" for the '60's. There is no real exposition, for instance, of the views of DeLeon or Debs. The dubious truism that the Wobblies dissolved because of anti-war activity is perpetuated. Some contributors like Phillips Russell are not identified. The ""class struggle,"" ""revolutionary unionism,"" and ""strike"" sections include IWW proceedings and Foster on the steel struggle. The Socialist Party's refusal to support World War I is well-represented; so is the formation and early program of the Communist Party; there is a slighter section on U.S. response to the Bolshevik Revolution. Probably the best section is on ""literary class struggle"" with Gold, Freeman, the Partisan Review, Farrell, and the American Writers Congress represented. Socialist and Communist writings on the New Deal include debates over how to respond to an imminent World War II and there are pieces on the ""cold war,"" academic freedom, liberal myths, as well as a Daily Worker protest to the U.S. Senate. The ""black"" sections feature DuBois, Wright, Malcolm X, the Panthers, etc. The ""new left"" section is utterly inadequate, offering a ""post-industrial"" piece by Sklar and Weinstein and selections from right-wing SDSers Calvert and Oglesby without mentioning their demise, or the political development of the student movement after SDS' dissolution. Optional anthology rather than a definitive, analytic survey.

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Basic Books

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION